The Institute of Internal Auditors Leadership

Meet The IIA Leadership team.

2025-26 Global Chair Theme: "Be The Future"

Stefano Comotti discusses his chosen platform as chair – “Be the Future” – which challenges internal auditors to lead with clarity and purpose, and fully embrace their role as forward-looking strategic advisors.

Learn more about Stefano Comotti

Stefano Comotti

2025-26 IIA Global Board of Directors Chair

Stefano Comotti is the 2025-26 Global Board of Directors Chair of The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA). He previously served as the Board’s 2024-25 Global Senior Vice Chair and the 2023-24 Outside North America (ONA) Lead Director. He also served on the Board of IIA Italy (2014-21).

Stefano currently works for a listed group in the luxury goods industry in Paris, France, where he leads audit and risk teams overseeing all aspects of operations across the company’s brands and their boutiques. With more than three decades of international experience, Stefano offers deep expertise across audit, internal control, risk management, corporate governance, transaction support, and finance. Stefano’s career began with Ernst & Young, where he worked as financial auditor for publicly listed companies in both Italy and the US, and later as a consultant in Transaction Support. He then moved into the telecommunications sector, joining Vodafone as Internal Audit Director for its Spanish subsidiary.

Stefano’s platform as Chair, “Be The Future,” will challenge internal auditors to go beyond “earning a seat at the table” and encourage them to fully embrace their role as forward-looking strategic advisors. It will place a particular emphasis on harnessing emerging technology, proactively addressing rising stakeholder expectations, and leading with purpose.

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Elizabeth Sullivan

2025-26 IIA North American Board Chair

Elizabeth Sullivan is the 2025-26 Chair of the North American Board and a 2025-26 Director of the Global Board of Directors of The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA).

Elizabeth is the Vice President, Chief Risk and Audit Officer at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and heads its Audit and Compliance department. With over 28 years of audit, risk management, financial industry, and public sector experience, she leads the internal audit function in providing assurance and advisory services that enable change for strong organizational governance and effective risk management and internal control systems.

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Anthony J. Pugliese

IIA President and Chief Executive Officer

Anthony J. Pugliese is President and CEO of The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), the internal audit profession’s most widely recognized advocate, educator, and provider of standards, guidance, and certifications.

Over a career spanning more than 30 years, Pugliese has been a strategic, hands-on leader who has directed expansions into major global markets, pioneered innovative educational initiatives aimed at enhancing members’ professional growth, overseen the internal audit function of a major organization for more than 15 years, and re-shaped cultural norms toward greater diversity, equity, and inclusiveness (DE&I).

As CEO of The IIA, Anthony drives the vision and management of a global professional association that represents more than 260,000 members, nearly 150 chapters, and 117 institutes in more than 170 countries and territories. He is focused on advocating for internal auditors worldwide while driving the evolution of both The IIA and the internal audit profession through initiatives to modernize professional standards and certifications. Of note, he spearheaded the groundbreaking “Internal Audit: Vision 2035 - Creating Our Future Together" project, which aims to identify what the internal audit profession will look like – and should look like – in 2035 and create a roadmap to help the profession achieve that vision.

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National Institute and Chapter Leaders

Acting Dean

International Joint Audit Institute at Nanjing Audit University

China

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Ex-Officio Director / IIA CEO

Anthony J. Pugliese, CIA

President and Chief Executive Officer

The Institute of Internal Auditors

USA

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2025-26 North American Board of Directors

Chair

Elizabeth Sullivan, CIA, CCSA, CRMA

Vice President, Chief Risk and Audit Officer

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority

Senior Vice Chair

David Helberg, CIA, CRMA

Chief, Internal Audit Services and Corporate Ethics

Cameco Corporation

Vice Chair - Finance

Jessica Rodgers, CIA

Partner/Principal

Global Internal Audit Leader

Vice Chair – Member Services

Warren W. Stippich, Jr., CIA, CRMA

National Managing Principal

Grant Thornton Advisors LLC

Past Chair

R. Michael Varney, CIA

Partner

Crowe LLP

Director – CAC Representative

Raoul Ménès, CIA, CCSA, CRMA

Partner and Québec Leader, Advisory / Governance, Risk and Compliance Services & Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Executive Council Member

KPMG Canada

Director

Yulia Gurman, CIA

Vice President, Internal Audit and Corporate Security

Packaging Corporation of America

Director

Adnan Rahim, CIA

Director/Head of Internal Audit - Finance

Meta Inc.

Director

M. Todd Freeman, CIA

Vice President, Internal Audit

Vulcan Materials Company

Director

Valentina Sabet, CIA

Global Operational Audit & Risk Management (Construction)

Intel Corporation

Ex-Officio Director

Anthony J. Pugliese, CIA

Director, Internal Audit and Chief Audit Executive

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Leadership Resources

Annual Reports

Year-end highlights, goals, financial status, and state of the internal audit profession

Boards & Committees

IIA boards and committees structure and composition, competencies, qualifications, and the nomination process for internal audit leadership positions.

The Institute of Internal Auditors Leadership

2025-26 Global Chair Theme: "Be The Future"

2025-26 IIA Global Board of Directors Chair

2025-26 IIA North American Board Chair

IIA President and Chief Executive Officer

National Institute and Chapter Leaders