BARBARA STEELMAN

Director of Internal Audit

Barbara Steelman is the Director of Internal Audit for the Port of Los Angeles, the nation’s leading container port. In this role, her responsibilities include the management of audit contracts and audit personnel. In addition to compliance audits, financial audits, and fraud prevention, Steelman emphasizes consulting engagements and performance audits to streamline processes and meet objectives in a cost-efficient manner.

Steelman approaches her work through a risk lens, underscoring the cost-benefit aspect of using a small staff to address the most critical issues of the Port. Audits enable the Port to optimize revenue and encourage operational efficiency. Many audits result in a positive return on investment, recovering more revenue or cost savings than the cost of the audit. 

Prior to her appointment at the Port of Los Angeles, Steelman served as a Senior Management Analyst at Los Angeles World Airports and Department of Public Works’ Bureau of Engineering. She originally joined the City of Los Angeles in 2012 as an Internal Auditor, serving seven years in the Controller’s Office. 

Steelman has more than 25 years of accounting and audit experience in the private sector, including consulting and auditing work with KPMG, and as director for an international financial consulting firm. Steelman earned her bachelor’s degree in accountancy and master’s degree in business administration from the University of Southern California.  She also is a Certified Internal Auditor and Certified Management Accountant.