Securities and Exchange Commission chairman Mary L. Schapiro today named Jonathan S. Sokobin as acting director of the SEC’s Division of Risk, Strategy, and Financial Innovation (Risk Fin), replacing Henry T.C. Hu who left the agency this week.
Dr. Sokobin, currently the Deputy Director and Managing Executive of the Division, will hold the position until a new director is appointed.
"Jonathan is a seasoned financial economist who has extensive and up-to-date knowledge of the securities markets, as well as the internal workings of the Commission," said Chairman Schapiro. "He is exceptionally well positioned to guide the Division at this moment of significant change in the financial markets."
Risk Fin, created in September 2009, was the SEC’s first new Division in 37 years. It provides sophisticated, interdisciplinary analysis across the entire spectrum of SEC activities, including policymaking, rulemaking, enforcement, and examinations. In addition to this role as an agency "think tank," Risk Fin was created to help break down silos that compartmentalized the SEC’s institutional expertise.
Dr. Sokobin’s SEC service spans more than 12 years. He first joined the Office of Economic Analysis as a Visiting Academic Scholar in 1998. He joined the SEC staff full-time in 2000, specializing in the economics of corporate governance and disclosure. In 2004, he was named Deputy Chief Economist. From 2008 to 2010, Dr. Sokobin served as Director of the former Office of Risk Assessment.
Dr. Sokobin received his Ph.D. and MBA in finance from the Graduate School of Business at the University of Chicago. He received his BA, with honors, from the Ohio State University. Prior to joining the SEC staff, Dr. Sokobin served as a member of the faculty of the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University.
