Kevin O'Connell

The role of the CRO has shifted. KPMG US released From Reaction to Readiness, examining how Chief Restructuring Officers are evolving from reactive firefighters to proactive strategists. The data tells the story. 66% of organizations cite persistent financial distress as the top reason to hire a CRO. Yet early engagement delivers significantly better outcomes. Most companies still wait too long. 60% of respondents expect global economic volatility to increase demand for CRO services. Private equity firms are especially concerned at 65%. What's changed: Modern CROs need digital fluency, sophisticated management capabilities, and an understanding of global market dynamics. The skill set has broadened beyond traditional turnaround expertise. Organizations that engage restructuring leadership early position themselves to address challenges before distress becomes acute. Waiting until crisis mode limits options and outcomes. Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/eY4BJ98t #KPMGStrategy #Restructuring #Leadership #Transformation

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Massachusetts delivers a dynamic blend of statutory and discretionary incentives designed to accelerate R&D, biomanufacturing, commercialization and net new job creation across the Commonwealth. Explore four key programs tailored for innovative, growth-driven companies. https://okt.to/NKVnfu #RAndD #BusinessIncentives #EconomicDevelopment #TaxCredits

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Some of the biggest wins happen behind the scenes in financial services, especially in private equity. This KPMG US story shows how one PE firm reimagined its fund operations to drive sharper performance and better reporting: • Reporting cycles cut from weeks to minutes • Compliance strengthened through automation • Teams refocused on strategic value creation It’s not flashy, but it’s what investors notice. Watch the full story: https://lnkd.in/eSBBAXbY. #KPMGPrivateEquity #FundOperations #ReportingAutomation #OperationalEfficiency #ClientStory #FinancialServices

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The PCAOB today announced the launch of the Audit Practitioner Fellowship Program (https://lnkd.in/e6V6w3MF) within the PCAOB’s Office of the Chief Auditor, a new initiative designed to bring additional experienced auditors to the PCAOB to share their unique expertise with PCAOB staff.

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Organizations are feeling the pressure of regulatory expectations, cyber threats, and third party exposure. Many TPRM programs struggle to keep up. Data from the newly released KPMG 2026 Global Third-Party Risk Management Survey shows that resilience gap widening. Here's what's important for you: ESG and sustainability considerations can’t sit on the sidelines of TPRM. They need to be designed into third party risk programs from the ground floor. If you’re working in sustainability, #ESG reporting, or responsible supply chain strategy, understanding how #TPRM frameworks operate, and where sustainability risk belongs, is truly valuable. On Wednesday, Feb. 11, KPMG is hosting a live webcast breaking down the survey results and exploring how organizations are reshaping TPRM. It’s a great opportunity to see where sustainability fits into the broader risk conversation. ➡️ Webcast details & registration: https://lnkd.in/eqcj4NqZ This discussion will give you the context you need to embed ESG more effectively into enterprise risk — and strengthen the impact of your sustainability program, and you can find the full report here if you’d like to dive in even deeper: https://lnkd.in/eTzXTPAk #KPMGSustainability

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High risk, high conviction. Three-quarters of global investors are leaning into risk—despite market volatility. Why? Because uncertainty breeds opportunity. The latest EY Private Equity Pulse shows capital is poised to move, fast—especially in defense, U.S. manufacturing, private credit, and sectors shaken by supply chain shifts. Smart money isn’t waiting. It’s watching — and getting ready. https://ow.ly/A2hI30sNOUc #ShapeTheFutureWithConfidence

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Just attended this session! What a highly informative session of how fast paced AI is moving and the impact one can have once all your data is visible and connected. Shout out to Kieran Taylor from Midship for moderating and Martin Preedy from Reddit, Inc. and Danielle Ritter from GitLab for inspiring us on real world use cases to speeding up control testing. #AI #IIA #GAM #IIAGAM #innovation #risk #audit

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Day 1 at the IIA Great Audit Minds (GAM) Conference. Incredible start to #GAM2026! Today’s sessions made one thing clear, the "traditional" audit playbook is being rewritten. Here are my 3 key takeaways from Day 1: Accelerated AI Adoption: No longer a "future" concept. Internal Audit teams are actively integrating AI to enhance speed, accuracy, and predictive capabilities. The Shift to "Risk Strategist": The need is to move away from the traditional risk based approach toward becoming Risk Strategists. In this evolving environment, our value lies in anticipating shifts rather than just reacting to them. Next Gen Data Mining: The evolution of data mining tools is a game changer. Enhancing risk coverage for more holistic and granular view of organizational health. Great to discuss these shifts with fellow leaders and colleagues who are committed to elevating the Internal Audit profession Medhavin Trivedi Kedar Joshi #InternalAudit #IIA #GAM2026 #RiskStrategist #DataMining #AIinAudit #FutureOfAudit

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EY’s latest quarterly update for audit committees highlights how boards are navigating geopolitical risk, AI governance, and the impact of new legislation like the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” and the GENIUS Act on financial reporting and digital assets. https://bit.ly/4mmJOXp

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Amy Matsuo, KPMG US Regulatory Insights Leader, notes that "abrupt and extensive regulatory shifts are challenging business norms," setting the stage for our new thought leadership piece, "First 100 Days: Where (De?)Regulation Goes from Here." This article delves into how recent regulatory changes might impact compliance, innovation, and risk management, as well as the potential legal uncertainties businesses may face. Download our report to gain actionable strategies for thriving in this evolving environment: https://bit.ly/4m1xNaj

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AI is transforming Internal Audit—and it’s only getting started. Our team just returned from the Long Island Institute of Internal Auditors conference —and the message was clear: AI is here, and it's changing the game. Quick insights: ✅ AI is actively being integrated into internal audit functions, boosting efficiency, pattern detection and risk anticipation. ✅ AI governance is unavoidable to ensure transparency, accuracy and ethical use. ✅ Third-party risk management is becoming complex with evolving regulatory expectations that demand agile approaches. ✅ Organizations are retrying outsourcing to stay nimble and scalable. Start your transformation: https://ow.ly/QEUo50VQh2c #InternalAudit #Armanino #NavigateTheFuture

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The new PCAOB board points to more efficient oversight with audit quality still front and center. Weaver’s update distills the key takeaways for public companies, auditors and audit committees, including disclosure expectations and implementation planning for recent standards. https://lnkd.in/e5gyq6v8

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The Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission issued guidance on internal controls for generative AI, adapting its existing internal control framework. The guidance highlights generative AI's probabilistic, dynamic and scalable nature and low barrier to entry, and it urges continuous risk assessment and monitoring as well as clear ownership of each capability type. https://lnkd.in/guXQfWwX

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🚀 Why settle for samples? AI audits 100% of your data. Discover how KPMG leverages AI to test the entire population of journal entries and account balances, providing assurance from every transaction – not just a sample. Discover more: https://lnkd.in/eR6rpUSj

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Recent Federal Reserve guidance points to greater reliance on firms’ own control functions—raising expectations for internal audit judgment, credibility, and validation of remediation. PwC’s latest Our Take Special Edition explores what this shift means for internal audit leaders and audit committees, and what banks should be doing now. A must-read for industry leadership. https://pwc.to/3NXWwjg

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M&A is accelerating in 2026: EY Firepower report Join our panel of industry leaders as we explore the findings from our annual EY Firepower report: life sciences dealmaking – trends in 2026. The report finds life sciences companies recognize the need to accelerate their dealmaking strategies to succeed in an increasingly competitive environment. The industry has stepped up its dealmaking activity on multiple fronts: * With US$240 billion of M&A deals signed in 2025, the industry’s dealmaking pace has visibly picked up after the cautious small-deal focus in 2024. * Though the deal volume is slightly down, the average deal size has risen as companies prioritize leading-class innovations that are ready or nearly ready to launch. * Companies are racing to capture assets through every channel, with the alliance potential deal value breaking all records in 2025. In this webcast, industry leaders will explore: * Why the industry’s dealmaking pace is picking up * Why China is disrupting the M&A agenda * Why companies need to improve their dealmaking efficiency * Why the industry should keep accelerating on deals in 2026 * What we heard at the biggest healthcare M&A conference https://lnkd.in/dJRUqV_P

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