Cristina Martin Firvida has been appointed Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Director of the Office of the Investor Advocate.
Martin Firvida, slated to assume the post on Jan. 17, 2023, most recently served as American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Vice President of Financial Security and Livable Communities for Government Affairs.
“Cristina Martin Firvida brings deep experience to the role of Investor Advocate, and I am pleased she is joining the SEC,” SEC Chair Gary Gensler said. “I look forward to working with her. I’d also like to thank Marc Sharma for helping advance the Office of the Investor Advocate’s important work over the last six months.”
Martin Firvida will lead an office responsible for assisting retail investors in interactions with the Commission and self-regulatory organizations (SROs), analyzing the impact on investors of proposed rules and regulations, identifying problems investors have with financial service providers and investment products, and proposing legislative or regulatory changes to promote the interests of investors.
“I’m proud to join the SEC in this critical role,” Martin Firvida said. “Investor protection is core to the SEC’s mission, and Congress reaffirmed that commitment by ensuring that the agency has an office exclusively dedicated to representing the needs of investors. I look forward to working closely with my new colleagues to serve investors in America’s capital markets.”