FINRA has a new head of enforcement, as Bill St. Louis, an executive vice president with the brokerage industry regulator, succeeds interim Enforcement Director Chris Kelly.
St. Louis’ career with FINRA extends back to 1998, and he most recently served as the head of FINRA’s National Cause and Financial Crimes Detection Program (NCFC), whose investigative units targeted money laundering, fraud and cybersecurity violations, as well as focusing on high-risk reps and those who take advantage of “vulnerable” adults and seniors.
FINRA CEO Robert Cook said St. Louis’ senior roles in enforcement and member supervision prepared him for the new role running the enforcement division (which begins effective immediately). St. Louis called the opportunity to lead the division a “privilege” in a statement on his promotion.
“I look forward to strengthening FINRA’s Regulatory Operations, ensuring integrated oversight and increasing safety in the market as we advance our important work through the regulatory opportunities and challenges ahead,” he said.
During his time at FINRA, St. Louis was Regional Chief Counsel in FINRA’s North Region, before taking over as director of the organization’s New York office from 2014 through 2019.
St. Louis also briefly served as Senior Vice President and Regional Director for FINRA’s Northeast Region from 2019 to 2020, when he took over the NCFC division. As head of the enforcement division, St. Louis will oversee about 350 staff in 11 offices throughout the country.
St. Louis is taking over from Kelly, a SVP and deputy head of enforcement, who’s been the acting head of enforcement since Feb. 2023.
Kelly took over from Jessica Hopper, who took over as the leader of the enforcement division in Jan. 2020. Hopper had been with the regulator for nearly 20 years. After departing FINRA, Hopper joined Edward Jones as their head of regulatory strategy, according to her LinkedIn profile.
