Robert Jackson and Hester Peirce were sworn as commissioners at the Securities and Exchange Commission last week following their confirmation by the U.S. Senate on Dec. 21.
“I look forward to working with Rob and Hester as we continue our focus on our vital mission and ensuring that our markets are working for the benefit of Main Street investors,” SEC Chairman Jay Clayton said. “It is clear to me they will bring energy, commitment, and dedication to our work and have our mission at the front of their minds.”
Jackson joins the SEC from the New York University School of Law, where he was a law professor. Before that, he was a professor of law and director of the Program on Corporate Law and Policy at Columbia Law School.
In addition, Jackson served as an adviser at the Treasury Department and in the Office of the Special Master for TARP Executive Compensation. He has a BA from the University of Pennsylvania, a BS and MBA in Finance from Wharton, an MPP from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, and his JD from Harvard Law School.
“I’m honored to join Chairman Clayton and Commissioners Stein, Piwowar and Peirce in the SEC’s critical mission of ensuring that investors are protected, that our markets provide a level playing field for all Americans, and that entrepreneurs have access to the capital they need to create jobs,” Jackson said. “The SEC boasts a talented and dedicated staff, and I’ll do all I can to support their efforts to make sure our securities laws keep pace with our ever-changing markets.”
His term as commissioner expires on June 5, 2019.
Peirce joins the SEC from the Mercatus Center at George Mason University where she was a senior research fellow and director of the Financial Markets Working Group. Before that, she worked for U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby on the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. In addition, she also served as counsel to former SEC Commissioner Paul Atkins and staff attorney in the SEC’s Division of Investment Management.
She earned her BA in economics from Case Western Reserve University and her JD from Yale Law School.
“It is such an honor to return to the SEC to work with my colleagues on the commission and the staff for the benefit of investors and the American economy,” Peirce said.
Peirce fills a term that expires on June 5, 2020.