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Sabine Charles, DBA, chief executive and founder of consulting firm Charles Financial Strategies, argues that strong internal audit functions depend on professional expertise rather than staffing levels alone, as boards often receive volumes of low-level findings while missing systemic risks. Author Sabine Charles contends that credentials such as the Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) provide structured training that sharpens critical thinking, technical judgment and ethical standards needed to translate operational risk into strategic insight. As regulatory pressure grows and technologies such as AI and cloud computing reshape risk profiles, underqualified audit teams leave organisations exposed to fraud, cybersecurity breaches and compliance failures. Certified professionals are better equipped to test controls deeply, assess emerging risks and communicate boardroom-ready intelligence. While credentials alone cannot overcome weak governance culture, investing in professional audit capability can reduce long-term compliance costs, improve risk oversight and strengthen trust with regulators and stakeholders.

 

Corporate Compliance Insights

McDonald’s has announced a series of senior leadership changes, promoting Luis Quintiliano, currently managing director of McDonald’s Spain, to U.S. national field president. Quintiliano will oversee U.S. field operations and execution of the company’s “Accelerating the Arches” strategy, replacing Myra Doria, who will retire in June after helping establish the role in 2023. McDonald’s also revealed a rotation of two senior finance executives to broaden leadership experience. Loek Beckers will become senior vice president and CFO of McDonald’s USA, while Tom Dillon, who has served as U.S. CFO for about four years, will move into the role of senior vice president of corporate finance. 

 

Restaurant Dive

Verizon said its consumer division head, Sowmyanarayan Sampath, will step down at the end of March as the company pushes ahead with a turnaround under new chief executive Dan Schulman. Mr. Sampath, who has led the consumer unit since March 2023, will be succeeded on an interim basis by Alfonso Villanueva, Verizon’s chief transformation officer and a former PayPal executive who previously worked with Mr. Schulman. The leadership change comes as Verizon restructures its business, including plans announced in November to cut 13,000 jobs and convert 179 corporate-owned retail stores into franchised locations.

 

Reuters

Wall Street Journal

The Labor Department reported on Thursday that new jobless claims rose more than expected last week, an increase attributed to distortions from snowstorms across much of the country. The number of initial filings rose to 231,000 in the seven days to January 31st, up from 209,000 a week earlier, and above the 212,000 expected among economists polled by Reuters. The four-week moving average of new applications, which helps smooth out the volatility in the data that is typical during weather events, rose to 212,250, while continuing claims, reported with a one-week lag, increased from 1.82m to 1.84m. Relatedly, the Labor Department's JOLTS report stated that job openings had decreased by 386,000 to 6.542m by the last day of December, the lowest level since September 2020. A third employment report, from outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, found that there weree 108,435 job cuts in January, the most for the month since 2009. 

 

USA Today

Reuters

Reuters

Wall Street Journal

Alphabet, Amazon, Meta and Microsoft are planning record capital spending to build AI data centers and the infrastructure behind them, from chips to networking and backup power. Bloomberg data indicates the four are collectively set for roughly a 60% year-over-year increase, with individual outlays at levels rarely seen outside historic investment booms. Meta said capex could reach $135bn, Microsoft is projected near $105bn for its fiscal year, Alphabet forecast up to $185bn, and Amazon guided to $200bn in 2026. The build-out is straining energy and construction capacity, raising community concerns over power and water, and heightening questions about bottlenecks, financing and whether AI revenue will arrive quickly enough. Meanwhile, Simon Lin, the chairman of Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Wistron, has argued that AI is not a bubble, and 2026 AI-related order growth will be more than last year. "We believe AI really does help all industries, so I don't think it's a bubble; I think it will mark a new era. A new AI era is arriving," Lin whose company is an Nvidia, said. His comments came as stocks on Wall Street sold off on Thursday for a third straight day on AI fears, pushing the S&P 500, into negative territory for the year.

 

Bloomberg

Reuters

Reuters

Leading PC makers HP, Dell, Acer and Asus are considering using memory chips from Chinese chipmakers such as CXMT for the first time amid a global supply crunch that threatens product launches and is increasing costs across the tech sector, Nikkei Asia reports. 

 

Nikkei Asia

Ralph Lauren has lifted its annual sales and margin forecasts after posting stronger-than-expected third-quarter results, but warned that US tariffs and higher marketing spend will weigh on margins in the fourth quarter. Revenues in the three months to December 27th rose 12% to $2.41bn in the quarter, beating expectations, while adjusted earnings of $6.22 a share also came in ahead of forecasts, supported by higher full-price sales and reduced discounting. The luxury group now expects fiscal 2026 revenue growth in the high single to low double digits and raised its operating margin outlook, but cautioned that fourth-quarter margins are likely to shrink by 80 to 120 basis points due to tariff pressures. While demand from wealthier consumers and Gen Z remains resilient, management said it remains cautious on the North American environment, with shares falling after the margin warning.

 

Bloomberg

Reuters

Rio Tinto has abandoned its merger talks with Glencore, which aimed to create the world's largest mining group. Disagreements over pricing and management roles led to the breakdown and Rio Tinto said it could not reach an agreement that would benefit its shareholders. Glencore, which sought a deal ratio giving its investors 40% of the combined entity, said that the proposed terms undervalued its contributions. Chris LaFemina, an analyst at Jefferies, said: "It is possible that the two companies re-engage at some point in the future, but that is not our base case," adding: "Rio likely goes it alone."

 

Financial Times

The Guardian

The Telegraph

The Times

A federal judge in Missouri has dismissed a lawsuit from the Republican-led state accusing Starbucks of using diversity, equity, and inclusion policies to discriminate based on race, gender, and sexual orientation. U.S. District Judge John Ross said that the state failed to demonstrate any discrimination against Missouri residents. The lawsuit, initiated by former Attorney General Andrew Bailey, claimed Starbucks unlawfully linked executive pay to achieving hiring quotas. Starbucks employs over 200,000 people in the U.S. and has faced similar legal challenges regarding its diversity policies in the past.

 

Reuters

The PCAOB has released a staff report titled "Broker-Dealer Audit Focus: Related Party Transactions," addressing the importance of identifying and disclosing transactions between broker-dealers and related parties. The PCAOB emphasized that auditors must obtain evidence to ensure these relationships are accurately accounted for in financial statements. The report highlighted common deficiencies and reminded auditors to assess risks of material misstatement and communicate their findings to the audit committee. The PCAOB stated: "Auditors must also design and perform procedures that address the risks of material misstatement." Good practices for auditing broker-dealers were also provided.

 

Accounting Today

AICPA's Auditing Standards Board (ASB) is set to propose updates to its attestation standards, focusing on sustainability and emerging assurance issues. An exposure draft will be available online on February 26th, with a comment period expected to last at least 120 days. The updates aim to address new areas of assurance beyond traditional auditing, including sustainability, digital assets, and cybersecurity. AICPA anticipates that the revised standards will be adopted next year after the comment period and further deliberation by the ASB. The exposure draft will be accessible on the AICPA's resource page for proposed standards by the end of the month.

 

Accounting Today

CPA Practice Advisor

Toyota Motor has appointed its chief financial officer, Kenta Kon, as president and chief executive, replacing Koji Sato, as the company faces global trade disruption and intensifying competition from Chinese electric vehicle makers. Sato will move into the roles of vice chair and newly created chief industry officer. Toyota said the leadership changes are designed to speed up decision-making in response to rapidly changing internal and external conditions.

 

CNBC	Financial Times

The International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA) has launched two global surveys to gather feedback on how the role of chief financial officers and senior finance leaders is evolving and the ethical challenges that come with it. One survey targets CFOs and equivalent executives, while the other is aimed at stakeholders who work with or rely on CFOs. The initiative will assess whether the IESBA Code of Ethics remains fit for purpose as finance roles expand beyond traditional reporting and compliance into broader strategic and leadership responsibilities. The surveys also explore the involvement of CFOs who are not members of professional accountancy bodies and invite views on potential updates to the Code, new guidance, or other support for ethical leadership. Findings, informed by surveys, roundtables and focus groups across multiple regions, are expected to be presented at IESBA’s June 2026 meeting.

 

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