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SubscribeRandy L. Thornton Named the PCAOB’s Chief Operating Officer
The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) today announced the appointment of Randy L. Thornton as its Chief Operating Officer (COO). Until this appointment, Mr. Thornton had served as the PCAOB’s Acting COO since July 2025 and its Chief Human Resources Officer since December 2022.
The PCAOB’s COO oversees the Office of the Chief Operating Officer, including the Office of Human Resources, the Office of Finance, the Office of Technology, the Enterprise Strategy and Project Management Office, and the Facilities and Operations department.
“The PCAOB has benefitted greatly from Randy’s leadership and deep operational expertise,” said PCAOB Chairman Demetrios (Jim) Logothetis. “We are fortunate to have Randy as our COO as we work to modernize the PCAOB’s operations through innovation and careful stewardship of our resources.”
“I thank Chairman Logothetis and the Board for this opportunity to oversee the talented and multifaceted teams that comprise the Office of the Chief Operating Officer,” said Mr. Thornton. “Our office is as focused as ever on supporting our colleagues across the organization and helping the PCAOB to succeed in its investor-protection mission.”
Before joining the PCAOB in August 2022 as the Deputy Director of HR Delivery, Mr. Thornton spent four years as the Chief of Management Services for the CIO Organization at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).
Prior to joining the FDIC, Mr. Thornton worked for the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Bureau of Fiscal Service, where he was the Human Capital Officer and Director of Human Resources from 2011 to 2018. While at Treasury, he also served as the Associate Chief Financial Officer with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Before that, he worked at the U.S. Department of Labor as the Deputy Director for Human Resources Staffing, Benefits and Compensation for the Employment and Training Administration. Mr. Thornton has also held various leadership positions in human resources in the private sector.
Mr. Thornton has a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Shippensburg University and a Master of Human Resource Management from St. Francis University. He holds a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification.
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