Episode 36 - Ross Visscher

In this episode, we sit down with Ross Visscher, an IT audit champion using AI to transform how a city government approaches auditing. Ross shares how his team is leveraging tools like Microsoft Copilot, Azure OpenAI, and Python to automate tasks, analyze customer feedback, process documents with OCR, and validate transactions faster and more accurately than ever before. We dig into how he developed an AI governance framework aligned with professional standards, and the best practices his team follows to keep sensitive data private and secure in the cloud. Ross also gets practical about the emerging skills auditors need today — including vibe coding and basic Python — and why aligning every AI tool with organizational values and enterprise approval processes isn't just good governance, it's essential to doing the work right.CHAPTERS:00:00 - Introduction to the Super Auditor 00:51 - IT audit champion role using AI for city transformation01:47 - Using AI internally to improve audit quality03:07 - Establishing AI governance aligned with Redbook standards04:47 - Copilot in audit work08:25 - Building a responsible AI framework using Azure12:01 - Python as an intermediary for large datasets and vibe coding15:08 - Handling confidential data20:15 - Combining traditional audit tools with AI, Python, and Power BI 22:36 - Handling non-cloud options26:30 - Building Python skills and understanding for auditors29:45 - Embracing change while staying aligned with core audit values30:21 - Closing remarksABOUT ROSS VISSCHER:Ross Visscher is an internal audit leader with responsibility for IT audit and data analytics programs at The City of Calgary. He has 19 years of internal audit experience, primarily within local government, complemented by earlier experience in financial services and public accounting.For more than a decade, Ross has been actively involved with the Association of Local Government Auditors (ALGA) and served as President for the 2024–2025 term.He holds multiple professional certifications, including Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), Certified Public Accountant (CPA – North Carolina), Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), and Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC). His specialized credentials include ISACA’s Advanced in AI Audit (AAIA), ACL Analytics Certified Data Analyst (ACDA) and Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst Associate.