Washington, D.C., Jan. 25, 2011 — The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced the selection of Cathy H. Ahn to serve as the agency's Deputy Secretary in its Office of the Secretary.
Ms. Ahn currently is a senior special counsel in the Legal Policy Group within the SEC's Office of the General Counsel. She advises the General Counsel and Commission on legal issues related to SEC actions, particularly investment management regulatory actions and legislative activities. In recent months, she has been a member of the SEC's legislative response team working with Congress, other financial regulators, and other SEC staff on the passage and implementation of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Ms. Ahn will begin her new role next week.
The SEC's Office of the Secretary is responsible for scheduling and recording of Commission meetings, administering of the "seriatim" process by which the Commission takes action without convening a meeting, maintaining records of Commission actions and enforcement proceedings. The office also administers the duty-officer process, and provides advice to the Commission and staff on questions of practice and procedure.
"Cathy works very effectively with others and is well-known at the Commission for her keen legal judgment and efficient work ethic," said SEC Secretary Elizabeth M. Murphy. "Cathy's deep understanding of the SEC's organization and procedures will help ensure that the Commission's work runs smoothly."
Ms. Ahn said, "I'm pleased to join my new colleagues in the SEC's Office of the Secretary and make the most of this opportunity to serve the public by ensuring the efficiency of Commission practices and procedures."
Ms. Ahn, 36, joined the SEC staff in February 2004 and served as a senior counsel in the Office of the General Counsel. She served as counsel to former SEC Commissioner Roel Campos from July 2005 to August 2007.
Ms. Ahn replaces Florence Harmon, who recently became Deputy Director of the SEC's Office of Public Affairs.
Prior to joining the SEC staff, Ms. Ahn was an attorney in the Investment Management Group at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP, where she advised investment advisers, investment companies, broker-dealers and other financial institutions on regulatory compliance with federal and state securities laws and the rules of self-regulatory institutions.
Ms. Ahn holds a JD (cum laude) from Harvard Law School, and an AB from Harvard University (Phi Beta Kappa), where she graduated summa cum laude. She is a member of the Massachusetts and District of Columbia Bars.
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