The Securities and Exchange Commission has appointed Wesley R. Bricker as deputy chief accountant overseeing the accounting group in the agency’s Office of the Chief Accountant, replacing Dan Murdock, who is leaving the SEC for a job in the private sector.
Bricker has more than 15 years of experience in public accounting. He joins the SEC from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, where he is a partner responsible for clients in the banking, capital markets, financial technology, and investment management sectors. Bricker served as a professional accounting fellow in Office of the Chief Accountant from 2009 to 2011, returning to PwC in 2011.
Bricker is expected to begin his new position later this month when Murdock departs the SEC.
“I am very appreciative and extremely excited that Wes has agreed to return to the Office of the Chief Accountant to oversee the accounting group,” said SEC chief accountant James Schnurr in a statement. “Wes’s prior experience as an SEC accounting fellow as well as his experience in public accounting make him well-qualified to take on this new responsibility.”
Bricker started in PwC’s Harrisburg, Pa., office and later moved to its Washington D.C. office. He also was a senior manager in PwC’s national office, where he provided technical accounting advice to partners, managers, and clients. Later, as a partner in the Washington D.C. office, he was responsible for the financial statement audits of several large companies.
“I am honored to have this opportunity to return to work at the Commission and serve with Jim and the talented and highly dedicated staff in the Office of the Chief Accountant on behalf of investors,” said Bricker.
Mr. Bricker received a B.S. in accounting from Elizabethtown College in 2000 and a law degree from American University Washington College of Law in 2007. He is licensed as a CPA and is a member of the New York State Bar Association.
The SEC did not say where Murdock is going when he returns to the private sector, but before joining the SEC staff, he served as an industry professional practice director for Deloitte & Touche LLP. At Deloitte, Murdock was responsible for the financial statement audits of several large companies and served in its national office, where he consulted with clients on technical accounting issues. Murdock started at the SEC in October 2013.
“It has been an honor to work alongside of the dedicated staff of the Office of the Chief Accountant and the agency,” said Murdock. “I am proud to have been a part of an office that plays such an important role in protecting U.S. investors.”
SEC chief accountant James Schnurr said, “Dan made a real difference in the day-to-day operations of the Chief Accountant office. His ability to foster working relationships within the office and the Commission as well as with registrants, auditors, standard setters, and other constituents enhanced the efficiency and effectiveness of the office.”
Before joining the SEC staff, Murdock served as an industry professional practice director for Deloitte & Touche LLP. At Deloitte, Murdock was responsible for the financial statement audits of several large companies and served in its national office, where he consulted with clients on technical accounting issues.
Murdock received a Bachelor of Science degree with an emphasis in accounting from the University of South Florida.
The Office of the Chief Accountant advises the SEC on accounting and auditing matters and works closely with private sector accounting bodies such as the Financial Accounting Standards Board. Public companies, auditors, and other offices and divisions within the SEC regularly consult with the Office of the Chief Accountant on the application of accounting standards and financial disclosure requirements.
