The IIA-Australia Mentoring Program supports mentors and mentees to grow personally and professionally, building the skills that strengthen careers in governance, risk and assurance (GRA) within internal audit and across the broader profession.
This program is an exclusive benefit for IIAAustralia members and is offered at no cost. It is a structured yet flexible program that connects experienced practitioners with emerging talent, creating a trusted space to share insight, perspective and lived experience.
Together, mentors and mentees strengthen the internal audit community, advance professional standards, and gain personal growth through shared learning and connection.
Eligible members can apply online. Applications for the 2026 program open on 23 February and close on 22 March.
Please check the eligibility criteria in our FAQs before applying.
As a mentee, the Mentoring Program is your opportunity to accelerate your growth and gain clarity on your career path. It’s more than advice — it’s a supportive partnership designed to help you thrive with confidence and purpose.
Benefits for mentees:
Career development and direction: explore opportunities and shape your future with confidence
Access to experienced perspectives: discuss challenges and strengths with seasoned professionals outside your organisation
A trusted sounding board: test ideas and approaches to workplace challenges in a safe, supportive environment
Expanded professional network: connect with mentors and peers across the internal audit community
Confidence and capability: build self-belief and strengthen your professional presence through constructive feedback
Practical insights into the profession: gain real-world knowledge that goes beyond textbooks and formal training
As a mentor, you’ll help emerging internal audit professionals reach their potential while sharing your knowledge, experience and leadership — and continue your own professional development at the same time.
Benefits for mentors:
Enhanced leadership and coaching skills: strengthen your ability to guide, challenge and inspire others
Personal satisfaction and legacy: make a meaningful contribution to someone’s career
Fresh insights and inspiration: gain new perspectives as you see your knowledge applied in different contexts
Broadened professional network: connect with mentees and fellow mentors across the internal audit and GRA community
Reinforced expertise and clarity: consolidate your own skills through reflecting on and articulating your experience
The program starts with an application, followed by matching of mentoring pairs based on experience, skills and desired focus areas. Once paired, the mentor and mentee work together to plan and hold meaningful sessions that drive growth and insight. Along the way, mentors come together to share knowledge, mentees connect to exchange experiences, and the program concludes with a reflection and feedback process ensuring every participant finishes with clarity, confidence, and a sense of achievement.
IIA-Australia mentoring supports internal auditors and GRA professionals to build trusted relationships with peers, for objective and independent support and guidance for navigating challenges and opportunities.
IIA-Australia mentoring matches participants based on career stage and ambition which allows for the exploration of career pathways and reflection upon skills and knowledge gaps to guide your learning and development objective
IIA-Australia mentoring provides an open and confidential peer to peer engagement framework that can support meaningful development of your leadership capabilities and offer an important sounding board when your professionalism is challenged.
A typical overview of the program is outlined below.
Registrations for the program open on the first week of March
Using the information provided, IIA-Australia will create matches based on experience, skills and learning objectives. All participants will be notified of their mentor-mentee match in a week. Where a match can’t be found, you’ll be added to a wait list.
All matched pairs need to attend the virtual program launch around the last week of March to hear more about the program, learn about expectations of pairs and ask questions.
Key to the success of a mentor mentee relationship is ownership of the shared experience. This starts with the pair organising a kick-off mentoring catch-up and setting the calendar of at least monthly meetings.
In the first week of July, all participating mentors will be invited to a virtual event to discuss key insights and perspectives from the mentoring journey so far and seek advice and guidance from the wider cohort if needed.
In the first week of August, all participating mentees will be invited to a virtual event to share experiences to support them in reviewing their goals for the remainder of the program.
The 2025 mentoring cohort program concludes on 30 November 2025, and all participants (mentor and mentee) will receive a certificate of completion and 16 CPD points for Mentors and 24 CPD points for Mentees in recognition of learning.
Who's eligible?
Participants must be financial members of IIA-Australia for the full duration of the program. Student and Affiliate members are not eligible. Mentors are preferably Professional Members and typically have 8–10+ years of internal audit experience, while mentees generally have fewer than five years of experience.
What is the cost?
This is a complimentary service for members.
What is the time commitment?
The program runs for eight months and includes a one-hour Welcome Session, Mentor Orientation (for mentors), at least six mentoring sessions, and completion of a Reflection and Feedback Form. It is up to each mentoring pair to establish their own timetable for mentoring sessions.
All formal program sessions are virtual, but mentoring pairs may choose to meet face-to-face for individual sessions if practical.
Are sessions virtual or in person?
What about confidentiality?
Mentoring conversations are confidential and based on trust. Personal insights or commercial information shared during sessions must not be disclosed outside the mentoring relationship without explicit consent. Information exchanged is solely for professional development and must never be used for personal, professional, or commercial advantage.
Can I claim CPD points?
Yes. Mentors receive 10 CPE points and mentees receive 14 CPE points.
All participants adhere to the IIA–Australia Mentoring Code of Practice which sets clear expectations for mentors and mentees, ensuring relationships are respectful, confidential, and focused on professional development. It outlines principles such as mutual respect, honesty, commitment, and non-exploitation, providing a framework that supports trust, integrity, and constructive engagement throughout the mentoring journey.
To ensure a shared understanding, each matched pair must confirm the nature of their relationship by completing a Mentoring Agreement. The Mentoring Agreement translates the principles of the IIA–Australia Mentoring Code of Practice into practical commitments and captures key details, including roles and responsibilities, session frequency and duration. Once completed, the signed agreement is returned to the National Office.
Mutual Respect
Both parties must treat the other with respect. The mentor will respond to the mentee’s needs and agenda, not their own, and the mentee will respect the boundaries of the relationship and the time the mentor is giving. Neither party will intrude on matters the other wishes to keep private.
Confidentiality
Both parties must respect the confidential nature of the relationship. In particular, business and personal information that is shared cannot be used for personal gain.
If a conflict of interest arises, it must be disclosed promptly. Where the conflict cannot be appropriately managed, the mentoring relationship should be concluded respectfully, and any confidential information must not be retained or used.
Ownership
The mentee must take ownership of the process and the outcomes and the mentor should empower the mentee to do so. Both parties must consider and respect the boundaries of the relationship.
Commitment
When you become a mentor or a mentee you make a large commitment to another person. Not all pairings will be right and ultimately either party can dissolve the relationship. However, before taking such a strong stand, both parties should try to make it work and seek advice.
Omnipotence
Mentors and mentees need to be aware that everyone has limits to their knowledge and experiences. Not all issues will have answers and mentors need to feel comfortable to express their limits, and help the mentee find places to look for the answer.
Honesty and Openness
Both parties should be themselves and open up truthfully to the other about themselves and the relationship to get the most from the program.
Non-exploitative
Neither party should use the program to seek commercial information, employment or any non-mentoring personal advantage from the other party.
Relationship Evolution
Saying Goodbye
Some mentoring relationships may continue beyond the formal program. While this is welcome, any ongoing engagement sits outside the scope of the IIA-facilitated program.
Both parties should consider the length and closing point of the relationship. The program goes for eight months, but pairs may choose to go on for longer or less based on needs and mutual agreement.
For more details, please contact [email protected]