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The PCAOB Just Got a New Boss — And 3 New Board Members

Former EY partner Jim Logothetis takes the chair as SEC pushes 'back to basics' oversight

Author

Hannah Olsen
February 19, 2026

The PCAOB Just Got a New Boss — And 3 New Board Members

If you audit public companies, you have a new regulator to answer to.

The SEC announced Friday that Demetrios "Jim" Logothetis — a former EY partner who retired in 2019 after 40 years — will chair the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB). He'll be joined by three new board members: Mark Calabria, Kyle Hauptman, and Steven Laughton.

Translation: the PCAOB is getting a full leadership reset, and the tone is about to change.

Who's Out, Who's In

Out:

  • George Botic (acting chair since July 2025, will remain a board member)

  • Kara Stein and Anthony Thompson (current board members, tenures cut short)

  • Christina Ho (announced departure in December)

In:

  • Demetrios "Jim" Logothetis — new chair, 40-year EY veteran

  • Mark Calabria — new board member

  • Kyle Hauptman — new board member

  • Steven Laughton — new board member

The shakeup comes after former chair Erica Williams left in July 2025 and Botic stepped in as acting chair.

What This Means for Auditors

SEC Chair Paul Atkins, who took over in April 2025, has signaled a "back to basics" approach for both the SEC and PCAOB. At the AICPA Conference on Current SEC and PCAOB Developments in December, he made it clear the focus would be on the PCAOB's core statutory mission:

"Protecting investors and furthering the public interest in the preparation of informative, accurate, and independent audit reports."

In Friday's statement, Atkins doubled down:

"I am confident that this new board will usher in a new day at the PCAOB — one of sensible, efficient oversight of auditors."

Translation: expect less regulatory sprawl, more focus on audit quality, and potentially fewer headline-grabbing enforcement actions that don't move the needle on investor protection.

Background: What the PCAOB Does

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 created the PCAOB to oversee audits of public companies and broker-dealers. The SEC oversees the PCAOB.

Last summer, proposed legislation that would have folded the PCAOB into the SEC didn't make it to a vote. So the board lives on — now with new leadership and a new tone.

What to Watch

If you're a public company auditor, keep an eye on:

  • Inspection priorities — what the new board decides to focus on in firm inspections

  • Enforcement tone — whether the PCAOB shifts toward "sensible, efficient oversight" or maintains aggressive enforcement

  • Regulatory agenda — any new standards, guidance, or rule changes the new board proposes

Logothetis and the new board officially take over soon. Expect policy shifts, tone changes, and a refocused mission.

If you audit public companies, this matters. The rules might not change overnight, but the way they're enforced probably will.