Werfel selects senior leaders at IRS

New team draws from Veterans Affairs, the Government Accountability Office and the IRS' own Large Business and International Division.

Danny Werfel

Acting IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel has selected three senior staff members to aid him in a review of the tax agency. (File photo)

The Internal Revenue Service selected three senior staff members with strong management backgrounds on June 3 to assist new Acting Commissioner Danny Werfel in conducting a comprehensive review of the nation's embattled tax agency.

W. Todd Grams, currently the chief financial officer for the Department of Veterans Affairs, will be IRS' chief of staff after serving at VA for nearly four years. Grams was responsible for VA's $130 billion budget, with leadership roles in performance management, enterprise risk management, business oversight and financial management.

Heather Maloy will become IRS' deputy commissioner for services and enforcement, overseeing all four IRS operating divisions and criminal investigations. She has been commissioner of the agency's Large Business and International Division since November 2009, where she has oversaw tax administration activities for domestic and foreign businesses and partnerships with assets of more than $10 million.

David Fisher, who formerly served as the Government Accountability Office's chief administrative officer and chief financial officer, is set to serve as senior advisor to the acting commissioner and chief risk officer. At GAO, Fisher established the Continuous Process Improvement Office, charged with overseeing several projects that ultimately earned efficiency gains for GAO.

"This group brings a strong set of management skills and government experience that will be an immediate help as we conduct our review of operations, processes and practices at the IRS," Werfel said in a statement. "Their extensive expertise in management inside and outside the IRS will help us make improvements now and in the future. These are essential steps to restore the public's trust and ensure the fair and effective administration of the nation's tax system."