Wave of Senior Appointments at the SEC

Kara Stein and Michael Piwowar have both been appointed as SEC Commissioners, while Geoffrey Aronow has joined as chief counsel and senior policy advisor in the Office of International Affairs (OIA).

Stein was nominated to the SEC by President Barack Obama on 23 May along with Piwowar before their nomination was confirmed by the US Senate this month.

Prior to joining the SEC, Stein occupied the role of legal counsel and senior policy advisor to Senator Jack Reed from 2007 to 2009 before becoming staff director of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee's Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance, and Investment in 2009. She replaces former Commissioner Elisse Walter, who served as temporary chair before the appointment of Mary Jo White earlier this year.

Piwowar returns to the SEC after serving as chief Republican economist for the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs under Senators Mike Crapo and Richard Shelby. He replaces former Commissioner Troy Paredes, who stepped down earlier this month.

As for Aronow, he will provide legal counsel to the director of the office and play a central role in advising and formulating Commission policy in the international arena and will, along with others in the office, represent the SEC before international organizations and committees.

Aronow served as the SEC's general counsel under Elisse Walter's tenure as chair, before becoming senior counsel to White.