Barbara Vanich, who stepped down as chief auditor of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board last month, has a new job at global consulting firm BRG, according to an Aug. 3 announcement.
She has joined the firm’s Financial Institution Advisory practice as a managing director in its Washington, D.C. office.
A CPA with more than 30 years of experience, Vanich will advise BRG clients on accounting and auditing matters, including internal controls and corporate governance.
“I’m pleased to join BRG at a time when accounting and regulatory expectations continue to evolve,” Vanich said in a statement. “Having spent much of my career helping shape auditing standards and financial reporting practices, I look forward to working alongside BRG’s multidisciplinary team to provide practical, thoughtful advice to clients.”
She spent more than 17 years at the PCAOB, where she led the Office of the Chief Auditor, overseeing the U.S. audit regulator’s standard-setting activities and serving as the board’s principal adviser on auditing and related professional standards.
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During Vanich’s tenure as chief auditor, which began in 2022, the PCAOB adopted several new standards intended to improve audit quality and to protect investors. Most notably, the PCAOB in May 2024 adopted QC 1000, A Firm’s System of Quality Control, the board’s new quality control standard that will become effective on Dec. 15. The new rules feature a risk-based approach designed to drive continuous improvement in audit quality.
In addition, Vanich oversaw the development of other major standard-setting projects, the creation of resources to help audit firms implement new standards, the launch of the PCAOB’s Audit Practitioner Fellowship Program, the PCAOB’s first-ever request for comment on potential future areas of focus for standard setting, and the creation of a firm consultation process through which registered public accounting firms can submit standards-related questions directly to PCAOB staff and receive informal staff views.
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Before joining the PCAOB in February 2009, she served as an auditor at Big Four firm KPMG, worked in accounting policy at JPMorgan Chase, and practiced as a consultant. Her experience spans public accounting, industry, consulting, and regulation.
“Barbara’s leadership at the PCAOB gives her a unique perspective on the complex accounting and governance issues our clients face,” Paul Noring, managing director and leader of BRG’s Financial Institution Advisory practice, said in a statement. “Her background as both a regulator and trusted adviser will be a tremendous asset as we continue to expand our capabilities for financial institutions.”
“Barbara’s arrival immediately strengthens BRG’s position in auditor liability matters and U.S. GAAP accounting policy investigations,” added Tri MacDonald, CEO and president of BRG. “Her leadership at the PCAOB gives the firm a distinctive capability in these highly specialized matters and expands the range of support we can provide to clients.”
Vanich earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Point Park University.
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Tags: Accounting, Auditing, Barbara Vanich, BRG, PCAOB, PCAOB chief auditor