Chief Audit Executive J. Michael Peppers

Picture of Chief Audit Executive: Mike PeppersJ. Michael “Mike” Peppers is Chief Audit Executive for The University of Texas System in Austin. Mr. Peppers’ 35-year career began in public accounting and has included serving as the chief audit executive at major healthcare and higher education institutions, including U.T. MD Anderson Cancer Center and U.T. Medical Branch.


Reflecting a lifelong commitment to serving the internal auditing profession, Peppers has held numerous volunteer board and leadership positions. He was the 2017-18 Global Chairman of the Board for The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), having served as The IIA’s North American Board Chairman in 2012-13. He is the Immediate Past Chairman of The IIA’s International Internal Audit Standards Board. In July 2023, Peppers was appointed to a three-year term as The IIA’s representative on the Board of the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). He has been President of the Association of College and University Auditors and the Houston and Florida West Coast Chapters of The IIA. He has been a member of the University of Houston Accounting Advisory Board and the University of South Florida Alumni Association Board.


Mr. Peppers has written and co-authored auditing articles and is an active public speaker on internal audit-related topics. He was the 2009 recipient of the Association of College and University Auditors Outstanding Professional Contributions Award and was recognized as a Distinguished Faculty Member in The IIA’s volunteer faculty program. In 2019, he was inducted into The IIA’s American Hall of Distinguished Audit Practitioners. In 2021, he was awarded The IIA’s Victor Z. Brink Award for Distinguished Service.


Mr. Peppers is a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Internal Auditor and has a Qualification in Internal Audit Leadership and a Certification in Risk Management Assurance. He earned bachelor's and master's degrees in accountancy at the University of South Florida.

J. Michael Peppers, CPA, CIA, QIAL, CRMA

Chief Audit Executive
(2012 - Current)

System Audit Office 
210 West 7th Street
Austin, TX  78701
Phone: 512-499-4390
Fax: 512-499-4426