FINRA Acting Head of Enforcement Jessica Hopper will lead the department on a permanent basis, the agency announced. Hopper, who was also promoted to Executive Vice President, has led the Enforcement Division since Susan Schroeder departed the agency last September.
“Jessica brings a wealth of experience and talent to this critical role, having risen through numerous positions within FINRA’s Enforcement Department during her 16 years at the organization,” FINRA CEO Robert Cook said. “She is highly regarded as an enforcement lawyer and a thoughtful, collaborative leader, and during the course of her career she has demonstrated a deep commitment to protecting investors and the integrity of our markets.”
Hopper, who will report directly to Cook, joined FINRA in 2004 as an enforcement attorney, and acted as the director of FINRA’s D.C. enforcement office from 2005 until 2011. In 2016, she became a senior vice president and the deputy head of enforcement under Schroeder, who had led the enforcement division since 2017. Prior to FINRA, Hopper worked at Legg Mason Wood Walker on legal and compliance matters.
“I am excited to lead such a talented team of professionals who are deeply committed to fulfilling FINRA’s mission of investor protection and market integrity,” Hopper said. “I look forward to continuing to work with Robert and the rest of the senior management team in helping to make FINRA the most effective self-regulatory organization it can be.”
Hopper’s promotion comes at the start of what is likely to be a significant year in FINRA enforcement, as it works with the Securities and Exchange Commission to ensure firms are in compliance with Regulation Best Interest after it takes effect on June 30. Additionally, FINRA examiners will increasingly focus on cash sweep accounts this year, after their usage is expected to rise in the rush to zero commissions that was widespread among brokerage firms in the last few months of 2019.