The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that Paul Knight has been named as the agency’s Chief Operating Officer (COO).

As COO, Mr. Knight will oversee the SEC’s operational and administrative functions, including the agency’s Office of Human Resources; Office of Acquisitions; Office of Financial Management; EDGAR Business Office; Office of the Chief Data Officer; Office of the Chief Risk Officer, and Office of Support Operations, which includes the agency’s Freedom of Information Act, Records Management, and Facilities Management functions.

“I am delighted to welcome Paul Knight back to the SEC. His experience — both inside and outside of the Commission — makes him well-equipped to lead a dedicated group of public servants who play a critical role in protecting investors and strengthening our capital markets. I am confident that Paul’s service will prove invaluable to enhancing the operations of our agency and fulfilling our mission,” said SEC Chairman Paul S. Atkins. “I want to thank Charlene Arietti Gold for her wonderful service as Acting COO over the last seven months. Charlene has and will continue to be a tremendous colleague and dedicated public servant.”

“It’s an honor to come back and join the professional staff at the SEC as we support the work of the Commission,” said Mr. Knight. “I am grateful to Chairman Atkins for this opportunity and honored to support the SEC’s important mission.”

Mr. Knight joins the SEC from JPMorgan Chase, where he most recently worked as the principal lead for driving growth across U.S. lines of business, after previously managing the program office for the Chase Bank expansion into 25 new states. Prior to his nearly 12 years at JPMorgan Chase, Mr. Knight served as a senior advisor and business manager at the U.S. Department of the Treasury from 2012 to 2014. Mr. Knight also previously served at the SEC from 2008 to 2012 in a variety of roles, including as the interim managing executive for the Division of Economic and Risk Analysis. He started his career during his college years working for a small business in his hometown of Annapolis, Maryland.

Mr. Knight has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Maryland Baltimore County, a Master of Business Administration from Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School, and a certificate in Commercial Real Estate from Cornell University.