The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that it has named Marc Wyatt as Director of the agency’s Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (OCIE) and leader of its National Exam Program.  Mr. Wyatt previously was OCIE’s Deputy Director and has been the office’s Acting Director since April 2015, following the departure of former director Andrew Bowden.

Mr. Wyatt joined the SEC in December 2012 as a senior specialized examiner focused on examinations of advisers to hedge funds and private equity funds.  He was named Deputy Director in October 2014 and in that position he led OCIE’s Technology Controls Program and served as a member of the office’s Operating and Executive Committees.  He also was the national co-coordinator of OCIE’s Private Fund Specialized Working Group and participated in the creation of its Private Fund Examination Unit, whose attorneys, accountants, and examiners specialize in examinations of advisers to private funds.  

“Marc has done an outstanding job as Acting Director and I am extremely pleased that he will continue to lead OCIE as its Director,” said SEC Chair Mary Jo White.  “His strong leadership will guide the agency as it focuses on examining a range of critical issues important to investors, assessing market-wide risks, and analyzing data to identify illegal activity.”

Mr. Wyatt said, “I am honored to lead the incredibly talented and dedicated team in OCIE.  I look forward to continuing to work with Chair White, the Commissioners, and our colleagues across the SEC to advance the agency’s mission.”

Before coming to the SEC, Mr. Wyatt was a principal and senior portfolio manager of a global multi-strategy hedge fund.  Prior to that, he was a senior investment banker in the U.S. and U.K.  Mr. Wyatt is a Chartered Financial Analyst.  He graduated from the University of Delaware with a B.S. in economics and holds an M.B.A. from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.  

OCIE conducts the SEC’s National Exam Program through examinations of SEC-registered investment advisers, investment companies, broker-dealers, self-regulatory organizations, clearing agencies, and transfer agents.  It uses a risk-based approach to examinations to fulfill its mission to promote compliance with U.S. securities laws, prevent fraud, monitor risk, and inform SEC policy.