SEC Names Wesley R. Bricker as Chief Accountant

The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that Wesley R. Bricker will become the Chief Accountant and succeeds James Schnurr who plans to retire from the agency.

Mr. Bricker has served as Deputy Chief Accountant for the accounting group since 2015 and Interim Chief Accountant since July 2016.  As Chief Accountant, Mr. Bricker will serve as the principal advisor to the Commission on accounting and auditing matters and lead the Commission’s Office of the Chief Accountant.  He also will be responsible for assisting the Commission with discharging its oversight of the Financial Accounting Standards Board and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.

“I am very pleased to appoint Wes as the Chief Accountant,” said SEC Chair Mary Jo White.  “He has demonstrated excellent leadership and analytic skills in leading the work of the office, and we are very fortunate to continue to have him serve this critical role at the agency.”

“It is an honor to continue to work on behalf of investors and to lead the talented and dedicated staff of the Office of the Chief Accountant and work together with the accounting and auditing standard setters’ boards and staff,” said Mr. Bricker.  “I look forward to continuing to promote improvements to financial reporting, including monitoring that the objectives of existing and new accounting and auditing standards meet the needs of investors for useful and reliable financial reporting information.”

Mr. Bricker joined the SEC in 2015 from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, where he was a partner responsible for audit engagements in the banking, capital markets, financial technology, and investment management sectors.  He had previously served as a professional accounting fellow in Office of the Chief Accountant from 2009 to 2011.  Mr. Bricker received a B.S. in accounting from Elizabethtown College and a law degree from American University.  He is licensed as a certified public accountant and is a member of the New York State Bar Association.

The Commission’s Office of the Chief Accountant is responsible for establishing and enforcing accounting and auditing policy as well as improving the professional performance of public company auditors. The office works to enhance the transparency and relevancy of financial reporting and ensure that financial statements are presented fairly and have credibility for the benefit of all investors.