Mary Jo White

This article is about the attorney and civil servant. For the legislator, see Mary Jo White (Pennsylvania politician).

Mary Jo White
31st Chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
In office
April 10, 2013 – January 20, 2017
PresidentBarack Obama
Preceded byElisse B. Walter
Succeeded byMichael Piwowar (Acting)
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York
In office
June 1993 – January 7, 2002
PresidentBill Clinton
George W. Bush
Preceded byOtto G. Obermaier
Succeeded byJames Comey
Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York
In office
December 1992 – June 1993
PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush
Bill Clinton
Preceded byAndrew J. Maloney
Succeeded byZachary W. Carter
Personal details
Born (1947-12-27) December 27, 1947 (age 76)
Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
Political partyIndependent[1]
SpouseJohn White
EducationCollege of William & Mary (BA)
The New School (MA)
Columbia University (JD)

Mary Jo White (born December 27, 1947) is an American attorney who served as the 31st chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) from 2013 to 2017. She was the first woman to be the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, serving from 1993 to 2002.[2] On January 24, 2013, President Barack Obama nominated White to replace Elisse B. Walter as Chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.[3] She was confirmed by the Senate on April 8, 2013, and was sworn into office on April 10, 2013.[4][5] In 2014, she was listed as the 73rd most powerful woman in the world by Forbes.[6]

On November 14, 2016, White announced she would step down from her SEC position at the end of the president's term.[7] In her subsequent return to private practice she represented criminal defendants including Les Wexner, an associate of Jeffrey Epstein,[8] and the Sackler family, owners of opioid manufacturer Purdue Pharma.[9] She is now the Senior Chair at Debevoise & Plimpton in New York City.[10]

  1. ^ 2013 Speech to the 14th Annual A.A. Sommer, Jr. Corporate Securities and Financial Law Lecture, Fordham Law School SEC. (October 3, 2013). Retrieved December 14, 2014
  2. ^ 2001 CNN profile of Mary Jo White CNN. (February 6, 2001). Retrieved February 24, 2011 Archived December 18, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Hallman, Ben (January 24, 2013). "Mary Jo White, Obama Pick to Head SEC". The Huffington Post. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
  4. ^ "Senate confirms White to head SEC". boston.com. Archived from the original on April 11, 2013. Retrieved April 8, 2013.
  5. ^ Nominations of: Richard Cordray and Mary Jo White: Hearing before the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, United States Senate, One Hundred Thirteenth Congress, First Session, on Nominations of Richard Cordray, of Ohio, to be Director of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection; Mary Jo White, of New York, to be a Member of the Securities and Exchange Commission, March 12, 2013
  6. ^ "The World's 100 Most Powerful Women". Forbes. Archived from the original on June 25, 2014. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
  7. ^ November 14, 2016: https://www.sec.gov: SEC Chair Mary Jo White Announces Departure Plans (Press Release)
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference bio was invoked but never defined (see the help page).