SEC Appoints Kathleen Hutchinson as Director of Office of International Affairs

The Securities and Exchange Commission appointed Kathleen M. Hutchinson as Director of the Office of International Affairs, the agency announced Tuesday. Hutchinson has led the office on an acting basis since January 2025 and has served at the SEC for more than two decades. Hutchinson joined the SEC in 2003 as an attorney-advisor in the Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations, now the Division of Examinations, before moving to the Office of International Affairs in 2008 [1]. She has held several roles within the office, including Deputy Director and Assistant Director, and has twice served as Acting Director [1]. The Office of International Affairs advises the Commission on international policy, coordinates cross-border enforcement and supervisory cooperation with foreign authorities, and provides technical assistance [1]. SEC Chairman Paul S. Atkins praised Hutchinson's tenure. "Kathleen has exhibited her dedication to public service and her commitment to our mission for over two decades, and I am grateful for her readiness to lead our Office of International Affairs on a permanent basis," Atkins said [1]. He added that she has "effectively guided many international initiatives with our counterparts abroad" [1]. Hutchinson said the office's work engaging foreign counterparts on policy, supervisory, and enforcement matters is "critical to the SEC's ability to carry out its mission" [1]. She earned a J.D./M.A. from American University's Washington College of Law and School of International Service and holds a B.A. from Binghamton University [1]. She began her legal career in private practice in Washington D.C. and New York City before joining the agency [1]. The appointment fills a permanent leadership role in an office that has become central to the SEC's enforcement strategy as financial markets grow increasingly interconnected. The SEC has long relied on bilateral and multilateral agreements to pursue cross-border fraud and market manipulation cases, and the Office of International Affairs serves as the primary liaison with foreign securities regulators [1]. Hutchinson's elevation comes as the SEC continues to navigate a complex global regulatory landscape, including ongoing coordination with European and Asian counterparts on cryptocurrency oversight and climate-related financial disclosures [1]. The office's technical assistance programs also support emerging market regulators in building enforcement capacity, a function Hutchinson highlighted in her statement [1].