JMU alumni brings decades of expertise to SEC role

When Kurt Hohl (‘85) arrived at James Madison University in 1981, White Hall stood at the edge of campus, and course registration involved punch cards and long lines. He declared the Accounting major on day one and began his journey from the Shenandoah Valley to the highest levels of financial regulation in the United States.

Upon graduation in 1985, Hohl landed a coveted position at Deloitte Haskins and Sells—then one of the “Big Eight” accounting firms. This role involved auditing public, nonprofit and government entities in the Washington, D.C. area, which he quickly realized wasn’t his passion. “I stayed there for four years and said it’s time to shift gears,” Hohl explained.

While simultaneously applying to graduate schools to pursue an MBA, Hohl landed his first position in the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), beginning a new chapter in his career. For the next eight years, Hohl rose through the ranks; first as Assistant Chief Accountant, and later, he was promoted to Associate Chief Accountant in the Division of Corporation Finance. “That was really cool because I was 27 years old in a very senior role for a prestigious government entity,” he said.

During this time, Hohl authored the “Staff Training Manual”, later renamed the “Financial Reporting Manual”, a document that would guide the SEC’s accounting staff and practitioners for decades. “It’s like a guidebook for interpreting the federal securities laws as they relate to accounting and disclosure matters,” Hohl explained. 

Though he deferred an MBA at the University of Michigan, Hohl’s career trajectory didn’t stall. “I was thinking that if I play my cards right I can go back into public accounting, but skip all those hard years as a manager,” he said. In 1997, amid the dot-com boom, Hohl made his leap back into public accounting—this time as a direct-admit partner at Ernst & Young (EY). “That was kind of a big thing,” he said. “Most firms wouldn’t make direct-admit partners into their Assurance practices.” 

In the late 90’s and early 2000’s the accounting landscape was rapidly changing in the United States. The “Big Eight” became the “Big Four” after multiple mergers, and a series of major frauds changed the regulatory environment for auditors. Amid the turbulence, Hohl was helping EY build its SEC practices globally. His leadership soon expanded to a senior operations role overseeing EY’s Mid-Atlantic region, from Philadelphia to Richmond. 

He later spearheaded the creation of EY’s Global Quality and Regulatory Matters Group, growing it from five to 55 employees, and ultimately served as Global Deputy Vice Chair of Professional Practice, managing technical and regulatory matters across 153 countries before reaching the mandatory retirement age in 2023. “Some of these were tough jobs,” he admitted. “The knives are out all the time in a global firm with hundreds of thousands of people.”

The kind of leadership, resilience and flexibility that Hohl displays doesn’t just come with a title. His foundational experiences at JMU helped shape the global leader he is today. “The most important thing someone needs to succeed no matter what,” he said, “is people skills.”

As a student, Hohl immersed himself in campus life. He was a member of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity, where he served as treasurer and house manager, and a charter member of Beta Alpha Psi, the accounting honor society. These roles taught him how to lead, collaborate and communicate—skills that would prove invaluable in high-stakes operations and regulatory discussions. “I always tried to stay busy with extracurriculars,” he said. “It kept me well-rounded and gave me the ability to connect with people—something that helped me land my first job.”

After retiring, Hohl started his own consulting practice to stay busy. “My mantra has always been ‘don’t be static,’” he said. “Because if you're static in a world of change, you're going to be left behind, right?” Changing jobs or roles can be a big decision, but Hohl says you must always be thinking about how you can improve your own knowledge and skill set. “There’s constant change through innovation.” 

Early in 2025 Hohl was contacted by former colleague, and now chairman of the SEC, Paul Atkins, and was asked if he had any interest in returning to the SEC as Chief Accountant. Hohl accepted and began his new role on July 7, adding, “There’s a lot of important work that needs to be done, so I've returned to public service for a few more years and to see whether I can make a difference.”

As Chief Accountant, Hohl now serves as the SEC’s principal advisor on accounting and auditing matters, overseeing both domestic and international standards and helping shape policy that impacts markets worldwide.

For all his professional accomplishments, Hohl is most proud of the life he’s built with his family. He and his wife—whom he describes as his “steady rock”—have successfully raised four adult sons. “Success, to me, is helping somebody along the way, exceeding expectations and turning mistakes into learning experiences. My goal has always been to leave a place better than it was found.”