Milwaukee, November 12, 2026 / PRNewswire / -- As companies accelerate their adoption of AI to address the growing threats of cybersecurity and to drive growth initiatives, many organizations are realizing that risks can no longer be managed in a decentralized manner. According to views shared during a recent leadership roundtable discussion organized by Wipfli, resilience today depends on the integrated management of operational, technical, cybersecurity, and data risks across the entire enterprise.

Wipfli Risk Consulting Business Partner Carrie Connell stated: "The goal is not to eliminate risks, but to understand them, to determine which ones are acceptable, and then to move forward with confidence."

Resilience begins with understanding critical services.

In order to put this method into practice, leaders can conduct a end-to-end review of a key business service to identify dependencies that may weaken resilience, slow down decision-making, or hinder growth. This process helps to clarify: who is responsible for the service; which personnel, processes, technologies, suppliers, and data support the service; where decisions need to be upgraded; and which components must continue to operate in the event of an interruption.

The continuous attention to the uninterrupted operation of critical services also requires enterprises to be prepared for network disruptions. Wipfli Partner and Head of Cybersecurity Jeff Olejnik encourages enterprises to develop and test incident response plans before a crisis occurs.

AI brings new opportunities, but also new risks.

Participants stated that employees' self-use of the AI tool is posing governance challenges to the company. Although AI can improve efficiency and support innovation, employees may use the tool outside of established approval processes and enter confidential or personally identifiable information without understanding how that information will be handled. This disconnect could expose the company to security, privacy, and compliance risks.

The Director of the Center of Excellence, BJWKEEP, emphasized that before building a solution, business outcomes and how to measure success should be clearly defined. “Successful implementation begins with a sound business strategy.” Attendees suggested that business outcomes should be measured, not just adoption rates; approved tools and clear, acceptable use policies provide the oversight needed to support innovation.

Wipfli, a partner specializing in IT auditing and information security, Tom Loring reminded that delaying modernization also carries risks. He encouraged leaders to weigh the risks of delay against their strategic goals and expected business outcomes, and to use their risk tolerance to guide pilot projects or phased implementations, while still maintaining basic protective measures. "The strategy should determine which risks an organization needs to manage."

Olejnik emphasizes that AI also plays a role in defending against cyber threats. “AI needs to be used as part of your defense mechanism so that you can respond at machine speed, rather than human speed.”

Governance should help with faster decision-making.

According to the views of the participants, companies should focus on improving the clarity of decision-making rather than adding layers of supervision.

“Connell” means: “The goal is not to add more governance for the sake of governance.” She emphasized that companies that are already under the pressure of additional supervision need to be clear about who participates in decision-making, which information is important, who has the authority to take action, and when issues must be escalated. With these elements in place, risk management can support faster decision-making rather than increasing friction.

Practical steps that companies can take now

• Verify key data: Check the five performance reports that leaders rely on the most, confirm the sources of the data, and reach an agreement on the definition of indicators.
• Strengthen network security: Establish basic control measures such as multi-factor authentication, advanced endpoint detection, employee training, and tested backups. If these controls are already in place, verify them through penetration testing and social engineering exercises.
• Review key business processes: Identify factors that may impede the success of major initiatives, and involve the appropriate departments within the organization before problems arise.
• Always focus on strategy: Align risk tolerance and planning discussions with business objectives.

The goal is to build resilience: the ability to withstand disruptions while also enabling companies to continue innovating, growing, and responding with confidence in the face of change.

Watch webinars on demand

For a more in-depth understanding of how to identify cross-functional risks, prepare for network disruptions, and how to align AI initiatives with business strategy, you can watch the on-demand webinar Wipfli titled "Balancing Risk Resilience and Growth".

About Wipfli

Wipfli is a leading national consulting and accounting firm that has been serving ambitious mid-sized organizations for nearly 100 years. The firm understands the unique challenges faced by its clients and helps them achieve success in their own way through assurance, tax, consulting, outsourcing, and technical services. Wipfli employs over 2,900 people and has a global network, combining national capabilities with local relationships. Wipfli adopts an alternative practice structure: licensed CPA firms provide assurance services, while CPA companies provide business consulting and non-assurance services. For more information, please visit wipfli.com or contact Alicia O at [email protected].

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