The SEC appointed a new a chair and three new board members to the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board ("PCAOB").

The SEC named Erica Y. Williams as PCAOB Chair. Ms. Williams previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff to three SEC Chairs and as Assistant Chief Litigation Counsel in the SEC Division of Enforcement trial unit. The SEC stated that PCAOB Acting Chair Duane DesParte will continue in his capacity until Ms. Williams is sworn in, after which time Mr. DesParte will stay on as a board member.

The SEC also appointed the following three board members:

  • Christina Ho, who most recently was Vice President of Government Analytics and Innovation at Elder Research, and previously served at Treasury as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Financial Transparency and Accounting Policy;
  • Kara M. Stein, who served as an SEC Commissioner from 2013 to 2019; and
  • Anthony ("Tony") C. Thompson, who served as CFTC Executive Director, and as Chief Administrative Officer, in charge of the CFTC Division of Administration.

SEC Commissioners Hester M. Peirce and Elad L. Roisman expressed support for the new board, despite holding serious concerns over the SEC's recent removal  of a PCAOB member without cause.

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