SEC Overhauls PCAOB Leadership: New Chairman and Board Members Appointed

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has just reshaped the leadership of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) — and this isn’t business as usual. On January 30, 2026, the SEC announced a new chairman and three new board members for the PCAOB, marking a clear shift in direction for the audit regulator that oversees how public companies are audited.

What Happened

• Demetrios “Jim” Logothetis has been named PCAOB Chairman, with his term running through October 24, 2030. Logothetis is a retired veteran of Ernst & Young, where he spent more than 40 years in senior roles, including managing partner and vice-chair of global accounts.

• Joining him as board members are Mark Calabria, Kyle Hauptman, and Steven Laughton . Each brings different public-sector and regulatory experience from agencies like the Office of Management and Budget and the National Credit Union Administration.

• George Botic, a long-time PCAOB official, will remain on the board and continue as Acting Chairman until Logothetis is sworn in.

Why It Matters

The PCAOB was created by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 in the wake of Enron, WorldCom, and other audit failures to protect investors by ensuring high-quality, independent audits. It registers audit firms, sets auditing standards, inspects practices, and disciplines firms when needed. The SEC oversees the PCAOB and approves its leadership and budget.

This leadership change isn’t just routine turnover — it’s part of a broader overhaul initiated by SEC Chairman Paul S. Atkins. The new board lineup reflects a strategic push toward what Atkins calls “sensible, efficient oversight of auditors.” He’s publicly emphasized aligning the PCAOB’s focus with its core statutory mission — protecting investors and promoting informative, accurate audit reports — while also making the board’s compensation and operations more aligned with public-service ethos.

The SEC also publicly thanked outgoing board members Christina Ho, Kara Stein, and Anthony Thompson for their service, underscoring that this isn’t just a personnel shift — it’s a directional reset.

What’s Next

Logothetis won’t officially take the helm until he’s sworn in, and the transition is expected to move quickly over the coming weeks. Once in place, this new board will be watched closely by auditors, public companies, and investors alike — especially as they interpret what “efficient oversight” means in practice.

Expect scrutiny over how aggressively (or conservatively) the PCAOB enforces standards, conducts inspections, and responds to audit quality issues under this leadership.