With over two decades of international business experience, I am a 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲, 𝗕𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗕𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗿 with comprehensive ‘hands on’ 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗸, 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 (𝗚𝗥𝗖) and audit expertise, who advocates ethics, integrity and innovation. 

Recognised as a 𝗚𝗥𝗖 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿, 

I have delivered many speeches, lectures, videos and podcasts to global audiences on related topics, such as ‘Achieving Goals in Governance’, ‘Value Driven Auditing’ and ‘Using the Power of Scenario Simulation to Remodel Control Testing - A Game Changer’.   

In 2024, I was recognised as an Audit Beacon at The 𝟲𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀, one of my proudest moments. 

As a multilingual communicator, fluent in three languages, I engage effectively with diverse stakeholders up to board level, steering and influencing strategic agendas relating to Environmental, Social and Governance (𝗘𝗦𝗚), Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (𝗗𝗘&𝗜), Artificial Intelligence (𝗔𝗜) governance, and cybersecurity. 

I served as 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻 of the Veblen Director Programme, enhancing the board dynamics and unlocking opportunities with global leaders. 

At 𝗚𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲, a FTSE company, I developed audit innovation hubs spanning five continents comprising over 45 high-performing auditors, and advanced the company’s 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 with a new team of data scientists and rollout of digital tools and technologies. 

I was instrumental in supporting Glencore through a turbulent time caused by the commodities crisis, retaining $MM audit services for a carved-out agriculture business, and reducing working capital.    

Over the years, I have headed high-profile fraud investigations and mitigated risks, ensuring compliance during complex situations, and safeguarding positive outcomes. 

I created and maintained Glencore’s 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 (ERM) framework, systems and standards, reporting upwards to the board. 

I inspire people and enrich companies of all sizes, from startups to multinationals, offering impact-orientated leadership and a forward-thinking approach.

Nam Ho

✪ WHAT I DO ✪
I give internal audit and compliance a positive spin. With pragmatism, humor, and stories that stick.
Because internal audit and compliance were invented to make your business safer - and not to irritate you. 
🎤 I regularly speak at conferences worldwide, on webinars or on podcasts, about all things internal audit, compliance and anti-fraud.


✪ WHAT´S IN FOR YOU? ✪
Sparring partner. Pragmatic advisor. Engaging keynote speaker.
Worldwide. With a smile and good humor. Because the tough topics speak for themselves.


✪ WHY AM I GOOD AT ALL THAT? ✪
As former head of internal audit and compliance at a large, listed, internationally operating media group  with hundreds of subsidiaries worldwide, my experience is as long as it is broad.

Over 20+ years, in 30+ countries and cultures, I helped hundreds of companies, from very small to very large, in setting up sound internal controls and risk-based compliance processes. I conducted innumerable internal audits, investigated fraud, and trained thousands on all things ethics, compliance and anti-fraud. All that in my four working languages German, English, French, Dutch. 

But most importantly: I love working on internal audit and compliance topics, and I believe you are best in doing things you love!


✪ AND WHERE´S THE POSITIVE SPIN? ✪
✅ I am 100% pragmatic and business-minded. One-fits-all is no option.
✅ I am a very easy communicator at all levels of an organization. 
✅ I care – very much! - about gaining trust through respect, honesty, and fairness.
✅ And I like communicating with a smile and lots of humor. Because one must take the people along.


✪ ANYTHING ELSE? ✪
 
📝 I am writing about all those topics, on LinkedIn and other media. 

🚩 I am serving on boards as a non-executive independent director. I bring to the table all my experience in internal audit, compliance, controls & governance, along with pragmatism, easy communication and a business-driven mindset.


✪  CONTACT ME ✪ 
➡️ office@schmidt-advisory.com
➡️ And of course via LinkedIn DM.

Ursula Schmidt

ME, ON THE TOP 10 IIA GLOBAL BLOG POSTS???

Like, really? 😀 

Writing is great fun (and those who know me know what I mean 😊).

But having fun in writing, and then reading that one of my #blogpost that I published in 2025 with The Institute of Internal Auditors´blog was on their "10 most read blog posts list" makes me crazy happy. 

Because it proves what I shamelessly say: my stories stick.

The post that hit a nerve was about all things #stakeholderrelationship in #internalaudit . I tend to say that internal auditors navigate a hot mess with our innumerable stakeholders. I also tend to say that if we forget for a bit why we often prefer to say "goodness, aren´t those people difficult?", me might as well start swiping on our own doorstep. You know the concept: cleaning one´s own mess first, before blaming other 😅.

Here´s where #authenticleadership comes into play. If we throw our true selves - appropriately, of course! - in the game, we can create better, more lasting alliances with our stakeholders.

If you are interested in hearing more about this topic, here´s your chance: I will host a #webinar next week on the topic, organized by The Institute of Internal Auditors. 

🔗 Here is the webinar link:
https://lnkd.in/e_V3zmMF

📅 January 15th, 2026

⏳ 12PM - 1PM (Eastern time)

🔗 And here is the link to my post in case you wish to (re-) read it:
https://lnkd.in/e8eTxyR5

And congrats to the other writers whose´ great content appears on that very list: Jasdeep (Jas) Gill Stacey Schabel, CIA, CPA Mohamed Salah Maria Craig Seth Agyei Aboagye, ACIB Farah Eida Hervé Gloaguen Hassan Khayal !

2023, 2024 and 2025 Internal Audit Beacon award recipient | Keynote Speaker & Author | Board Member | Independent Director | Internal Audit & Compliance Advisor

View company: The Institute of Internal Auditors

Don’t miss the most-read Internal Auditor blog posts of 2025! The Top 10 posts were both practical and philosophical, covering how-tos, soft skills, and concepts central to the profession. Read them here: https://loom.ly/OidFEI4

#IaMagIIA #InternalAudit

Sarah K., Jasdeep (Jas) Gill,  Stacey Schabel, CIA, CPA, Mohamed Salah, Maria Craig, Seth Agyei Aboagye, ACIB, Ursula Schmidt, Farah Eida, Hervé Gloaguen, Hassan Khayal

INTERNAL AUDITORS: DON´T BEHAVE LIKE STAFF AT MY CAR REPAIR SHOP

I started 2026 by bringing my car in for inspection. Here´s what I experienced:
❌ Was asked if AddBlue should be checked (my car is gasoline…)

❌ Was asked if windshield wipers should be replaced (noone checked them first…)

❌ Was NOT asked if there was anything special they should check (there was…)

❌ Got kicked out of the line when calling later to flag a recurring issue with my handbrake

❌ Was NOT able to speak to the customer service rep

❌ Was told “I don´t know” when I was told that the car was ready, and I enquired if there had been anything special they noted. 

Welcome to the beautiful world of being a “client” of a German car dealer since +/- 20 years!
 
Anyhow. You couldn´t care less about me venting about my garage ☹.

However, you might be interested in understanding what the link to #internalaudit is. Easy! Just try to remember a situation when your audit client seemed a little miffed recently. And then ask yourself if there´s a tiny, obviously super remote, virtually impossible chance that he felt treated like I was treated at the garage: 

🔴 I didn´t feel like a client, but like a pesky insect
🔴 Noone I spoke to was knowledgeable or even prepared
🔴 “Client” interaction as a checklist: tick off standards, relevant or not relevant
🔴 No interest in client concerns
🔴 Not reachable for client questions

I doubt, VERY MUCH, that you would even dream of being unprepared for a meeting with a client. I doubt even more that you would just run through your checklist in your interview. And I cannot even fathom that you wouldn´t ask your clients about their own, special, important concerns and risks 😊. 

But I will say this: as internal auditors, we constantly fight for attention, relevance, resources, respect… and perception. Our outside perception could be better, to put it mildly.

Simple things can help here – and as usual, it´s WAY better to start swiping on our own doorstep instead of lamenting about “difficult clients”.

The year is still young – plenty of time for one single good resolution: 

✅ Treat your client like a client!

Clients like to be taken seriously, they like to come first, they want to be understood, they crave attention. If you care about how you and your team are perceived, get prepared, know your stuff, be reliable, be reachable, be responsive, be relevant. Chances are, you will make a big difference. As it´s almost certainly that sort of treatment that your client missed when he spoke to his garage lately 😉.

Repeat with me: treat your audit clients like you´d like to be treated at your garage, or wherever else.

#audit #stakeholderrelationship #clientattention

ETHICS IS FUN - AUCH AUF DEUTSCH 😁!

I am very much looking forward to hosting this 2-h session on all things ethical blindness in internal auditing with DIIR - Deutsches Institut für Interne Revision e.V. in January! 

I always say that the entertaining part of ethics is underrated. And I don´t get it! What could be boring when we talk about how people risk taking the wrong turn in real life? 

If you agree with me that 
✅ ethics is relevant
✅ ethics is interesting
✅ ethics should be about practical stuff and not just dry theory 

☑️ (and if you are done with my German accent when I speak foreign languages, and finally want to hear what it´s like when I speak German haha)

➡️ AND if you like to add 2.2 brand-new CPEs to your list already in January,
this is your to-go-seminar 😀!
 
📅 January 20th, 2026
⌛ 10am - 12pm
🌐 Online
✍ Register here: https://lnkd.in/extXpK9e

Hope to see you soon!

#internalaudit #ethics #diir #seminar #education

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Nam Ho

Ursula Schmidt

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The Battle

Nam Ho

Ursula Schmidt

Followers

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Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Ursula Schmidt's LinkedIn Performance

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