James Ponce was recently named Temple University’s chief audit executive, starting in this role on Monday, Aug. 11. 

Ponce brings with him to Temple considerable experience as both a chief auditor and chief compliance officer. He is also familiar with the higher education environment as he most recently served as the chief audit and compliance officer at Wake Forest University and prior to that, he was the associate chief auditor at Louisiana State University. 

“We are excited to have James join us here on North Broad Street as he has a deep understanding of the role that a chief audit executive plays in higher education. His internal audit experience coupled with his expertise in healthcare and public accounting is also exceptionally impressive, and he will be a valuable asset to Temple,” President John Fry said. “I also want to express my sincere gratitude to Nancy Hardimon for her dedication while serving as the interim chief audit officer since February. Her leadership and commitment during this transition has proven invaluable.” 

In addition to his work in higher education, Ponce has worked with national CPA firms Arthur Andersen and Grant Thornton and has served as an auditor at Palmetto Health and SCANA Corporation. 

At Temple, he will oversee Internal Audits, which works to provide quality, independent evaluations as a service to both the university and its Board of Trustees. He is eager to partner with colleagues across the university to work as a risk thought partner. He plans to bring an integrity-first, people-centered and mission-forward approach to Internal Audits to help strengthen operations.   

“I am thankful to President Fry and the search committee for the opportunity to serve the Temple community,” Ponce said. “I believe that the value of internal audit is heightened during times of change, and I look forward to working closely with our administrators, faculty and board to position Temple for ongoing success.” 

Ponce has also volunteered his time to serve a number of professional organizations. He has served on several committees as well as the board for the Association of College and University Auditors and has served as a member of the National Accounting Principles Committee for the National Association of College and University Business Officers. 

Ponce holds both bachelor and master’s degrees from the University of South Carolina and is a certified public accountant, internal auditor, fraud examiner and ethics professional.