When the original Director of the SEC’s Office of Risk Assessment left the Commission in early 2007, the SEC knew it was going to be a challenge to find his replacement. The ideal person would need an unusual blend of economics, business, and securities knowledge, as well as a bit of an entrepreneurial streak to grow and lead the small office to the next level.
After over a year of searching, the SEC finally found its man, and right in its own building. In March 2008, the SEC announced that it had appointed Jonathan Sokobin as new Director of ORA. Sokobin had been with the SEC since 1998 in its Office of Economic Analysis, and had served as the SEC’s Deputy Chief Economist since 2002. Prior to joining the SEC in 1998, Sokobin was an Assistant Professor of Finance at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. He also had an ideal background, with a B.A. in Economics, as well as both an MBA and a Ph.D. in Finance from the University of Chicago to go with his experience at the SEC.
