Protiviti Announces Winners of Second Annual Audit Innovator Award

Rhea-AI Summary

Protiviti (NYSE:RHI) announced the winners of its second annual Audit Innovator Award on March 10, 2026, honoring internal audit teams for strategy, technology, people, and sustained innovation.

Winners include Morgan Stanley, BNY, Inter-American Development Bank, Microsoft, and DTCC for advances such as in-house platforms, agentic AI, people-first training, GenAI adoption, and scalable analytics.

News Market Reaction – RHI

-3.85%

13 alerts

-3.85% News Effect

-$94M Valuation Impact

$2.34B Market Cap

0.5x Rel. Volume

On the day this news was published, RHI declined 3.85%, reflecting a moderate negative market reaction. Our momentum scanner triggered 13 alerts that day, indicating notable trading interest and price volatility. This price movement removed approximately $94M from the company's valuation, bringing the market cap to $2.34B at that time.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.

Key Figures

Award edition: second annual Award year: 2025 AI agents deployed: more than 1,000 personal agents

3 metrics

Award edition second annual Second annual Protiviti Audit Innovator Award

Award year 2025 2025 Audit Innovator Award winners described in article

AI agents deployed more than 1,000 personal agents BNY’s Agentic AI Initiative within internal audit

Market Reality Check

Price: $23.14 Vol: Volume 3,471,106 is below...

normal vol

$23.14 Last Close

Volume Volume 3,471,106 is below 20-day average 3,741,370 (relative volume 0.93). normal

Technical Price $24.14 is trading below 200-day MA of $33.19 and far below 52-week high of $56.28.

Peers on Argus

RHI is down 2.5% while peers show mixed pressure: TNET down 2.59%, MAN down 1.08...

1 Down

RHI is down 2.5% while peers show mixed pressure: TNET down 2.59%, MAN down 1.08%, NSP down 0.09%, KFY and HSII roughly flat. Only 1 peer appears in the momentum scanner, suggesting today’s move is more stock-specific than a broad sector rotation.

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Mar 03 (Positive)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Mar 03	AI partnership	Positive	+2.2%	Strategic alliance to embed agentic AI and automation into audit services.
Feb 17	Leadership change	Positive	+0.2%	Promotion of new global marketing leader to drive modernization efforts.
Feb 16	Employer recognition	Positive	+0.2%	Forbes recognition as one of America’s Best Large Employers 2026.
Feb 12	Dividend declaration	Positive	-2.4%	Announcement of a quarterly cash dividend of $0.59 per share.
Feb 12	Operations leadership	Positive	-6.5%	Appointment of senior leader to drive business operations modernization.

Pattern Detected

Recent news has mostly been strategic or reputational, with three such updates aligning with modest positive price reactions, while a dividend announcement and an operations leadership change coincided with negative moves.

Recent Company History

Over recent months, Robert Half has highlighted strategic moves and recognitions involving both the core business and Protiviti. On Feb 16, Forbes named the firm one of America’s Best Large Employers 2026, and on Feb 17, a new global marketing leader was appointed to modernize digital and data-driven capabilities. A quarterly dividend of $0.59 per share and a new business operations modernization leader were announced on Feb 12. On Mar 3, Protiviti formed an AI-focused alliance, echoing today’s innovation-themed award recognition.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement highlights Protiviti’s role in AI-driven and people-focused innovation within inte...

Analysis

This announcement highlights Protiviti’s role in AI-driven and people-focused innovation within internal audit, reinforcing Robert Half’s consulting arm as a technology-forward, award-recognized business. It follows recent strategic moves, including an AI alliance and leadership changes aimed at modernization. Investors may watch how such recognition translates into Protiviti’s growth within Robert Half’s broader results, particularly given the stock’s position below its $33.19 200-day moving average and $56.28 52-week high.

Key Terms

genai, agentic ai, intelligent automation, advanced analytics, +1 more

5 terms

genai technical

"including GenAI, Assurance Hub improves audit efficiency"

Generative AI (genai) is a type of artificial intelligence designed to create new content, such as text, images, or music, that resembles human-produced work. It matters to investors because it has the potential to transform industries by automating tasks, enhancing creativity, and enabling new products and services, which can influence company performance and market opportunities.

agentic ai technical

"BNY's Internal Audit Department is recognized for its Agentic AI Initiative"

Agentic AI refers to computer systems that can make their own decisions and take actions without needing someone to tell them what to do each time. It's like giving a robot a degree of independence to solve problems or achieve goals on its own, which matters because it could change how we work and interact with technology in everyday life.

intelligent automation technical

"Powered by intelligent automation, embedded analytics, and emerging technologies"

Intelligent automation is the use of software 'robots' combined with artificial intelligence to take over not just repetitive tasks but also decisions that previously needed human judgment, like a smart assistant that follows a recipe and tweaks it when ingredients change. For investors, it matters because it can lower costs, speed up operations, reduce mistakes, and enable faster scaling—factors that can improve profit margins, cash flow and a company’s competitive position, while also requiring upfront investment and oversight.

advanced analytics technical

"AI-driven ecosystem of intelligent automation and advanced analytics"

Advanced analytics involves using sophisticated techniques and tools to examine large amounts of data, uncover patterns, and generate insights that might not be obvious at first glance. For investors, it’s like using a high-powered microscope to see details that help predict future trends or make better decisions. This approach helps turn complex information into clear, actionable knowledge.

graph-based anomaly detection technical

"applying intelligent document processing and graph-based anomaly detection"

A method that looks for unusual or suspicious patterns by treating relationships—between people, accounts, transactions, devices or data points—as a network of connected dots and lines. Like spotting a stranger suddenly joining a tight circle of friends, it highlights connections or behaviors that don’t fit the normal pattern; for investors this can reveal fraud, market manipulation, system failures or other risks that could affect a company’s value before those problems show up in traditional reports.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

MENLO PARK, Calif., March 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Protiviti, a global consulting firm, today announced the winners of its second annual Audit Innovator Award, recognizing internal audit leaders and functions who are redefining the profession through bold strategy, cutting-edge technology, and people-centered transformation.

Andrew Struthers-Kennedy, Protiviti's Global CAE Solutions Leader, presented the awards during the Institute of Internal Auditors' Great Audit Minds (GAM) conference. The awards are also supported by The Institute of Internal Auditors and Optro (formerly AuditBoard).

"We are proud to recognize these audit leaders who are driving change and actively shaping the future of the profession," said Struthers-Kennedy. "Their teams demonstrate how innovation, when grounded in purpose and execution, can transform internal audit into a more strategically aligned, tech-enabled, forward-looking and future-ready function."

2025 Audit Innovator Award Winners

Morgan Stanley — Audit Strategy & Transformation 

This category recognizes bold ideas that elevate and transform audit strategy. Morgan Stanley's Internal Audit Department is recognized for developing Assurance Hub, a purpose-built, in-house platform that unifies risk assessment, planning, execution, and reporting in a single, data-driven environment. Powered by intelligent automation, embedded analytics, and emerging technologies, including GenAI, Assurance Hub improves audit efficiency, enhances transparency, and strengthens audit impact.

BNY — Enabling Technology

This category recognizes organizations leveraging technology to significantly enhance audit effectiveness and insight. BNY's Internal Audit Department is recognized for its Agentic AI Initiative, which modernizes audit through a governed, AI-driven ecosystem of intelligent automation and advanced analytics. With more than 1,000 personal agents deployed, the initiative helps expand audit coverage, accelerate risk analysis, and enable scalable, data-driven insights.

Inter-American Development Bank — People & Culture 

This category recognizes deliberate investments in people and workplace culture to build and sustain an innovation mindset across the function. IDB's Internal Audit Department is recognized for its AUG Exploration Team, a people-first innovation model that develops auditors into "digital explorers" through continuous learning, experimentation, and collaboration, fostering a workplace culture of sustained curiosity and innovation.

Microsoft — Audit Trailblazer 

This category recognizes sustained, multi-year enterprise-wide innovation. Microsoft is recognized for modernizing internal audit through agile audits and risk program management while embedding GenAI, automation, and advanced analytics across the audit lifecycle. These efforts have saved thousands of hours and scaled adoption through innovation labs, change agents, and hackathons.

The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) — Audit Trailblazer 

DTCC, a 2024 Audit Innovator Award winner, is recognized for embedding scalable analytics into core audit work, applying intelligent document processing and graph-based anomaly detection, and delivering real-time leadership visibility through dashboards. These efforts are supported by champion networks, digital literacy programs, department-wide hackathons, and the application of gamification to drive digital adoption.

"Innovation has moved from aspiration to imperative for internal audit," said Anthony Pugliese, President and CEO of The Institute of Internal Auditors. "As AI reshapes the risk landscape, the profession needs practitioners who pair technological fluency with the human judgment and ingenuity no algorithm can replace.  The leaders recognized through this program are not just adapting to change; they are driving it. The IIA is proud to support the Audit Innovator Award and inspired by what these winners demonstrate about the future of the profession."

To learn more about the 2025 Audit Innovator Award winners, visit The Protiviti Audit Innovator Award page.

To stay informed about the 2026 Audit Innovator Award application process, sign up to join Protiviti's audit innovation community.

About Protiviti

Protiviti is a global consulting firm that helps clients transform and protect their businesses and respond to planned and unexpected events. Through a network of more than 90 offices in over 25 countries, Protiviti and its independent and locally owned member firms deliver deep expertise and tailored capabilities across technology, artificial intelligence, data, operations, finance, legal, compliance, HR, marketing, digital, risk, and internal audit—enabling organizations to accelerate innovation, navigate risks and safeguard what matters most.

Named to the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For® list since 2015, Protiviti Inc. has served more than 80 percent of Fortune 100 and nearly 80 percent of Fortune 500 companies. The firm also works with government agencies and smaller, growing companies, including those looking to go public. Protiviti Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Robert Half (NYSE: RHI).

About The Institute of Internal Auditors 

The Institute of Internal Auditors (The IIA) is an international professional association that serves more than 265,000 global members and has awarded more than 200,000 Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) certifications worldwide. Established in 1941, The IIA is recognized throughout the world as the internal audit profession's leader in standards, certifications, education, research, and technical guidance. For more information, visit theiia.org.

About Optro

Optro (formerly AuditBoard) helps enterprises transform risk into opportunity, redefining GRC through an agentic system of action. More than 50% of the Fortune 500 trust Optro to elevate their GRC teams and see risk before it happens. Optro is top-rated by customers on G2 and was named a Leader in the 2025 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) Tools, Assurance Leaders. To learn more, visit: optro.ai

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SOURCE Protiviti

FAQ

Who won the 2025 Protiviti Audit Innovator Award announced March 10, 2026 (RHI)?

Protiviti named Morgan Stanley, BNY, Inter-American Development Bank, Microsoft, and DTCC as 2025 winners. According to Protiviti, each winner was recognized for specific innovations across audit strategy, enabling technology, people and culture, and enterprise-wide transformation.

What did Morgan Stanley win for in the Protiviti Audit Innovator Award (RHI) announcement?

Morgan Stanley won for Audit Strategy & Transformation for developing Assurance Hub. According to Protiviti, Assurance Hub is an in-house platform unifying risk assessment, planning, execution, and reporting with analytics and GenAI-enabled automation.

Why was BNY recognized in Protiviti's Audit Innovator Award announcement (RHI)?

BNY was recognized for Enabling Technology via its Agentic AI Initiative. According to Protiviti, the initiative deploys over 1,000 personal agents to expand audit coverage, accelerate risk analysis, and deliver scalable, data-driven insights.

How did Microsoft earn the Audit Trailblazer recognition from Protiviti (RHI)?

Microsoft earned Audit Trailblazer for multi-year modernization using GenAI, automation, and analytics across audits. According to Protiviti, these efforts introduced agile audits, saved thousands of hours, and scaled adoption through labs, change agents, and hackathons.

What people-focused innovation earned the Inter-American Development Bank a Protiviti award (RHI)?

The Inter-American Development Bank won for People & Culture with its AUG Exploration Team. According to Protiviti, the model trains auditors as "digital explorers" through continuous learning, experimentation, and collaboration to sustain innovation.

Where can investors learn more about the Protiviti Audit Innovator Award winners and future applications (RHI)?

Investors can view winner details and sign up for the 2026 application process on Protiviti's audit innovation community page. According to Protiviti, the site provides winner profiles, program context, and notification options for the 2026 cycle.