From Data Silos to Executive Clarity: Workiva Reimagines GRC With AI-Powered Platform for Audit, Risk, and Controls

Key Terms

governance, risk, and compliance regulatory

Governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) is the combined approach a company uses to make decisions, spot and handle potential problems, and ensure it follows laws and industry rules. For investors, strong GRC is like a car’s steering, brakes and map — it helps keep the business on course, reduces the chance of costly mistakes or penalties, and protects reputation and long‑term value.

grc regulatory

GRC stands for Governance, Risk, and Compliance, a coordinated approach companies use to set rules, spot and manage threats, and follow laws and industry standards. Think of it as a company's operating manual and early-warning system—like household rules, smoke detectors, and a neighborhood code—that helps protect the business from legal fines, operational surprises, and reputational harm, which in turn reduces investor uncertainty and potential losses.

internal audit regulatory

An internal audit is a company-run review that checks its own books, procedures and risk controls to make sure financial statements are accurate, rules are followed, and operations run efficiently. Think of it as a routine health check or home inspection that aims to spot weaknesses or mistakes before they become big problems; for investors, a strong internal audit program increases confidence in reported results and lowers the risk of unexpected losses or regulatory trouble.

global internal audit standards regulatory

A set of widely accepted guidelines and best practices that tell internal audit teams how to check a company’s financial controls, risk management and compliance work consistently and thoroughly. Like a common rulebook or recipe for inspectors, these standards help ensure audits are reliable and comparable across companies, so investors can better judge whether management is identifying problems, protecting assets and reducing the risk of unexpected losses.

controls management technical

Controls management describes who has the power to direct a company’s day‑to‑day leaders and major decisions—typically the people or shareholders who can appoint or remove executives and influence board actions. Investors care because the group that controls management shapes strategy, risk appetite and how profits are used; knowing who holds that control is like knowing who steers a ship, which affects where it’s headed and how safely it sails.

audit trail technical

A chronological record that shows who performed each action, when it happened, and what was changed across financial systems and documents; it logs transactions, edits, approvals, and access so every step can be traced. For investors, an audit trail matters because it boosts trust and accountability—helping detect errors or fraud, supporting audits and regulatory checks, and making financial reporting and due diligence clearer, like a transaction-level receipt for a company’s records.

CFOs empowered to rule over risk and lead with confidence on the platform powering the future of trust

NEW YORK & LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Workiva Inc. (NYSE: WK), a leading, AI-powered platform for trust, transparency, and accountability, unveiled the next generation of Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) at the Institute of Internal Auditors’ Great Audit Minds conference in Las Vegas. As regulatory, AI governance, and real-time assurance demands intensify, the divide between platform-enabled organizations and those constrained by point solutions is shifting from an operational inefficiency to a business liability. In response to these challenges, nearly 80% of business leaders are prioritizing data automation and governance. Organizations like Braze, Patrick Industries, and StoneX are leading the way, leveraging the connectivity and intelligence of the Workiva platform to unify their data, simplify collaboration, and stay ahead of emerging risks.

“Visionary CFOs are looking beyond incremental efficiency to a future where automation eliminates manual audit work entirely. Our customers are driving toward zero human-initiated tasks, expanding their capacity for real-time insights and proactive guidance,” said Junko Swain, SVP and Chief Accounting Officer, Workiva. “Business leaders are navigating historic uncertainty as technology advancements and an endless stream of data expose the limits of standalone tools. Connecting finance, audit, and risk on a single intelligent platform is the foundation for a future where AI fundamentally transforms how assurance work gets done.”

As the internal audit profession adopts the IIA's latest Global Internal Audit Standards, Workiva is equipping the Office of the CFO with reimagined audit, risk, and controls solutions to operationalize these standards at scale. By embedding GRC into a shared platform that also supports data automation and financial, sustainability, and regulatory reporting, Workiva aims to eliminate the silos and inefficiencies typical of isolated solutions. The connectivity and transparency of the Workiva platform is designed to establish an unbroken chain of trust from the initial data source to the final disclosure.

The AI Engine for Modern Assurance

As finance, risk, and audit executives pivot from reacting to historical findings to anticipating emerging threats with Controls Management, our new controls environment features intelligent dashboards that monitor control health and surface real-time insights, enabling a path to transform the audit trail into a competitive advantage.

Auditors Elevated to Executive Advisors

Lean internal audit teams can accomplish more with AI-driven workflows, pre-built frameworks, and testing automation of Audit Management. Without adding headcount, this solution provides data and tools designed to focus transitions from compliance coordination to proactive risk intelligence and C-suite advisory.

From Enterprise Risk to Enterprise Resilience

Business leaders gain a more unified view of enterprise risk with Risk Management. Connected intelligence uncovers systemic and emerging threats, providing AI-augmented data to support recommendations and strategic decisions.

Executive Perspectives

• Bradley Niedzielski, Audit & Assurance Partner, Business Controls Advisory Leader, Deloitte & Touche LLP*: “As AI adoption accelerates, compliance teams across the organization are adapting their approaches to better anticipate risk and support informed decision-making for the CFO and the board – often requiring both the right skillsets and the right tools. While most compliance teams already bring strong critical thinking capabilities, Workiva helps connect enterprise data to provide timely insights. Deloitte is thrilled to work with Workiva to support compliance functions as they continue evolving their operating models to meet the fast-paced risk demands of today’s business landscape.”
• Brian Savoy, CFO, Duke Energy: "AI drives efficiency, but its greater potential is enabling our people to extract insights that inform high-impact decisions.”
• Alexander Davis, Deputy CFO, Pie Insurance: “If your organization is all-in on AI and you’re not all-in on data, you might have a problem.”
• Jonathan Ruf, Deputy CISO, Apple Bank: "The integration capabilities of the Workiva platform have reduced human error and allowed our teams to work together seamlessly. We can now report more effectively, providing our executive and board-level management with clear insights into risk assessments.”
• Arvin Floresca, Vice President, Internal Audit, Claritev: "Workiva is excellent at staying ahead of regulatory changes. The platform grows with us, allowing us to scale and adapt as our business evolves."

For more information on the next generation of Workiva GRC, visit workiva.com/ai-powered-grc.

About Workiva

Workiva Inc. (NYSE: WK) powers trust, transparency, and accountability. Accounting, finance, sustainability, risk, and audit teams from more than 6,600 organizations, including over 85% of Fortune 1,000 companies, rely on Workiva for their mission-critical work. We transform how customers connect data, unify processes, and empower teams in a secure, audit-ready, AI-powered collaborative platform. Learn more at workiva.com.

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the potential benefits, features, and future performance of Workiva’s AI-powered GRC solutions. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, the pace of AI adoption, changes in regulatory requirements, and the ability of the company to successfully integrate new technologies. Workiva undertakes no obligation to update these statements after the date of this release.

*Please see www.deloitte.com/us/about for a detailed description of their legal structure.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260309252794/en/

Media:

Lauren Covello

Workiva Inc.

press@workiva.com

Investor:

Katie White

Workiva Inc.

investor@workiva.com

Source: Workiva Inc.