Phoenix, Arizona – AQK Consulting, founded by Abdul Qadir Khadiawala, ACCA, CIA, has announced the release of its flagship white paper, “Strengthening Enterprise Financial Resilience and ESG Compliance through Integrated Risk Governance in U.S. Food and Energy Corporations.” The publication outlines a comprehensive framework to help mid-sized companies modernize internal controls, align environmental, social, and governance (ESG) disclosures, and improve long-term operational sustainability in response to evolving U.S. regulatory standards.
Drawing on over 17 years of global experience in internal audit, enterprise risk management, and regulatory compliance, Khadiawala’s research bridges the gap between financial governance and sustainability reporting. His proposed Integrated Risk Governance (IRG) model offers scalable, technology-driven solutions that help organizations meet new U.S. requirements under the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ESG disclosure rule, Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) Section 404(b), and Department of Energy (DOE) and Department of Agriculture (USDA) sustainability programs.
A Vision for Modern Governance
In a statement accompanying the white paper, Khadiawala explained:
“The U.S. economy’s stability increasingly depends on transparent financial reporting and accountable environmental governance. My goal with AQK Consulting is to provide mid-sized enterprises with integrated frameworks that address both financial and ESG challenges without overwhelming their operational capacity.
The IRG model serves as a practical roadmap for companies seeking to unify internal audit, sustainability reporting, and compliance management. It introduces five core governance pillars:
- Automated Internal Controls Assessment: Using tools such as Workiva, Power BI, and ACL to automate audit trails, risk reporting, and real-time assurance.
- ESG Metrics Integration: Embedding greenhouse gas (GHG), diversity-equity-inclusion (DEI), and ethical governance KPIs into audit processes.
- Third-Party Risk Management: Strengthening oversight of vendors and supply chains through SAP Ariba and ISO-aligned compliance frameworks.
- Regulatory Scenario Testing: Applying COSO’s Enterprise Risk Management model to stress-test governance resilience under DOE and USDA climate standards.
- Stakeholder Communication Channels: Using digital dashboards and whistleblower systems such as Business Keeper to ensure transparency across governance functions.
These pillars combine financial oversight with data analytics, offering a digitally integrated structure adaptable to U.S. mid-sized corporations, a segment often constrained by resource limitations yet under increasing investor and federal scrutiny.
Bridging Global Experience with U.S. Policy Priorities
Abdul Qadir’s leadership record includes transformative roles at Tenaris Saudi Steel Pipes (TSSP), Almarai Company, K-Electric, and Deloitte, where he established robust internal audit frameworks and governance systems across high-risk and multinational environments.
At TSSP, Khadiawala led an internal control and industrial governance initiative that earned the Highest Overall IKTVA Performance Award (2020) from Saudi Aramco. His strategy emphasized localization, supply-chain accountability, and data governance, aligning directly with U.S. policy goals under the White House Executive Order on America’s Supply Chains (2021).
In contrast, at Almarai, one of the Middle East’s largest food and dairy conglomerates, he spearheaded the implementation of a Business Continuity Management System (BCMS) under ISO 22301[AQK1] , integrating ESG-driven risk mapping and sustainability metrics into core audit operations. These projects demonstrate his ability to design governance frameworks that simultaneously enhance operational resilience and regulatory alignment capabilities, directly transferable to U.S. industries adapting to the 2024 ESG disclosure landscape.
The U.S. Challenge: Compliance Meets Complexity
The release of the 2024 SEC Final Rule on Climate-Related Disclosures has marked a turning point for U.S. corporations. The rule mandates that public companies disclose governance structures, risk management processes, and financial implications of climate-related issues fundamentally linking ESG and financial reporting.
Similarly, SOX Section 404(b) continues to demand rigorous internal control testing and auditor verification of management’s assessment of financial reporting accuracy. This dual-compliance structure poses significant challenges for mid-sized enterprises, which often lack the resources to implement parallel ESG and audit systems.
AQK Consulting’s approach directly addresses this compliance fragmentation. By integrating ESG oversight within traditional internal audit frameworks, the IRG model eliminates redundancy and enhances audit transparency. It allows companies to create unified control environments where sustainability data feeds directly into enterprise risk reporting a model that supports both federal policy objectives and shareholder trust.
Case Studies Informing the U.S. Strategy
Industrial Localization: Lessons from Tenaris Saudi Steel Pipes (TSSP)
Khadiawala’s work at TSSP demonstrates how internal audit frameworks can support national economic strategies. By embedding SAP-integrated internal controls across procurement, finance, and HR systems, he established an automated monitoring mechanism for supplier compliance and local content metrics[AQK2]. This governance structure aligns with the intent of U.S. supply-chain resilience programs, demonstrating how local-content tracking can drive both industrial efficiency and transparency.
Sustainability and Resilience: The Almarai ESG and BCMS Initiative
At Almarai, Khadiawala developed audit-based ESG reporting dashboards in Power BI and conducted internal audit reviews aligned with ISO 22301:2019 (Business Continuity) and ISO 9001:2015 (Quality Management) standards. His leadership helped institutionalize resilience across food supply operations a capability increasingly critical to U.S. food processors facing both climate volatility and regulatory transformation under the USDA Climate-Smart Agriculture Strategy (2022).
These dual case studies illustrate that effective governance requires both economic localization and sustainability integration twin pillars that now define the U.S. federal approach to energy and food security.
About AQK Consulting
Founded in 2025 and registered in Arizona, AQK Consulting is a specialized risk advisory firm providing audit diagnostics, internal control modernization, ESG roadmapping, and third-party risk management services to U.S. food and energy corporations.
The firm’s mission is to build financially resilient, ethically governed, and environmentally compliant organizations by translating global best practices into scalable, locally tailored solutions. Its methodology is grounded in international standards COSO, ISO 22301, SASB, and TCFD, ensuring alignment with both corporate accountability and national policy objectives.
About the Founder
Abdul Qadir Khadiawala, ACCA, CIA, is a Chartered Certified Accountant and a Certified Internal Auditor through the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA). He is an active contributor to professional networks, including ACCA Middle East, as well as to multiple ESG and governance forums.
Khadiawala’s professional publication, “On the Frontlines: Revising Our Internal Audit Manual “¹, appeared in Internal Auditor Magazine (July 2025), highlighting his commitment to advancing audit innovation and risk governance globally. Based in Saudi Arabia, he operates internationally through cross-border consulting partnerships, offering strategic insight to organizations seeking to enhance regulatory resilience and sustainability performance.
Policy Relevance and Future Outlook
As the U.S. government continues to integrate ESG reporting with financial accountability, Khadiawala’s white paper provides a model for how independent governance consultancies can complement, not compete with, U.S. workforce capabilities. His consultancy framework aligns directly with federal sustainability programs, supporting the DOE Energy Earthshots Initiative (2023) and the USDA Climate-Smart Agriculture Strategy (2022).
The initiative also reinforces national interest goals by fostering ethical, transparent, and data-driven governance systems across industries critical to the economy’s long-term stability. By combining automation with professional oversight, AQK Consulting aims to help clients achieve regulatory compliance while promoting sustainable growth.
Media Contact
AQK Consulting
welcomes opportunities to collaborate with U.S. corporations, regulatory bodies, financial institutions, and professional associations committed to advancing excellence in governance, risk, and compliance (GRC). Abdul Qadir Khadiawala offers strategic advisory partnerships, executive training, and keynote speaking engagements focused on:
- Integrated Risk Governance (IRG) implementation across food, energy, and manufacturing sectors.
- ESG disclosure readiness, sustainability assurance, and internal control modernization.
- Audit transformation through technology integration, data analytics, and regulatory alignment.
Through his consultancy, Abdul works with industry leaders to strengthen organizational transparency, operational resilience, and stakeholder trust in line with U.S. federal priorities under SEC, USDA, and DOE frameworks.
For inquiries related to partnerships, speaking engagements, or media features, please contact:
JT Dizon
Public Relations Specialist – Innovators Professionals
Jose develops global communication strategies, press releases, and editorial features that articulate technical governance insights into accessible, results-driven narratives. He studied at the University of Newcastle, Australia (B.A. in Language). He brings a diverse experience in content strategy, public affairs, and corporate media relations across the United States, Australia, and the Asia Pacific.
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