Chief Compliance Officer

• Oct 2015 - Present

Examination Manager

• Apr 2008 - Oct 2015

• Manage quality and timely execution of regulatory programs which include: cycle examinations, financial examinations, cause examinations, continuing membership applications, and financial surveillance of over 70 assigned member firms.• Regularly communicate with member firms’ management on examination status, regulatory inquiries, compliance conferences, membership interviews and preventative compliance conferences.• Actively manage a caseload of 150-200 open investigations. • Approve over 200 investigations per calendar year; which include reviews of significant regulatory priority covering business conduct and sales practices of mutual funds, structured products, non-traded REITs, exchange traded funds, variable annuities, private placements, and penny stocks. • Determine disposition actions of regulatory violations based on egregiousness, regulatory history, and potential harm to investing public and financial markets.• Coordinate investigative committee meetings with District Enforcement Attorneys to discuss strategy, merit, and status of high priority, formal action cases.• Creator and editor of The Market Brief, a monthly newsletter focusing current market and economic trends.• Approve investigative focus of examinations based on risk analysis and in depth planning meetings with assigned Examination Staff and Regulatory Coordinator.• Communicate and reinforce regulatory program goals and milestones, best practices, process and policy changes, beneficial regulatory notices, and new rules and interpretations to District Office staff.• Carry out the budgeting, planning, scheduling, and staffing of section’s regulatory programs.• Perform quality review of Branch Office examinations.• Active contributor in FINRA’s national special projects and teams such as Fin/OP Deployments (Communications Team), Customer Advisory Group (CAG), Cause Program Transformation, and Automated Examination Program (AEP) data for risk assessment. Show less

Associate Principal Examiner; Senior Examiner

• Apr 2003 - Apr 2008

• Led over 30 compliance audits as Principal Examiner and served as Mentor to junior examiners.• Conducted examinations of over 50 registered broker/dealers for compliance with rules and regulations of the: FINRA; NASD; NYSE; Securities and Exchange Commission; Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board; and federal laws, such as the U.S. PATRIOT Act and Sarbanes Oxley.• Created NASD guidelines to prove violations of Regulation D and Due Diligence.• Discovered general solicitation violations in Tenants-in-Common, Real Estate private placements, on forefront of nationwide NASD sweep initiative.• Reviewed private placement offerings for possible Regulation D exemptions from SEC registration, due diligence, and proper handling of investor funds and securities. • Analyzed over 40 membership applications involving mergers, acquisitions, asset purchases, ownership/control changes, and material business expansion of member broker/dealers.• Evaluated applications related to structured products (equity-linked deposits, variable pre-paid forward contracts, OTC equity collars), hedge fund distribution, equity research, and private equity/debt.• Directed investigations for formal regulatory action including: - Unethical political contributions made by Chairman of prominent mutual fund company to state government officials to obtain municipal underwriting business. - Broker/Dealer acting in conflict of interest as both financial advisor and underwriter for state municipalities, increasing financing costs to municipalities and public.  - Excessive commissions on deep out-of-the-money options.• Continuously monitored 20 firms’ monthly / quarterly / annual financials for: correct classification; accuracy; and trends in capitalization, revenues, expenses, securities inventory, contributions and distributions.• Evaluated cost structure of mutual fund share classes to determine suitability of broker recommendations at various breakpoint levels. Show less

Owner / Operator

• Oct 2001 - Feb 2003

• Built a supplier network of 20 restaurants (cuisines) to enable centralized delivery operations. • Developed a demand-driven marketing strategy for the company's various target markets. • Created technology-based logistics system to manage the timely distribution of orders. • Built a supplier network of 20 restaurants (cuisines) to enable centralized delivery operations. • Developed a demand-driven marketing strategy for the company's various target markets. • Created technology-based logistics system to manage the timely distribution of orders.

Credit Risk Analyst - Internship

• Jun 2000 - Aug 2000

• Developed behavioral scoring models to predict the credit risk migration of client portfolio for Mercedes Benz Leasing Financing Corporation. • Presented newly developed risk management tools to senior management of DaimlerChrysler. • Initiated project to develop dynamic, credit scoring model, incorporating vital macro-economic data. • Developed behavioral scoring models to predict the credit risk migration of client portfolio for Mercedes Benz Leasing Financing Corporation. • Presented newly developed risk management tools to senior management of DaimlerChrysler. • Initiated project to develop dynamic, credit scoring model, incorporating vital macro-economic data.