SEC Names McKessy to Head Whistleblower Office

“Sean is uniquely positioned to oversee the Commission’s whistleblower program,” said Robert Khuzami (left), Director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement, in a statement. “The Enforcement Division and whistleblowers alike will greatly benefit from Sean’s first-hand experience in bringing enforcement cases, handling whistleblower complaints and understanding the workings of internal corporate compliance programs.”

McKessy will lead a program charged with “working with whistleblowers, handling their tips and complaints, and helping the Commission determine the awards for individuals who provide the agency with information that leads to successful enforcement actions,” the SEC said in the release announcing his appointment.

McKessy rejoins the SEC, where he was a senior counsel in the Division of Enforcement from 1997 to 2000. More recently, he served as corporate secretary for both Altria Group, Inc. and AOL Inc., and as securities counsel for Caterpillar, Inc. In these roles, McKessy developed and supervised internal compliance and reporting programs related to the federal securities laws, served as corporate compliance officer, and coordinated the reporting of potential violations to boards of directors.