(hedgeCo.Net) — The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that Dr. Narahari Phatak has been named Associate Director for Policy in the Division of Economic and Risk Analysis (DERA).

As Associate Director, Dr. Phatak will direct the development of economic analyses to support the Commission’s rulemaking and policy development activities. Dr. Phatak will oversee the four DERA offices that provide robust and data-driven economic input on a wide range of financial market issues, particularly those related to asset management, corporate finance, financial intermediaries, and market structure.

Dr. Phatak has been a member of the Division of Economic and Risk Analysis since 2012, serving as a Financial Economist Fellow in the Office of Markets, a Supervisory Financial Economist in the Office of Financial Intermediaries, and Acting Assistant Director of the Office of Corporate Finance.

Mark J. Flannery, Chief Economist and Director of the Division of Economic and Risk Analysis said, “Dr. Phatak is a creative and skilled financial economist, a dynamic colleague, and a skilled manager. He will be a strong addition to the senior management team in the Division of Economic and Risk Analysis.”

Dr. Phatak added, “I am grateful for the opportunity to lead a talented group of economists and foster collaboration across the agency to promote the use of economic analysis in Commission decision-making.”

Dr. Phatak received his Ph.D. in Financial Economics from the University of California – Berkeley, Haas School of Business, and B.S. in Economics and a B.A. in International Studies and Russian, summa cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to his doctoral work, Dr. Phatak worked as an Investment Associate at Putnam Investment for three years.