The U.S. Senate Monday confirmed Mary Jo White as the next head of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), clearing the way for her to take over as head of the regulatory agency.
U.S. President Obama nominated White, a former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, to the post back in January touting her record “as a tough and effective prosecutor”.
In response to the news, the industry lobby group, the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA), issued a statement applauding the move.
“Ms. White begins to lead the Commission at a transformative time for the agency and capital markets,” noted SIFMA’s acting president and CEO, Kenneth Bentsen, Jr., adding, “We look forward to working with chairman White as she leads the agency forward in the Dodd-Frank rulemaking process and on a number of other market-related regulations that will improve investor protection and the effectiveness of our capital markets.”