Gary Gensler Names Initial Senior Staff Members

The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced the appointments of Prashant Yerramalli, Heather Slavkin Corzo, Kevin Burris, and Scott Schneider to Gary Gensler’s senior staff, responsible for advising him on matters before the Commission.

“I am incredibly honored that these four individuals joined this team to work on behalf of American investors,” said Gensler. “Prashant, Heather, Kevin, and Scott bring wide-ranging perspectives and diverse experience to the Commission and will work closely with our dedicated career staff to execute the SEC’s critical mission.”

Prashant Yerramalli
Chief of Staff

Prashant Yerramalli will continue to serve as the SEC’s Chief of Staff, a role he has held since January under Acting Chair Allison Herren Lee. In that capacity, Mr. Yerramalli will serve as a senior advisor to Gensler on all aspects of the agency’s mission, including enforcement, rulemaking, examinations, and agency operations. Mr. Yerramalli previously held several positions at the SEC, including in the office of former Commissioner Robert J. Jackson, Jr., and in the Division of Enforcement. Outside of the SEC, he previously held roles at Brookfield Asset Management, Jenner & Block, and WilmerHale. He also served as a law clerk to the Hon. Naomi Reice Buchwald in the Southern District of New York. He received a J.D. from Harvard Law School and an A.B. from Brown University.

Heather Slavkin Corzo
Policy Director

As policy director, Heather Slavkin Corzo will lead a team of policy experts who will advise Gensler on SEC rulemakings. Immediately before joining the SEC, Ms. Corzo was the Director of Capital Markets Policy at the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), the Head of U.S. Policy at the Principles for Responsible Investment, and a Senior Fellow at Americans for Financial Reform. She also served as Director of the AFL-CIO’s Office of Investment and previously as its Senior Legal and Policy Advisor. Earlier in her career, she was Assistant Counsel at BISYS Fund Services. She received her J.D. from Boston University School of Law and a B.S. in journalism from the University of Florida.

Kevin R. Burris
Counselor to the Chair and Director of the Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs

Kevin Burris will serve as the SEC’s primary liaison to Members of Congress, other federal agencies, and state governments, responsible for developing legislative strategy, coordinating Congressional testimony, and responding to Congressional requests. He joins the SEC from the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services, where he served as the Director of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. He previously served as Counsel on the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs and the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation. Prior to his Capitol Hill service, Mr. Burris was an associate with the law firm of Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP in New York. Mr. Burris received his J.D. from Harvard Law School and B.A. from the University of Maryland at College Park.

Scott E. Schneider
Counselor to the Chair and Director of the Office of Public Affairs

As Gensler’s principal advisor on communications, Scott Schneider will oversee media relations, digital strategy, speechwriting, public engagement, and internal agency communications. Immediately before joining the SEC, Mr. Schneider was the Managing Director of Financial Communications at Ketchum, a global consultancy. He previously served as the Director of Public Affairs at the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission and in various roles for former U.S. Senator Mary L. Landrieu of Louisiana. He holds a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and a B.A. from the University of Redlands.