The Audit Podcast – Ep 256: Soft Skills = Power Skills w/ Geoff Kovesdy & Jimena Escamilla

Host: Trent Russell
Guests: Geoff Kovesdy (Digital Controls, AI & Automation Market Offering Leader, Deloitte)
Jimena Escamilla (Senior Manager, Advisory Service Line, Deloitte)
Date: September 23, 2025

Overview of Main Theme

This episode centers on the idea that traditional "soft skills"—like empathy, curiosity, and communication—are now truly "power skills" critical to audit excellence and innovation. Host Trent Russell speaks with Deloitte’s Geoff Kovesdy and Jimena Escamilla about how internal audit professionals must intentionally develop these skills to drive meaningful change, successfully integrate technology, and foster resilient, high-performing teams. They explore personal stories, practical tips, and candid views on leadership, culture, and innovation—making the conversation relevant for all levels, from interns to CAEs.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Human Side of Digital Tools

• Personal and Professional Use of LLMs (ChatGPT, Claude, etc.)
  • Geoff’s example: Used an LLM to find tailors in NYC to suit his style and needs, showing how AI can personalize even non-work decisions.
  • Jimena’s example: Leveraged an LLM to coach her through a sensitive text to her dog sitters, ensuring clarity and the right tone. Despite tech help, she sought human feedback—emphasizing "human in the loop."

    "Still the human in the loop piece of it was still a part of it." – Trent (07:33)

2. Advice to All Auditors

• Jimena’s core message:

  "You have to be curious about what's in front of you and not shut your eyes to it... keep your eyes open and be curious." (08:29)

• Geoff’s core message:

  "Lean in... It's okay to bring advice and guidance. It's okay to ask questions that may not align exactly to the audit objectives. Bring us a point of view." (09:04)

3. Rethinking Innovation in Internal Audit

• Geoff’s “Screwing Up Innovation” Hypothesis:
  • The profession has become too focused on buzzwords like AI and data analytics, losing sight of broader, simpler innovations.
  • Innovation is not just about big tech, but about improving ways of working, delivering services, and reporting.

    "Innovation can be as simple as going from a 50 page auto report to something that makes a lot more sense for the reader." – Jimena (13:41)

• Reflecting on the COVID-19 Pivot:
  • 2020 forced rapid innovation and agility in auditing. The question now is how to create that evolution from within, not just when forced by crisis.

    "If you wait for that external force, it's going to be painful... Change hurts no matter what..." – Jimena (17:46)

4. Creating a Culture of Innovation

• Tactics:
  • Ask your team: "What would you change about the process you follow today and tell me why you would change that?" (21:55)
  • Encourage open conversations, share findings broadly, and empower all levels to contribute ideas.
• Building a Pipeline:
  • Maintain an "innovation portfolio" with both small quick-win ideas and bigger transformative initiatives.

    "I also think having a portfolio view, a pipeline and a process around bringing innovation to life, including change management communications, is critically important." – Geoff (24:37)

• Leadership Commitment:
  • Innovation efforts need budget/time set aside from the start—not as afterthoughts. (25:54)

5. Empathetic Leadership: Soft Skills as Power Skills

• Framing:
  • Auditors used to dismiss soft skills; now, they're recognized as "power skills"—essential to high performance, retention, and leading teams through change.

    "Empathy without accountability is ruinous...it'll actually create a lot of toxicity and low performance on a team." – Jimena (29:05)

• Example:
  • Support team members through personal challenges but keep accountability by fostering open, honest dialogue and shared standards.

    "Accountability doesn't mean I take a stick and I hit you with it. Accountability means we have standards. One of our standards is open communication." – Jimena (31:30)

• How to Develop Empathy:
  • Personal growth, authentic conversations, being reflective, self-care, and learning from feedback and stories.

    "Empathy comes with taking care of yourself...it allows you to come into work and show up in a little bit of different way." – Geoff (34:25)

6. Intentional Culture Building

• Constructing positive culture is everyone's responsibility:

  "Culture exists whether you're intentional about it or not... connect with other people on your team... because of how you show up." – Jimena (37:13)

• Treating audit as a privilege and a journey:

  "This is going to be really nerdy. I think being an internal auditor is a privilege. I really believe it's a privilege... It's a journey, not a destination." – Geoff (38:28)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On personalizing AI use:

  "I am in the market for new suits and new jackets...I live in the West Village. Can you provide some suggestions?" – Geoff (04:17)

• On humanizing communication despite automation:

  "You want to be clear, you want to be human, you got a little too aie there right at the end." – Jimena quoting her sister (06:51)

• On reframing innovation:

  "We overcomplicate things all the time. And innovation, to be quick and useful, needs to be simple. It should just make sense." – Jimena (13:34)

• On curiosity:

  "Curiosity is one of the most commonly said traits of what makes a good internal auditor." – Trent (08:51)

• On vulnerability and accountability in leadership:

  "He checked himself in the moment and said, I'm going to be really honest, I'm having a tough morning. We just had to put our family dog down this morning... People appreciated his honesty and his openness." – Jimena (31:30)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00–03:21 | Introduction; Guests’ background and the role of intentionality in upskilling soft skills
• 03:21–07:33 | Personal/professional uses of LLMs (fashion, communication, human-in-the-loop)
• 07:33–09:55 | "If you could shake every auditor" advice—curiosity and leaning in
• 10:46–14:15 | Innovation in audit—what it is (and isn't); pitfalls of checklist thinking
• 15:16–19:20 | Evolution of audit post-2020; sustaining innovation vs. reverting to old norms
• 19:20–24:37 | Enabling innovation: leadership, challenging orthodoxies, team empowerment
• 24:37–26:37 | Balancing innovation: portfolios, process, leadership commitment
• 26:37–29:05 | Soft skills as "power skills"; empathy, accountability, emotional intelligence
• 29:05–33:39 | Case study: leadership vulnerability, shared accountability, culture in action
• 33:39–37:02 | How to develop empathy; experiential learning, self-care, feedback
• 37:13–39:37 | Intentional culture-building; audit as a privilege and journey

Summary for Listeners

This episode is a masterclass in blending people and process for internal audit excellence. Geoff and Jimena challenge the binary thinking that innovation is purely technical, and instead locate meaningful change in curiosity, open communication, and small, repeatable improvements. They bring practical wisdom for nurturing empathetic, accountable teams, and remind listeners that intentional human connection—at every level—remains the profession’s most powerful lever.

Whether you’re an audit leader or just starting out, this conversation equips you to:

• Use technology as a supplement, not a crutch.
• Foster a culture of curiosity and speak up.
• Rethink innovation as accessible, not out of reach.
• Build a pipeline for continuous improvement.
• Step up as an empathetic leader—balancing understanding with accountability.
• See every audit role as a position of privilege, able to shape culture and change.

Endnotes

Full episode details, CPE opportunities, and registration for the Audit Analytics and AI Conference (September 24–25, 2025) can be found in the show notes.