James Chao

James Chao, CPA, MBA, CMA has a diverse work experience spanning over two decades. James currently holds the position of Director of Internal Controls and Audits at Webull Financial. Prior to this, James worked at Cognizant as the Director of Internal Audit, where they established a SOX PMO to transform the internal controls program. James also managed a team of 12 professionals and developed an annual SOX compliance plan.

Before Cognizant, James was the Associate Director of Internal Audit at Meredith Corporation, where they held responsibilities such as developing, improving, and validating a system of internal controls for Sarbanes-Oxley compliance. James also managed the quarterly and annual management certification process.

Prior to Meredith Corporation, James worked at Time Inc. as an Associate Director of Internal Audit, where they were responsible for maintaining Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, performing risk assessments, and managing the onboarding of newly acquired business units.

James has also gained valuable experience at EY, where they served as an Advisory Manager, advising clients on financial processes, internal controls, and risk management. Their clients included General Electric, Bacardi, Xerox, and New York Power Authority.

James started their career at Unilever as an Associate Finance Manager, providing decision support for new product innovations and managing cost-cutting initiatives. James also has experience at Johnson & Johnson, where they worked as a Senior Financial Analyst and Senior Financial Auditor.

In addition, James has an MBA internship experience at Direct Energy, where they built financial models for tracking mark-to-market results and evaluating potential acquisitions. James also worked as an Assistant Treasurer at Naturo-Medical Health Care, where they controlled the general ledger and liaised with external accountants for tax filings.

Overall, James Chao has a strong background in internal audit, internal controls, risk management, and financial analysis.

James Chao, CPA, MBA, CMA, obtained their Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing & International Business from New York University from 1995 to 1999. James later pursued their Master of Business Administration degree in Accounting and Finance from Rice Business - Jones Graduate School of Business from 2003 to 2005. Additionally, they hold the certifications of Certified Management Accountant from the Institute of Management Accountants and Certified Public Accountant from the AICPA.