Peppers named UT System chief audit executive
Austin – J. Michael Peppers, a nationally-recognized internal audit professional who successfully served two University of Texas System institutions, has been named Chief Audit Executive for The University of Texas System. The appointment was made at the recommendation of Chancellor Francisco G. Cigarroa, M.D.
In 2012, Peppers became chief audit executive ad interim at UT System from his post of vice president and chief audit officer for The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, where he has been since 2005.
“The UT System’s commitment to accountability and innovation in higher education will be reinforced by having a leader, such as Mr. Peppers, who is dedicated on the national stage to furthering the profession of internal auditing,” said Regent Brenda Pejovich, Chairman of the Audit, Compliance, and Management Review Committee.
Peppers began his career in public accounting 25 years ago and has worked in higher education since 1993. He joined UT System in 1999 as the director for audit services at the UT Medical Branch - Galveston, where he served for five years.
Peppers received his master’s and bachelor’s degrees in accounting from the University of South Florida. He is a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Internal Auditor. He also holds a certification in risk management assurance and is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Active in national leadership of the internal auditing profession, Peppers currently serves as the 2012-13 chairman of the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) North American Board. He previously served on the IIA Internal Audit Standards Board and has been president of national and local industry organizations.
Peppers has written and co-authored auditing articles and is an active public speaker on internal audit related topics. He received the 2009 Outstanding Professional Contributions Award from the Association of College and University Auditors.
About The University of Texas System
Educating students, providing care for patients, conducting groundbreaking research and serving the needs of Texans and the nation for more than 130 years, The University of Texas System is one of the largest public university systems in the United States, with nine academic universities, six health institutions and a fall 2012 enrollment of roughly 216,000. The UT System confers more than one-third of the state’s undergraduate degrees and educates nearly three-fourths of the state’s health care professionals annually. The UT System has an annual operating budget of $13.9 billion (FY 2013) including $3.1 billion in sponsored programs funded by federal, state, local and private sources. With more than 87,000 employees, the UT System is one of the largest employers in the state.
