Volunteer Spotlight – J. Michael Peppers CIA, QIAL, CRMA, CPA

April 21, 2025

Fun fact: Mike’s global engagement with IIA members around the world had taken him to six of the seven continents.  Last year, he checked off the seventh in Antarctica with his USF travel buddy, Rocky the Bull.

Professional Background
Mike has been the Chief Audit Executive for The University of Texas System since 2013. Other than four years in public accounting after graduate school, he has been the leader of a higher education internal audit function for his entire career. That journey started while he was in graduate school at the University of South Florida, where he worked as a student in the internal audit department. This was also the beginning of his career-long connection with ACUA.
Having served on several education-related committees and the board, Mike completed a term as ACUA President for 2001-2002. In the years since his term as President, Mike became a unique ambassador for higher education and ACUA through his service to the Institute of Internal Auditors. Drawing from lessons learned in leading ACUA, he became a member of The IIA’s North American Board and was its chair in 2012-13. That was followed by service on The IIA’s Global Board of Directors. When he was global chair of The IIA in 2017-18, he prominently featured higher education and public service in his theme:  #PurposeServiceImpact.

Spotlight Nomination
“Mike has given countless time and energy in advancing Internal Audit through his involvement with the IIA and ACUA.  He was the Chair of the IIA’s Global Board in 2017. Most recently, he served as the Chair of the International Internal Audit Standards Board and helped shape the new 2024 IIA Global Standards. In 2023-2024, Mike was the IIA’s representative to the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Tredway Commission (COSO) Board of Directors. To have a Higher Education representative at that level is outstanding.”