The risks keeping CFOs up at night aren't new. But the way they connect, accelerate, and amplify each other is. In the final episode of their three-part GRC series, Embark's Adam Olsen and Managing Director Allison Bradshaw break down the risk landscape organizations are navigating right now, and what it actually takes to get ahead of it.

In this episode:

• AI governance frameworks: how to build tiered oversight proportional to risk, from chatbots to credit decisions, without slowing down adoption
• The "black box" problem: why explainability and transparency are now regulatory expectations, not just best practices
• Cybersecurity as enterprise risk: how to reframe board conversations around cyber exposure and what ransomware preparedness actually requires
• Identity, access, and the human element: why phishing remains the most common attack vector and what effective security culture looks like beyond annual training
• Data privacy in a fragmented regulatory environment: GDPR, CCPA, and the state-by-state patchwork, plus why privacy and cybersecurity programs are stronger when built together
• Third-party and vendor risk: how to apply a risk-based approach across a complex vendor ecosystem, including fourth-party exposure and ESG considerations in the supply chain
• The regulatory change problem: AI regulation, SEC cyber disclosure rules, ESG reporting requirements, and how to build compliance capabilities that don't start from scratch every time
• Why integrated risk management isn't optional: how AI, cyber, privacy, and regulatory risks connect in ways siloed functions will always miss

To connect with Allison or learn more about how Embark approaches GRC, visit embarkwithus.com.

Most GRC functions were built a decade ago in response to SOX or a single risk event. The world has changed. The function often hasn't. In this episode, Embark's Adam Olsen is joined by Managing Director Allison Bradshaw to break down what it actually takes to modernize governance, risk, and compliance for the environment organizations are operating in today.

In this episode:

• Why siloed GRC functions create blind spots, audit fatigue, and hidden costs that far exceed what shows up on a budget line
• What an integrated GRC model looks like in practice: common risk taxonomy, shared technology, and coordinated activities across all three lines of defense
• How to make the business case for modernization, including the 20 to 30 percent cost reduction organizations typically see when duplication is eliminated
• Technology enablement beyond the platform: continuous controls monitoring, workflow automation, and real-time integration with your ERP and source systems
• How modern GRC transforms SOX from a seasonal sprint into a year-round process, with a real-world example of an $800K compliance budget getting restructured
• Where AI fits into GRC today: risk identification, anomaly detection, and compliance monitoring, plus the governance frameworks organizations need to manage AI as a risk in its own right
• What a risk-intelligent culture actually looks like, and why most GRC transformations fail on culture long before they fail on technology
• How to start without boiling the ocean: practical guidance on sequencing a GRC modernization roadmap

To connect with Allison or learn more about Embark's GRC maturity assessment, visit embarkwithus.com.

Most internal audit functions are still operating like it's 2010. In the first episode of Embark's new GRC series, Adam Olsen is joined by Allison Bradshaw, Principal and head of Embark's GRC and Internal Audit Services practice, to make the case for a fundamentally different model. The conversation covers what modern IA looks like, how to build the right delivery structure, and how CFOs can measure real return on investment.

In this episode:

• Why compliance-checkbox IA is leaving significant value on the table, and what a risk-based, consultative function looks like instead
• Co-sourcing vs. outsourcing: a practical framework for deciding which model fits your organization's size, complexity, and risk profile
• How data analytics and AI are shifting IA from sampling transactions to testing entire populations in near-real time
• The emerging demand for IT audit, cybersecurity, and AI governance capabilities, and why most teams can't hire for all of it
• A framework for measuring IA ROI: prevented costs, recovered value, process improvements, and stakeholder confidence
• A real-world co-sourced engagement example where a single year yielded over $1.6M in identified losses and fraud

Understanding DISE is one thing. Actually producing the disclosure every quarter is another. In the final episode of their three-part series, Embark's Nicole Harger and Adam Olsen are joined by David Bushby, who brings real-world perspective from working directly with public companies on DISE implementation. If your team is asking "where do we even start," this episode is the answer.

In this episode:

• How to conduct a readiness assessment and gap analysis before your 2027 effective date
• Who needs to be in the room: why finance, IT, HR, procurement, and operations all have a role
• Key decisions to make early: cost-incurred vs. expense-incurred, selling expense definition, and voluntary disclosures
• Systems and data challenges: fragmented ERPs, the retail inventory method, cost pools, and how to use estimates responsibly
• Internal controls for a new disclosure: what needs to be in place before your first filing
• How DISE interacts with segment reporting under ASC 280 and what to address in MD&A
• Industry-specific pain points for retail, consumer products, manufacturing, life sciences, and tech
• Six practical tips for first-year adoption, including why running a pilot in 2026 could save you significant headaches

If Episode 1 covered the "why" behind DISE, Episode 2 is where theory meets practice. Embark's Nicole Harger and Adam Olsen get into the technical details of all five required natural expense categories, working through the tricky classification questions companies are already bringing to their teams. This is the episode to bookmark when your client asks, "But where exactly does that go?"

In this episode:

• The difference between natural and functional expense classification, and why it matters for your disclosure
• Purchases of inventory: what's included, what's excluded, and how intercompany transactions and inbound freight factor in
• Cost-incurred vs. expense-incurred basis: what each means and why most companies will elect cost-incurred
• Employee compensation: the ASC 718 definition of "employee," how to handle contractors and leased workers, and a practical approach to mixed workforces
• Depreciation and intangible asset amortization: how to handle finance lease ROU assets, internal-use software, and the costs that look like amortization but aren't
• DD&A for extractive industries, plus special considerations for asset-related costs, liability-related expenses, and reimbursement arrangements
• How to define selling expenses for your business, and why that definition has to hold up over time

The FASB just issued new guidance that will fundamentally change how public companies communicate about their cost structure. In the first episode of a three-part series, Embark's Nicole Harger and Adam Olsen break down ASU 2024-03, the Disaggregation of Income Statement Expenses (DISE) standard, and why companies need to start preparing now, even with a 2027 effective date on the horizon.

This episode covers the foundation: the investor demand driving the standard, who it applies to, and what "relevant expense captions" actually mean for your financial reporting.

In this episode:

• Why the FASB issued DISE and how it fits into a broader expense transparency initiative (alongside ASU 2023-07 and ASU 2023-09)
• Who is in scope: all public business entities, including broker-dealers, IPO-stage companies, and private companies whose financials appear in SEC filings
• Effective dates: annual periods beginning after December 15, 2026; interim periods beginning after December 15, 2027
• What goes into the tabular footnote disclosure, including the five required natural expense categories
• How to identify relevant expense captions, and the key exceptions and practical expedients that offer some relief

Collaboration arrangements are becoming more common across industries, from biotech partnerships to platform-sharing in tech. But when it comes to accounting, things get complicated fast.
In this episode of Accounting Matters, Nicole Harger and Adam Olsen explore how to navigate ASC 808 and ASC 606. They cover:

• What qualifies as a collaborative arrangement
• How to determine if (and when) ASC 606 applies
• Real-world examples involving IP licenses, cost-sharing, and milestone payments
• The role of customer relationships in collaboration agreements
• Disclosure expectations and SEC hot buttons
• Common pitfalls and best practices

Whether you’re structuring a new deal or reviewing an existing one, this episode offers a practical roadmap to get the accounting right.

Join hosts Nicole Harger and Adam Olsen as they explore the intricacies of accounting for R&D costs. This episode covers the current U.S. GAAP treatment, challenges in the life sciences sector, and differences with IFRS. Discover potential changes from FASB and gain insights into how these accounting principles impact financial statements across industries. Perfect for professionals navigating the evolving landscape of R&D accounting.