Jeff Johanns Appointed Chair of The Texas Society of CPAs Professional Standards Committee
The Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants has announced that Jeffrey Johanns, associate professor of instruction in accounting at The University of Texas at Austin, has been named chair of its Professional Standards Committee.
The Texas Society of CPAs is the state’s largest association of finance professionals, and Johanns has been a member since 1987. He has served on the 18-member Professional Standards Committee since 2013. That committee responds to exposure drafts and monitors potential new professional standards and rules that could affect the practice of accountancy in Texas.
Steven Kachelmeier, chair of the McCombs School of Business Department of Accounting, said Johanns is a solid choice for this high-impact role. “Jeff has a track record of widely read and influential commentaries on standard-setting issues, along with 30 years of experience in the accounting profession.”
Johanns is frequently sought for his auditing expertise by the national press, with his insights regularly published in The Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, The Conversation, and many other media outlets.
Before joining Texas McCombs, Johanns was a partner and U.S. assurance risk management leader with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.
“His national leadership with a Big Four public accounting firm makes him ideally situated to comment on the likely impact of accounting and auditing pronouncements from the perspective of one of the biggest state economies in the U.S.,” Kachelmeier said.
Johanns said he is excited to take on the responsibility for an organization that embodies his interests in supporting those in the accounting profession. “This committee works diligently to represent the interests of all Texas CPAs,” he said.
“Today’s complex global business environment has increased the pace and volume of accounting and auditing standard setting,” Johanns said, adding that environmental, social, and governance reporting and crypto assets are among the committee’s top challenges.
Johanns joined the McCombs Department of Accounting in 2012. He teaches introductory and advanced auditing, financial statement analysis, and accounting theory and concepts. He won the TXCPA Outstanding Accounting Educator Award in 2019.
“This appointment is a prime example of the McCombs School of Business’ mission to be the highest-impact public business school, and we are incredibly proud of Professor Johanns for his service,” Kachelmeier said.
McCombs Dean Lillian Mills concurred. “His extensive research and service embody our university’s mission to change the world and indeed will shape the accounting standards that businesses across the world will use,” she said. “This impressive appointment underscores our thought leadership and longstanding place as the top accounting program in the nation. It is an honor to count him among our faculty, and I look forward to his leadership at this important organization.”
By Aidan Keel
