The Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada has looked within for its new head of enforcement, naming Jeff Kehoe as vice president enforcement.

Kehoe, who has been serving as acting head of enforcement since the department’s previous chief, Alex Popovic, left the IIROC back in the spring, is now formally taking over the role. He declined to comment on his new position.

Kehoe joined IIROC’s predecessor, the Investment Dealers Association of Canada, back in 1999 as enforcement counsel. In 2001, he was named director of enforcement litigation. Prior to that, he was an assistant Crown attorney with the Ontario attorney-general’s office, and litigation counsel in the federal Department of Justice.

According to IIROC statistics, the enforcement division has been busy this year. Through the first five months of 2010, it has completed 246 investigations, compared with 237 in all of 2009. It also has 206 active investigations.

Additionally, the regulator has obtained 30 disciplinary decisions (27 against individuals, and three against firms) through the first five months of the year; levying almost $1.9 million in fines and over $400,000 in costs against individuals, along with $265,000 in fines and $85,000 in costs against firms. Also, 11 individuals have been permanently banned from the industry, and 11 have been suspended.

IE