Internal audit advisory

Internal audit that meets the standards and earns the board's trust.

Standards readiness, EQAs and fractional audit leadership for mid-sized and mission-driven organizations.

Book a Readiness Call Get the Standards Checklist
  • Founder-ledDr. Sabine Charles, DBA
  • CredentialsCIA · CFE · CISA · CRMA
  • Quality assessmentIIA Quality Assessor Certificate Program
  • CertifiedWOSB · WBENC · M/WBE

Sound familiar?

The pressure on internal audit has changed.

Higher standards, new risks and a board that expects more, all landing on the same small team.

  • Your EQA or Standards conformance is coming, and you're not sure you'll pass.

    Know where you stand against the IIA Global Internal Audit Standards, and close the gaps before the assessor arrives.

  • New cyber, third-party and AI risks are outpacing a small team.

    Extend coverage with sharper scoping, analytics and governed AI, without adding headcount.

  • The board sees audit as a cost, not a source of insight.

    Give the audit committee shorter, decision-ready reporting and a scorecard that makes audit's value visible.

Services

Assess. Fix. Sustain.

Three ways to work with us, in the order most audit functions need them.

All services

01 · Assess

Standards & Quality Assurance

Know where you stand against the Standards before your assessor does.

  • External Quality Assessment
  • Standards readiness gap assessment
  • Topical reviews: cybersecurity, third-party, AI
Explore Standards & QA

02 · Fix

Audit Modernization

Rebuild how your team plans, tests and reports, in fixed-scope sprints.

  • Risk assessment and audit plan
  • Workpapers and testing
  • Board reporting and value scorecard
  • AI and analytics in audit
Explore Audit Modernization

03 · Sustain

Fractional & Co-sourced CAE

Senior audit leadership on a monthly retainer, without a full-time hire.

  • Audit leadership and committee reporting
  • Annual risk assessment
  • Surge or specialist capacity
Explore Fractional CAE

Fraud risk readiness is built into all three. For a focused fraud risk assessment and response playbook, see Fraud Risk Readiness.

How we work

A method built for adoption, not binders.

  1. Assess

    Make the current state undeniable

    Current state, risks and stakeholder expectations, on one page.

  2. Design

    Architect the future state

    A future-state model and clear priorities.

  3. Implement

    Build what your team can run

    Workflows, templates and governance that fit your function.

  4. Enable

    Drive adoption fast

    Training, coaching and rollout, with team course seats where included.

  5. Sustain

    Keep it improving

    Metrics, cadence and continuous improvement.

The result: an operating model your team can run and your leaders trust.

Who we serve

Built for mission-driven and mid-sized organizations.

All sectors

Higher Education

Grant compliance, decentralized departments and trustee reporting.

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Healthcare

Regulatory compliance, billing and fraud risk, and patient data.

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Nonprofits

Donor and grant accountability with lean teams.

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Banks & Credit Unions

Regulator expectations, AI and model risk, and third-party risk.

Learn more

Proof

Results our clients can show their boards.

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What clients say

“Charlesfs helped us sharpen our audit leadership approach and improve stakeholder confidence. The work was practical, structured, and immediately usable.”

Chief Audit Executive

“Charlesfs strengthened our fraud risk readiness with clear scenarios, priorities, and a response protocol leaders can follow.”

CFO / Head of Risk & Compliance

Organizations we have worked with

  • Hand & Stone
  • REDW Advisors & CPAs
  • Taylor Green PC
  • Target
  • The IIA Barbados Chapter
  • Pierre-Louis & Associates
  • The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
  • McGraw Hill

Organizations we have worked with.

Certified: WOSB · WBENC · NYC M/WBE · NYS WBE · NMSDC

Free resource

The IIA Standards Readiness Checklist

See where your function stands before your next EQA.

Get the checklist
Portrait of Dr. Sabine Charles

Meet the founder

Dr. Sabine Charles

20+ years in internal audit, risk and governance leadership, with roles at Citibank, American Express, Deloitte, World Vision International and Touro University. She founded Charles Financial Strategies on one belief: internal audit belongs at the center of business leadership.

DBA · CIA · CFE · CISA · CRMA · CGAP · CGEIT · CISM · CRISC · CHIAP · IIA Quality Assessor Certificate Program

About Dr. Charles

Start here

Bring one audit priority. Leave with a plan.

Book a readiness call with Dr. Charles.

Book a Readiness Call