The IIA’s 2026 Canadian National Conference to Be Held October 5-7 in Vancouver
Press Release | Conferences & Learning | September 24, 2026
Vancouver, British Columbia – September 23, 2026 – The Institute of Internal Auditors (The IIA) will host its 2026 Canadian National Conference (CNC) in Vancouver from October 5-7, with a virtual attendance option available. The event will bring together internal audit leaders and practitioners from across Canada as they navigate an expanding scope and rising expectations amid AI disruption, privacy reforms, and shifting economic realities.
Designed for internal audit professionals at all stages of their careers, the conference will feature more than 30 expert-led sessions across four learning tracks – Designing for Resilience, Engineering Innovation, Leading With Purpose, and Building Public Trust. Sessions will provide attendees with practical insights and tools to anticipate emerging risks, navigate regulatory and technological change, and elevate internal audit’s impact on organizational strategy.
The conference comes shortly after The Internal Audit Foundation released its annual Risk in Focus research, which found that digital disruption, including AI, saw the largest year-over-year increase of any risk area in North America, the highest level reported across any region globally. Cybersecurity also remains the region’s most widely cited risk, ranked among the top five by 85% of North American respondents.
“Risk complexity and change aren’t slowing, and neither can internal audit,” said David Helberg, Chair of The IIA North American Board for 2026–27. “From AI and cyber risk to geopolitical uncertainty and evolving regulations, audit leaders must help their organizations anticipate and navigate change. As governance, risk, and compliance become increasingly interconnected, internal audit has an important role in bringing greater insight and alignment across the organization. This year’s conference is an important opportunity to challenge our thinking, learn from one another, and elevate our impact in a fast-moving risk environment.”
The program will explore a range of issues shaping the profession and organizational strategy including:
- AI, Cybersecurity, and Emerging Technology: Exploring practical applications of AI across the audit lifecycle, the risks and opportunities of emerging technologies, and the governance, controls, and human oversight needed to innovate responsibly while reinforcing cyber security.
- Geopolitical, Regulatory, and Emerging Risk: Examining how geopolitical developments, regulatory and privacy reforms, economic pressures, and an increasingly interconnected risk landscape are reshaping organizational priorities – and how internal audit can help organizations anticipate change and strengthen resilience.
- Leadership and Organizational Resilience: Providing strategies to help internal audit leaders navigate complexity and uncertainty, build agile and adaptable teams, elevate risk conversations, and strengthen internal audit’s role in organizational strategy.
- Governance, Ethics, and Public Trust: Exploring internal audit’s evolving role within the broader GRC ecosystem, including how practitioners can strengthen governance and organizational culture, reinforce accountability, and help protect stakeholder and public trust across Canada’s private and public sectors.
Ahead of the Canadian National Conference, The IIA will also host its 2026 Audit Leadership Event (ALE) on October 4 at the Hyatt Regency Vancouver. Designed for Chief Audit Executives, the event will bring together senior audit executives for strategic discussions focused on the issues shaping the next era of internal audit leadership.
The Canadian National Conference will allow attendees earn up to 53.8 CPE credits, while the Audit Leadership Event offers up to 4.8 CPE credits.
Those interested in attending the Canadian National Conference or Audit Leadership Event are encouraged to register and view the full event program here.
About The Institute of Internal Auditors
The Institute of Internal Auditors (The IIA) is an international professional association that serves more than 265,000 global members and has awarded more than 220,000 Certified Internal Auditor® (CIA®) certifications worldwide. Established in 1941, The IIA is recognized throughout the world as the internal audit profession’s leader in standards, certifications, education, research, and technical guidance. For more information, visit theiia.org.