The CFTC Gears Up for Digital Reform

The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has taken a further step toward establishing its Office of Data and Technology, with the appointment of John Rogers as chief information officer.

The CFTC is undergoing a period of restructuring due to legislation enacted in the Dodd-Frank Act. The new office, which combines personnel and systems from the Office of Information Technology Services and the Market Information Group, is expected to begin operating in October. According to the CFTC, the Office will "facilitate a comprehensive approach to developing advanced technology investments, automate regulatory functions and improve the Commission's data analysis."

Rogers has been at the regulatory body since 2001, serving as the branch chief overseeing data systems until 2006 when he was made the director of the Office of Information Technology Services. Prior to the CFTC, he worked in the private sector.

"I am pleased that the Commission has established a separate Office of Data and Technology, and that John Rogers has been selected to lead this effort," says CFTC commissioner Scott O'Malia, chairman of the Commission's Technology Advisory Committee. "John is well qualified to lead the technology team to expand the Commission's capability from faxes and paper forms into the fully digital age, where the markets trade today. I am looking forward to John developing and implementing a cost-effective technology plan for the Commission that supports the expanded mission of integrating both futures and swaps market oversight."