The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that Andrew J. “Buddy” Donohue has been named the agency’s chief of staff. Mr. Donohue will replace Lona Nallengara who will leave the agency in June.
As chief of staff, Mr. Donohue will be a senior adviser to the Chair on all policy, management, and regulatory issues.
“I am thrilled that Buddy will be returning to the SEC to provide his extensive knowledge and expertise to the agency,” said SEC Chair Mary Jo White. “Buddy is a seasoned professional whose previous SEC and private sector experience will be invaluable in advancing all aspects of the agency’s mission. His deep knowledge of asset management will be especially useful as the Commission advances its rulemaking agenda for addressing potential risks in asset management and considers a uniform fiduciary standard.”
Mr. Donohue returns to the SEC after serving as Director of the agency’s Division of Investment Management from May 2006 to November 2010. As director, he was instrumental in developing regulations governing the asset management industry and was responsible for policy and oversight affecting registered investment advisers as well as investment companies and the investment company industry.
“It is an honor to return to the SEC to work with Chair White, the Commission, and the extremely talented and hard-working staff,” said Mr. Donohue. “I look forward to serving in this new role with a deep commitment to the protection of our nation’s investors and all of the agency’s core missions.”
Most recently, Mr. Donohue has been managing director, associate general counsel, and investment company general counsel at Goldman, Sachs & Co. in New York, where he was primarily responsible for legal matters related to its registered investment companies.
Prior to that, he was a partner in the Investment Management Practice Group at Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP in New York from March 2011 to October 2012.
From May 2003 to May 2006, Mr. Donohue served as global general counsel at Merrill Lynch Investment Managers in New Jersey. In that role, he oversaw the firm’s legal, regulatory and compliance matters for the investment advisory business.
From June 1991 to November 2001, Mr. Donohue served as executive vice president, general counsel, director, and as a member of the executive committee of the investment fund subsidiary of Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, OppenheimerFunds Inc.
Prior to that, Mr. Donohue served in senior roles at other firms since 1975.
Mr. Donohue earned his J.D. from New York University School of Law in 1975 and his B.A., cum laude, with honors in Economics from Hofstra University in 1972.