20 October 2026 | 09:30–12:30 CEST | Online | 3 CPE
Artificial intelligence is moving rapidly from experimentation to implementation across the banking sector. For Internal Audit, the question is no longer simply what AI can do — but where it can create real value, how its use should be governed, and what effective oversight looks like in practice.
The ECIIA Banking Forum 2026 will bring together research, Audit Committee, supervisory and practitioner perspectives for a focused three-hour discussion on one central question:
How can Internal Audit move AI from hype to genuine value?
The programme is designed around four complementary perspectives, taking participants from current research and governance expectations to regulatory oversight and practical implementation.
Why attend?
In just three hours, the Forum will explore some of the most pressing questions facing Internal Audit leaders in banking today:
- What does current research tell us about the use of AI in Internal Audit — and where does hype end and meaningful application begin?
- What should Audit Committees expect when AI is introduced into the internal audit function?
- How are regulators approaching AI strategy, risk and oversight, and what lessons can Internal Audit draw from the regulatory journey so far?
- What can be learned from organisations already putting AI into practice?
Rather than looking at AI from a purely technological perspective, the Forum will examine it through the lens of governance, accountability, oversight and professional judgement — all within the specific context of Internal Audit in banking.
Programme
09:30–09:35 | Introduction
Virpi Vuorinen
Head of Audit Department | Chief Audit Executive | Chair of the ECIIA Banking Committee
09:35–10:10 | Auditing & AI: Hype or Disruption?!
A research-based perspective on the development of AI in auditing, helping frame the discussion around where AI stands today and how its role in Internal Audit is evolving.
Prof. Dr. Marc Eulerich is passionate about exploring how emerging technologies transform auditing and corporate governance. He holds the Chair for Internal Auditing at the Mercator School of Management, University of Duisburg-Essen, where he also serves as Dean of the faculty and as Head of the Mercator Audit & Artificial Intelligence Research Center (MAARC). He has published around 170 articles in leading academic and practitioner journals along with numerous monographs and chapters on auditing, corporate governance, and audit technology.
His research on audit technology, AI, RPA, process mining, and AI-based auditing has received multiple honors, including the AAA AIS Section Best Paper Award (2022, 2025) and the RAST Conference Best Paper Award (2023). Wirtschaftswoche has repeatedly listed him among the Top 50 business professors in the German-speaking world and he is on the TopTen BYU Accounting Ranking worldwide. As Chairman of the Scientific Committee of the German Institute for Internal Auditing (DIIR), he bridges academic research and audit practice, and he has helped multiple organizations with his expertise and consulting. He is a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA).
10:10–10:55 | Expectations from Audit Committees when implementing AI in Internal Auditing
What should Audit Committees expect when Internal Audit adopts AI? This session will explore the governance, accountability and oversight questions that matter at Audit Committee level.
Cristina is Senior Partner and Head of Strategy and Business Development of Azora, a Madrid based investment manager with 14.50bn AUM who invests in real estate, energy and infrastructure across Europe and the USA. Cristina is a member of the Executive Committee as well as of the Global Investment Committee. Cristina joined Azora in 2011.
Cristina is currently also Lead Independent Director of the Bankinter board, a listed Spanish bank, where she also Chairs the Audit Committee and is member of the Risk and Compliance Committee, as well as of the Nominations and Sustainability Committee. Before joining Azora, Cristina spent 16 years in Investment banking, based in London. After several positions in M&A and equity derivatives, she became Head of Corporate Derivatives for Europe, Middle East and Africa for 10 years at JP Morgan and then moved to Merryl Lynch, where she was also Head of Capital Markets for Spain and Portugal. Cristina holds a graduate degree summa cum laude in Business and Economics from Universidad Pontificia de Comillas (ICADE) and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Audit and Risk Committee Chair and NED, Leadership Advisor and Executive Coach
I am currently in the “portfolio stage” of my career. At present, I am the Audit Committee Chair and Non-Executive board member at Citigroup’s broker dealer subsidiary CGML. I also chair the Audit and Risk committee for CUKL, another Citi subsidiary. I am a Non-Executive at AIB (UK) where I sit on the Technology, Data and Change and the Nomination committees. I am also on the board of RegTech company KORE, and Behavioural Science consultancy Influence at Work and work as a Strategic Advisor to Exec recruitment firm JD Haspel. In addition, I am an Executive Leadership coach and I run my own Coaching Company, Frattina Services Ltd.
In my prior life, I spent 37 years in Financial services, primarily in Internal Audit roles. I worked at JPMorgan Chase, RBS and Barclays where I was latterly the Chief Internal Auditor for the company. As such I sat on the Executive Committee of the Bank and I reported directly to the Board. I won an award for Leadership in Audit and an award for Kindness in Leadership. At Barclays, I championed various Diversity Initiatives and was the Global Corporate Sponsor for Wellbeing.
I have coached, mentored, and sponsored people throughout my corporate career as I am passionate about people and their development and have loved to help many people achieve their potential. To help me I decided to study coaching and gained a Diploma in Executive coaching from Strathclyde University whilst at JPMorgan Chase. I also have an MBA from Warwick University and a BA in English and Comparative Literature.
In my personal life, I am married with four grown up children and two granddaughters. My husband and I enjoy travelling – and have bought a camper van to enjoy seeing new places in our semi-retirement. I also enjoy walking, reading, watching movies, gardening, and yoga.
10:55–11:05 | Break
11:05–11:40 | View from the regulators: strategy, risks, oversight and lessons learned
A supervisory perspective on AI, focusing on strategy, risk, oversight and the lessons emerging from the regulatory journey.
Head of Sustainable Banking and Governance at the ECB, leading work on banks’ business model, governance, and climate nature risks. Formerly oversaw capital, crisis management, and major EU banks, representing the ECB globally. Over 15 years’ supervisory experience in Bank of Italy, with Economics degrees from Università Cattolica and Bocconi.
Head of the Operational Resilience and Oversight Division at the ECB. Since 2014, Maria has been part of the SSM, serving in various positions as Joint Supervisory Team Coordinator for Significant Institutions and Head of the Non-Financial Risk Division leading work on Governance, Risk Management, and the Anti-Money Laundering Coordination Unit.
Before joining the ECB, she held various roles at Banco de España. She holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Colegio Universitario de Estudios Financieros, Madrid.
11:40–12:25 | Success stories: learnings from implementing AI
The Forum will move from principles to practice, bringing together experience-based perspectives on implementing AI and the lessons that can be drawn from real-world application.
Global Head of Internal Audit
Born in Madrid in 1972.
BBVA professional career
2025 Global Head of Internal Audit
2015 – 2025 Head of Strategy in Internal Audit
2011 – 2015 Head of Internal Audit for Business in South America
2009 – 2011 Head of Internal Audit for Wholesale Banking & Asset Management
2007 – 2009 Head of Internal Audit for Markets
2004 – 2007 Head of Internal Audit for Investment Banking
2002 – 2004 Financial Internal Audit Manager
Professional career outside BBVA
1997 – 2002 Internal Audit for Treasury and Markets in Santander Group
1995 – 1996 Market analyst in Iberpistas
1995 Non-financial companies analyst in Bank of Spain
Education and qualifications
Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the Complutense University of Madrid.
Specialization in Financial Management.
Global Head of Technology, Analytics and MI, Barclays Internal Audit
Joseph has spent 10 years at Barclays Internal Audit, where he leads on Analytics, Technology, and MI. A pioneer in applying advanced analytics to audit, he won the Chartered IIA’s ‘Professional Impact’ Award in 2025 for driving innovation, thought leadership and talent development across the profession.
12:25–12:30 | Wrap-up
Virpi Vuorinen
Head of Audit Department | Chief Audit Executive | Chair of the ECIIA Banking Committee
Who should attend?
The ECIIA Banking Forum is particularly relevant for:
- Chief Audit Executives and Heads of Internal Audit
- Internal Audit managers and senior audit professionals
- Audit Committee members
- Professionals working across governance, risk and compliance in banking
- Internal Audit professionals involved in AI governance, adoption or oversight
Whether your Internal Audit function is already using AI or is still assessing where and how to introduce it, the Forum offers an opportunity to examine the topic from four interconnected perspectives: research, governance, supervision and implementation.
Three hours. Four perspectives. One focused discussion on AI in Internal Audit.
AI adoption is accelerating, but value does not come from technology alone.
For Internal Audit, the challenge is to combine innovation with robust governance, clear accountability and professional judgement.
Join the ECIIA banking internal audit community on 20 October 2026 for a focused online Forum dedicated to moving the conversation from hype to value.
Practical information
Date: Tuesday, 20 October 2026
Time: 09:30–12:30 CEST
Format: Online
CPE: 3
Registration fee: €150, excluding applicable VAT