Navigate 2025-2026 assurance updates, master practical strategies for fraud, risk, controls, and propel your career with essential insights into ESG, technology, and audit quality.
The assurance profession continues to undergo rapid change, influenced by evolving regulatory standards, shifting stakeholder expectations, and accelerated adoption of technology in the audit process. CPAs are being asked to deliver more reliable, transparent, and forward-looking assurance while navigating increasingly complex requirements from domestic and international standard setters.
This 2025 Assurance Update provides CPAs with the tools and insights needed to adapt effectively to the profession’s changing demands. Participants will examine the latest developments from the AICPA, PCAOB, and IAASB, with special attention to new standards, regulatory inspection findings, and convergence trends. Focus areas will include heightened responsibilities for fraud risk assessment and internal control evaluation, the growing importance of ESG and sustainability reporting, and the expanding role of advanced technologies such as AI, blockchain, and data analytics in assurance engagements.
Beyond technical updates, the course emphasizes practical application: strategies for efficient implementation, documentation shortcuts that meet regulatory expectations, and methods to strengthen audit quality while managing resource constraints. Real-world case studies and scenarios will be used to illustrate common pitfalls and provide actionable guidance that practitioners can immediately apply in their engagements.
Designed for both public practice auditors and industry assurance professionals, this course reinforces the CPA’s role as a trusted, ethical, and forward-thinking professional in an environment of rapid change.
Lynn Fountain has over 45 years of experience spanning public accounting, corporate accounting and consulting. 24 years of her experience has been working in the areas of internal and external auditing. She is a subject matter expert in multiple fields including internal audit, ethics, fraud evaluations, Sarbanes-Oxley, enterprise risk management, governance, financial management and compliance. Ms. Fountain has held two Chief Audit Executive positions for international companies. In 2011, as the Chief Audit Executive for an international construction/ engineering firm, she was involved in the active investigation of a joint venture fraud. The investigation included work with the FBI and ultimately led to indictment of the perpetrators and recovery of $13M. Ms. Fountain is currently engaged in her own training and consulting business and is a regular trainer for the AICPA. Ms. Fountain is the author of three separate technical books. “Raise the Red Flag – The Internal Auditors Guide to Fraud Evaluations” was published by the Institute of Internal Auditors Research Foundation. -“Leading The Internal Audit Function” and -“Ethics and The Internal Auditor Political Dilemma” were published by Taylor & Francis In addition Ms. Fountain was a contributing author to the certification program exam for the National Association of Accountants. She also has certificate programs on various on-line platforms. Ms. Fountain has performed as an adjunct instructor for the School of Business for Grantham University and developed the first internal audit curriculum for the School of Business at the University of Kansas. Ms. Fountain obtained her BSBA from Pittsburg State University and her MBA from Washburn University in Kansas. She has her CGMA, CRMA credentials and CPA certificate (non-active).
