Becoming a More Effective SOX Leader: A Practical Framework

"Every email from the SOX team gets an eye-roll" is how Doug Timian — Senior Director of SOX/ICFR at a Fortune 200 company — describes the reputation problem most compliance teams are stuck with. In this session, he lays out the framework he uses to move his team from "compliance monitor" to "compliance partner," without sacrificing independence. You'll learn Doug's Advisor/Doer/Driver model for team activities, the trust triangle (competence, authenticity, empathy) for building influence with stakeholders, and the specific mindset shift that separates SOX teams people avoid from ones people actively pull into major decisions early. Real examples throughout include how to draw the independence line when playing the "doer" role, how to earn buy-in in an already-mature SOX environment where employees understand SOX but don't value it, and practical ways to budget time for relationship-building without adding headcount. Whether you're a new SOX leader building your reputation from scratch or a veteran trying to shift an established team's identity, this framework gives you a repeatable structure to work from. 👉 Join the Internal Audit Collective, the community where 1300+ Internal Audit and SOX practitioners connect in real time: internalauditcollective.com Subscribe for more practical, no-fluff internal audit and SOX content. #internalaudit #SOXcompliance #SOXleadership #ITGC #compliance 0:00 Introduction 4:51 The "SOX Police" Perception Problem 12:56 Compliance Monitor vs. Compliance Partner 18:06 Leading With Expertise as an SME 22:45 Communicating Empathetically With Process Owners 28:34 The Advisor, Doer & Driver Framework 38:50 The Trust Triangle: Competence, Authenticity & Empathy 47:18 The Mindset Shift: From Monitor to Trusted Partner 53:05 Audience Q&A