While attending the annual conference of The Institute of internal Auditors South Africa recently, I was struck by how passionately the organizers continue to champion The IIA’s long-time motto of Progress Through Sharing. While the conference was celebrating the 60^th anniversary of this outstanding IIA affiliate, it was evident that they hadn’t simply trotted out the slogan as part of the festivities. It remains near to their hearts and reflects an important value for the membership. As I have reflected on the event in the days since, I have reminded myself that Progress Through Sharing isn’t just a slogan, it remains a hallmark of the global profession.

The origin of Progress Through Sharing is well known to internal audit historians. In the long history of The IIA, only one Chairman of the Board has passed away in office. Ray Noonan died unexpectedly in 1953. Following the tradition of IIA Chairs, Noonan had adopted a theme for his year as Chairman when he first assumed office: Progress Through Sharing. After his death, The IIA officially adopted his theme as its official motto in 1955. More than a tagline, it helped define and guide the culture of The IIA for more than six decades after its adoption.

At the time the motto was adopted, The IIA had only a handful of staff, and was still driven almost entirely by volunteers. It was through the selfless sharing of ideas, tools and time by these volunteers that The IIA and the internal audit profession flourished. As The IIA grew, so did the legions of volunteers around the world who augmented the expanding number of IIA chapters and affiliates.

Many of the profession’s major milestones and foundational tools have been a product of IIA volunteer and staff collaboration. For example, volunteer committees and task forces were instrumental in crafting the pillars upon which the profession has been built, such as:

• Statement of Responsibilities of Internal Auditing in 1947
• Code of Ethics in 1968
• Certified Internal Auditor program in 1973-1974
• Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing in 1978
• Vision for the Future (including a new internal audit definition) in 1999
• Core Principles for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing in 2016
• Three Lines Model (for governance and risk management) in 2020
• The Global Internal Audit Standards in 2024.

Other professional bodies certainly leverage their members and volunteers to advance their professions, but I believe progress through sharing has been vital to the growth and success of the internal audit profession throughout its history.

Late in my tenure as The IIA’s President and CEO, we initiated a digital transformation project and an accompanying brand refresh. While it was never our attention to repudiate/abandon the organization’s long-time Progress Through Sharing motto, the new tagline of Elevating Impact took center stage. And while the words progress through sharing aren’t uttered as often at The IIA as they once were, I know that today’s IIA leaders continue to value the contributions of its volunteers and others who share wisdom and tools around the world.

The advent of the Internet and subsequent proliferation social media and other web-based platforms over the past two decades have only served to fuel progress through sharing. Today, countless men and women from every continent take to the Internet to share ideas which nurture and grow the profession. For the past five years, I have been proud to recognize thought leaders who share their wisdom with fellow internal audit professionals through an annual awards program: The Internal Audit Beacon Awards. I also periodically share links to Internal Audit Thought Leaders to Follow.

Whether you choose to share your time, tools and wisdom through volunteering with The IIA, or by engaging directly with the profession, I applaud your contributions. You are part of a long tradition that has fostered one of the world’s great professions in the 21^st century. I encourage you to continue sharing and contributing to the progress of the internal audit profession.