The SEC announced Thursday that George Canellos, currently deputy director of the Division of Enforcement, has been named acting director, and that David Bergers, director of the SEC’s Boston Regional Office, has been named acting deputy director of the Enforcement Division.
Both men will assume their new roles Feb. 8; Robert Khuzami, director of the Division of Enforcement, is leaving the SEC on the same day.
SEC Chairwoman Elisse Walter said in a statement that “George’s proven intellectual abilities and creative approach to problem solving have made him an extremely effective advocate for investors and make him ideally suited to serve as acting director. As deputy director, he helped to oversee a division that brought record numbers of enforcement actions and some of the most complex cases in the agency’s history.”
Khuzami said in the same statement that “George is highly respected for his intellect, prosecutorial instincts, and commitment to tough and fair enforcement of the federal securities laws. His service will benefit both the SEC’s talented and hardworking staff and the investing public.”
Canellos, 48, has been the division’s deputy director since June 2012 and has been instrumental in developing the division’s Cooperation Program; in generating numerous programmatic, policy and legislative initiatives; and in critical decisions on national priority enforcement actions.