Johann Wolfsberger

I’m a global internal audit executive with 25 years of international experience at Linde plc, including 17+ years as Executive Director & Head of Internal Audit Americas. I advise executive management and international leadership teams on governance, risk, business-related matters, and I’m known for a pragmatic, collaborative approach that supports better decision-making.

In my current role, I lead risk-based internal audit activities across North and South America, advising on oversight of strategic, operational, financial, and compliance risks and remediation. I direct governance, risk, compliance, and SOX assurance activities across the Americas, and I have served as interim lead for global SOX execution with up to 25 team members to drive consistent internal control frameworks globally. I also identify process optimization and cost-saving opportunities, including a confirmed procurement savings potential of approx. USD 47m.

I improve audit effectiveness by introducing analytics, process mining, and data-driven audit approaches—helping identify duplicate vendor payments, credit card misuse, and segregation of duty violations, and enabling continuous monitoring to strengthen the control environment. I lead multi-functional investigations (including legal privilege) related to fraud, anti-corruption, conflicts of interest, whistleblower allegations, and data privacy issues, and I present significant audit observations and enterprise risks to executive management and Audit & Risk Committees.