Thank you Craig [Clay] for that introduction. Let me start by reminding you that my views are my own and not necessarily those of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) or my fellow Commissioners. I was intrigued when former Commissioner Luis Aguilar extended a speaking invitation for today’s RegTech 2023 Data Summit. Modernizing how we collect, analyze, and facilitate the public’s use of data is important to me, and this Summit was likely to be lively given last year’s passage of the Financial Data Transparency Act (“FDTA”).
Commissioner Aguilar served at the SEC from 2008 to 2015. Among his many contributions, at the end of his tenure he offered advice for future commissioners. After all, as he pointed out, “there is no training manual on how to do a Commissioner’s job.”His advice, which I still find helpful five years into the job, includes an admonition to keep grounded by staying connected to people outside of Washington, DC, and a warning that “if you do not feel very busy—or swamped with work— something is wrong." I can guarantee you, Commissioner, that I feel swamped, but not too swamped to hear from people outside of the swamp.