Richardson Joins Technology Innovation Alliance Working Group

Photo Submitted

Vernon Richardson, Distinguished Professor of accounting, joined the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) Technology Innovation Alliance Working Group.

Vernon Richardson, Distinguished Professor of accounting and the W. Glezen Chair in the Sam M. Walton College of Business, has been selected to serve in the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) Technology Innovation Alliance Working Group.

"The PCAOB is one of the most influential regulatory groups in accounting, both domestically and internationally," said Gary F. Peters, chair of the William Dillard Department of Accounting and holder of the S. Robson Walton Endowed Professorship of Accounting. "Vern's appointment reflects his exceptional reputation in the field and our continued contributions to the area of accounting analytics."

The PCAOB is a nonprofit established by Congress to "oversee the audits of public companies … to protect investors and further the public interest in the preparation of informative, accurate and independent audit reports. It also oversees the audits of brokers and dealers registered with the SEC, including compliance reports filed pursuant to federal securities laws."

As an advisory committee to the PCAOB, the Technology Innovation Alliance Working Group is an oversight group composed of external professionals. It will examine emerging technologies including those used by financial statement preparers and auditors. The group will:

1. Advise the PCAOB board on emerging technologies used by auditors and preparers, and
2. Make recommendations to the board regarding oversight programs addressing these technologies.

In short, the group will examine the technology that public companies use and, in doing so, help to protect stockholders and the integrity of audits. 

Richardson's teaching focuses on data analytics, financial accounting and financial statement analysis. He has co-authored four McGraw Hill textbooks, including Accounting Information Systems, Data Analytics for Accounting, Introduction to Data Analytics for Accounting and Introduction to Business Analytics. He has held positions as editor or associate editor at Accounting Review, Accounting Horizons, MIS Quarterly, Journal of Information Systems and the International Journal of Accounting Information Systems.

Richardson received his bachelor's and master's degree in accounting and an M.B.A. from Brigham Young University. He earned a Ph.D. in accounting from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign.