Jessica Kane Named Director of Division of Corporation Finance’s Disclosure Review Program

The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that Jessica S. Kane has been named Director of the Division of Corporation Finance’s Disclosure Review Program.

As the Director of the Disclosure Review Program, Ms. Kane will lead the Division’s important work reviewing transactional, periodic and current reports in furtherance of the Division’s mission critical work to promote capital formation and protect investors. Ms. Kane will lead initiatives to monitor and enhance the effectiveness, relevancy and transparency of disclosures.

Ms. Kane has served as Director of the Office of Credit Ratings since 2017, leading its work to oversee credit rating agencies registered with the Commission as NRSROs. She led efforts on NRSRO examinations and related SEC annual reports, as well as monitoring initiatives and reports to Congress on competition, transparency and conflicts of interest. Under Ms. Kane’s leadership, the Commission adopted certain rule exemptions relating to ratings of structured finance products.

“Jessica has served the Commission well in senior leadership roles for close to a decade,” said Chairman Jay Clayton. “I am pleased to see her bring her breadth of experience to furthering the bedrock principle of ensuring that investors have access to timely, accurate, and robust information.”

“I am delighted that Jessica is returning to the Division to lead this critically important work of the SEC,” said Bill Hinman, Director of the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance. “Jessica is recognized throughout the agency as an effective leader and practical lawyer. She is a terrific addition to the Division’s leadership team, and I am confident that she will effectively lead the Disclosure Review Program in our ongoing efforts to promote collaboration, transparency and efficiency.”

Ms. Kane said, “I am excited to return to the Division, where I started my SEC career, and work with a talented and dedicated team in support of the Division’s work and the Commission’s mission. I want to thank my colleagues in the Office of Credit Ratings for their commitment to meeting mission and focus on the many initiatives we undertook these past three years.”

Prior to her role as Director of the Office of Credit Ratings, Ms. Kane served as Director of the Office of Municipal Securities, where she had previously served as Deputy Director and Senior Special Counsel. Prior to joining the Office of Municipal Securities, Ms. Kane served in the Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs. Ms. Kane originally joined the SEC in 2007 as an attorney in the Division’s Disclosure Review Program.

Ms. Kane holds a J.D. from George Mason University School of Law and graduated with honors from Georgetown University, where she received her bachelor’s degree in English, with a minor in Economics.

Ahmed A. Abonamah will serve as Acting Director of the Office of Credit Ratings. He currently serves as the Deputy Director of the Office of Municipal Securities. Prior to joining the SEC, Mr. Abonamah worked as a public finance attorney at Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP. Mr. Abonamah holds a bachelor’s degree from University of Dayton and a J.D. from Case Western Reserve University School of Law.