The Audit Podcast — Ep 246: Retired CAE Summer Series Part 4 w/ Kevin Ryan

Host: Trent Russell
Guest: Kevin Ryan, Interim CAE at New York City Bank, formerly Chief Risk Review Officer & General Auditor at KeyBank
Release Date: June 24, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Trent Russell continues the Retired CAE Summer Series by interviewing Kevin Ryan, whose career in internal audit spans nearly four decades. The conversation delves into the essential themes of relationship-building in audit, gaining the trust and attention of the CEO, handling organizational politics, and continuous self-development as an audit leader. Kevin’s stories from his tenure offer candid insight into the real-life challenges of the CAE (Chief Audit Executive) role and practical strategies for success.

Key Discussion Points

1. Personal & Professional Updates: Travel, Sports, and Staying Informed

• Travel: Kevin shares recent travels to Paris and Barcelona, highly recommending both (02:50).

• Sports: Discusses the ups and downs of following the Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Guardians, and New York Mets.

• Staying Current: Even after retiring, Kevin stays engaged by regularly visiting the OCC (Office of the Comptroller of the Currency) site for enforcement alerts, which provide insight into industry priorities (03:50).

  “Board members absolutely love to hear what's happening in other institutions... Are we prone to the same kinds of problems? And if not, how do you know?”
  — Kevin Ryan (04:43)

2. Building Effective Relationships in Audit

Emotional Intelligence is Key:
Kevin emphasizes that relationships and communication, rooted in self-awareness and self-management, are at the heart of effective audit leadership (06:07).

• Self-awareness: Fundamental for success, often lacking in ineffective executives.
• Self-management & relationship management: Knowing how you’re perceived and managing that perception.

“Many executives lack that strength [self-awareness]... At the end of the day, [perception] becomes 90% of reality.”
— Kevin Ryan (06:25)

The Importance of Patience and Listening

Patience is more than tolerating difficult people—it’s the discipline of listening first and speaking last, learning from all perspectives before acting.

• Shares a lesson from a manager who would “hurl grenades” in meetings, allowing everyone to speak before distilling the best insights (09:11).

“He would sit and he would listen to everybody... then he would come back and encapsulate some of the best thoughts that were put on the table.”
— Kevin Ryan (09:32)

3. Getting the Ear of the CEO

Inherited Culture vs. Creating Access
Kevin concedes he inherited a relatively good situation but underscores that credibility and relationship-building are always tested over time, regardless of context.

“If you want to be effective, the CEO and the board, in particular the audit committee, are two incredibly important stakeholders that have to see your value and credibility.”
— Kevin Ryan (12:15)

Maximizing CEO Time: The 15-Minute Window
When access is limited, preparation is crucial:

• Know the CEO’s priorities; address what matters to them first.
• Avoid lengthy slide decks in favor of direct, tailored conversations.
• Email in advance to ask if there are specific topics they wish to cover (14:34–16:09).

“You need to focus on what you know is important to them and make sure you get that across.”
— Kevin Ryan (14:34)

Benchmarking with Peers
Leverage CAE peer networks to learn what other CEOs care about, especially in similar organizations.

“That is just one of the best sources... knowing what the hot topics are with our regulators, things that others are struggling with...”
— Kevin Ryan (18:20)

4. Strategic Political Navigation

• Politics in Organizations:
  The term ‘politics’ gets a bad rap but exists everywhere. Kevin advises addressing political behaviors one-on-one, prioritizing organizational over personal interests (19:55).

  “If you feel like things are being handled for political benefit... try and handle that directly in a one on one manner, carefully.”
  — Kevin Ryan (20:35)

5. Career Reflections: If Kevin Wrote a Book on the CAE Role

First Chapter: Failures (21:56)

• Starts in crisis: Kevin became CAE in July 2007, just before the financial crisis.

• Initial years focused more on survival than audit improvement. Regulatory scrutiny exposed the need for ongoing enhancement.

  “The focus wasn't on improving internal audit... it was really on survival.”
  — Kevin Ryan (22:00)

• Memorable moment: After harsh regulator criticism, his CEO reassured him:

  “Hey, Kevin, you guys are part of the solution, you're not the problem.”
  — Kevin Ryan (24:12)

Last Chapter: Continued Learning (24:46)

• The job is never static; learning is continuous and what keeps the role engaging.

  “Every day is different. If it isn't through planned training, it's day to day—you're learning on the job constantly.”
  — Kevin Ryan (25:00)

6. Developing Self-Awareness

• Ask for Feedback: Seek mentors and coaches for insight into how others perceive you.

• Intentional Process: Make self-awareness a designed effort with feedback loops and goals (26:36).

  “If it's important to you, there has to be a design.”
  — Kevin Ryan (27:12)

  Trent praises this as “one of the best quotes I've heard on this show,” emphasizing intentionality in developing personal and professional skills (27:40).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Perception vs. Reality:
  “At the end of the day it becomes 90% of reality if you’re perceived a certain way.”
  — Kevin Ryan (06:25)

• On Building CEO Relationships:
  “You need to focus on what you know is important to them and make sure you get that across.”
  — Kevin Ryan (14:34)

• On Self-Improvement:
  “If it’s important to you, there has to be a design.”
  — Kevin Ryan (27:12)

• On Leadership Under Fire:
  “Hey, Kevin, you guys are part of the solution, you’re not the problem. You need to make sure you’re part of the solution.”
  — Kevin Ryan (24:12)

• Sign-off Wisdom:
  “Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. Don't miss it.”
  — Kevin Ryan quoting Ferris Bueller (28:44)

Important Timestamps

• Personal Interests & Staying Informed: 02:50 – 04:43
• Relationships & Emotional Intelligence: 06:07 – 09:11
• The Value of Patience in Leadership: 09:11 – 11:00
• Getting the Ear of the CEO: 11:00 – 14:34
• Handling Short Meetings with the CEO: 14:34 – 16:09
• Benchmarking with Peers: 17:14 – 19:42
• Politics in Organizations: 19:42 – 21:49
• Book Chapters: Failures and Learning: 21:56 – 26:03
• How to Grow Self-Awareness: 26:03 – 27:40
• Closing Wisdom: 28:44

Closing Thoughts

Kevin Ryan’s candid reflections offer aspiring and current CAEs not only hard-earned lessons but also actionable strategies for effective leadership in internal audit. His advice to lead with self-awareness, focus on value, and continually invest in relationships and learning underscores the dynamic, people-centric nature of audit leadership.

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