Kentucky Bankers Association Internal Audit Seminar

The Kentucky Bankers Association (KBA) Internal Audit Seminar will be held virtually on Wednesday, April 1. Throughout the day, several members of Cherry Bekaert’s Financial Institutions practice will present on the hottest internal audit topics affecting financial institutions, such as program fundamentals, IT risk assessments, BSA/AML compliance, community banking challenges and opportunities, credit risk management, a case study, followed by a Q&A session.

Register today and tune in to learn more about the following:

Overview of the Internal Audit Program – 9:10 – 10:00 A.M.

This session will cover the fundamentals related to the structure of an internal audit program: committee makeup, audit policy, risk assessment, audit reports and 2026 regulatory focus.

Speaker

Julianna Casey | Manager, Risk Advisory Services

Performing IT Risk Assessments: Identifying and Mitigating Key Risks – 10:00 –10:50 A.M.

IT risk assessments are more relevant than ever in today’s fast-changing digital landscape. While the core principles remain, practice has evolved from a static, periodic exercise into a dynamic, continuously informed process. Modern assessments are not simply compliance reports, they are strategic tools that help leadership identify what matters most, prioritize remediation, and drive proactive risk reduction aligned to the institution’s risk appetite and operating realities.

In this session, we’ll walk through a practical approach to performing IT risk assessments that connect inherent risk, likelihood, impact, and mitigating controls to a defensible view of residual risk and an actionable remediation roadmap. We’ll also discuss how institutions are aligning the assessment to enterprise risk management and board oversight, using frameworks and meeting evolving regulatory expectations — so executives can make faster, clearer decisions about what to fix, what to accept and what to monitor.

Speaker

Audrey Magennis | Director, Cybersecurity Services

Internal Audit Trends in the BSA/AML Landscape – 11:00 – 11:50 A.M.

Internal audit functions in the BSA/AML world are evolving from traditional compliance checking into strategic, risk aligned evaluators of enterprise-wide financial crime controls. This session will delve into marijuana related banking, model validation and digital assets.

Speaker

Julianna Casey | Manager, Risk Advisory Services

Case Study: Wells Fargo Account Fraud – 12:50 – 1:40 P.M.

This session will provide a walk through the fraud, the identified players, penalties and the role of internal audit. It will give a unique perspective as to the charges brought by the OCC against members of the internal audit function of the bank and the final settlements that were reached.

Speaker

Jim Jarrett | Director, Risk Advisory Services

What’s Ahead for Community Banks: Evolving Technology, Cyber, Real-time Payments and AI Risks in 2026 and Beyond – 1:40 – 2:30 P.M.

As technology continues to evolve, so do the risks facing community banks. This session brings together recent observations from 2025 and a forward-looking view of what may shape the risk environment in 2026 and beyond. This session covers key information technology, information security, and cybersecurity considerations, including changes in threat activity, increased reliance on third parties and cloud platforms, growing data governance challenges, and the expanding use of AI and other advanced technologies within banking operations.

As real time payments (RTP) continue to gain traction across the banking industry, community banks are navigating new operational, fraud, and governance considerations. This session brings together recent observations from 2025 and a forward-looking view of how RTP adoption may continue to evolve in 2026 and beyond. The session examines key considerations related to RTP participation through The Clearing House, highlighting practical impacts for community banks today and areas to prepare for going forward. 

Speaker

Jeff Johns | Partner, Cybersecurity Services

A Practical, Risk-focused Perspective to Audit Credit Risk Management – 2:40 – 3:30 P.M.

As economic conditions evolve and regulatory expectations continue to rise, credit risk remains one of the most significant drivers of institutional risk. Internal audit functions are increasingly expected to provide timely, insightful assurance over not only credit processes, but also the governance, judgment, and data that underpin credit risk decisions.

This presentation delivers a practical, audit focused view of credit risk management, designed to help internal auditors effectively assess whether credit risk is being identified, measured, monitored, and controlled in line with the organization’s risk appetite.

Speaker

Ryan Hanley | Manager, Risk Advisory Services