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Global Markets Advisory Committee – Commissioner Sommers

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Photo showing Commissioner Jill E. Sommers speaking at a joint meeting with the Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington, D.C. Photo by Getty Images.“As futures and option markets have become increasingly global and interconnected over the last decade, the work of the Global Markets Advisory Committee has been critical to the Commission’s efforts to ensure the integrity and competitiveness of U.S. markets.”

CFTC Commissioner Jill E. Sommers chairs the Commission’s Global Markets Advisory Committee. Committee members include industry professionals, representatives of domestic and foreign exchanges and clearinghouses, representatives of industry associations, end users and market participants.

“As futures and option markets have become increasingly global and interconnected over the last decade, the work of the Global Markets Advisory Committee has been critical to the Commission’s efforts to ensure the integrity and competitiveness of U.S. markets,” said Commissioner Sommers. “Our markets performed very well during the recent financial crisis. It is my hope that, as we navigate through a more highly regulated environment, our continuing discussions and work with Committee members will assist us in avoiding unnecessary regulatory impediments to global business, while preserving core protections for markets and market participants.”

The Global Markets Advisory Committee was created in 1998 to advise the Commission on issues that affect U.S. markets and U.S. firms engaged in global business. In September 2010, the Charter of the Global Markets Advisory Committee was renewed for two years to allow the Committee to continue its important work.

Recent meetings of the Global Markets Advisory Committee addressed topics including: international bankruptcy issues post-Lehman Brothers (or international bankruptcy issues arising from the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers); efforts of the International Organization of Securities Commissions to enhance international regulation and coordination; international issues in the implementation of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act; the European Commission Proposal on over-the-counter derivatives, central counterparties, and trade repositories; Japanese legislation relating to clearing of over-the-counter derivatives; and upcoming U.S. efforts to require registration of foreign boards of trade.

Jill E. Sommers, Commissioner


Photo of Jill E. Sommers, Commissioner. Photo by Clark Day Photography.

Jill E. Sommers was sworn in as a Commissioner of the Commodity Futures Trading Com-mission on August 8, 2007 to a term that expired April 13, 2009. She was nominated on July 20, 2009 by President Barack Obama to serve a five-year second term, and was confirmed by the United States Senate on October 8, 2009.

Commissioner Sommers serves as Chairman and Designated Federal Official of the Commission’s Global Markets Advisory Committee, which meets periodically to discuss issues of concern to exchanges, firms, markets users, and the Commission regarding the regulatory challenges of a global marketplace. She also has the opportunity to frequently attend the Technical Committee meetings of the International Organization of Securities Commissions, the global cooperative body, which is recognized as the international standard setter for securities and derivatives markets.

Commissioner Sommers has worked in the commodity futures and options industry in a variety of capacities throughout her career. In 2005, she was the Policy Director and Head of Government Affairs for the International Swaps and Derivatives Association, where she worked on a number of over-the-counter derivatives issues.

Prior to that, Ms. Sommers worked in the Government Affairs Office of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), where she was instrumental in overseeing regulatory and legislative affairs for the exchange. During her tenure with the CME, she had the opportunity to work closely with congressional staff drafting the Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000.

Commissioner Sommers started her career in Washington in 1991 as an intern for Senator Robert J. Dole (R-KS), working in various capacities until 1995. She later worked as a legislative aide for two consulting firms specializing in agricultural issues, Clark & Muldoon, P.C. and Taggart and Associates.

A native of Fort Scott, Kansas, Ms. Sommers holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Kansas. She and her husband, Mike, currently reside in the Washington, DC area and have three children ages 8, 7, and 6.

 

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