Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Names CIO

Although approval of Richard Cordray as head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB, Washington, D.C.) is stalled in Congress, the CFPB is wasting no time in filling other senior positions. The new agency has named Chris Willey its Chief Information Officer and also announced the hiring of seven other executives for senior leadership positions.

Willey previously served as the Deputy CIO at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). He also was Deputy CTO of Infrastructure Services for the Government of the District of Columbia. Before joining the District, Willey served as the CTO for the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (CoG). Before that, Willey was the CTO for One Economy, a digital divide-focused nonprofit that provides computers, Internet access, and content to low-income families in the US and abroad.

"The CFPB needs highly-qualified staff, from those who are skilled in handling individual consumer complaints to experts in legislative and intergovernmental affairs to lawyers who are able to craft clear and precise rules," said Raj Date, Special Advisor to the Secretary of Treasury on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, in a press release. "Together with the CFPB staff already on board, these new hires will help us ensure that consumers have the information they need to make the financial choices that are best for them."

Besides CIO Willey, the following individuals were named to the CFPB leadership team:

Meredith Fuchs will serve as the CFPB's Chief of Staff. She previously served as CFPB's Principal Deputy General Counsel. She came to the CFPB from the United States House of Representatives, where she served as Chief Investigative Counsel of the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Lisa Konwinski will serve as the CFPB's Assistant Director for Legislative Affairs. Konwinski formerly served as Deputy Assistant to President Obama and Deputy Director of the White House Office of Legislative Affairs. Her experience includes more than 11 years as General Counsel to the Senate Budget Committee, most recently under Budget Chairman Kent Conrad of North Dakota, specializing in the Congressional budget process and Senate procedure.

Nicholas Rathod will serve as the CFPB's Assistant Director for Intergovernmental and International Affairs. Rathod, a civil rights attorney, will work with state, local, territorial, tribal, and international governments. Previously, Rathod served as the Deputy Director for Intergovernmental Affairs at the White House.

Sartaj Alag will serve as the CFPB's Assistant Director for Consumer Response. Alag will oversee the Bureau's Consumer Response Center, which is responsible for handling consumer complaints and inquiries. Alag comes to the CFPB with nearly 10 years of experience in consumer finance including as President of Capital One's Canadian subsidiary.

Stephen J. Agostini will serve as the CFPB's Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining the Bureau, Agostini served as the Chief Financial Officer at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

Roberto J. Gonzalez will serve as CFPB's Principal Deputy General Counsel. He previously served as Deputy General Counsel. He came to the CFPB from the Office of White House Counsel, where he served as Associate Counsel to the President and Special Assistant to the President.

Rohit Chopra will serve as the Private Education Loan Ombudsman. This CFPB position was created by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act to assist private student loan borrowers. Chopra most recently worked as a fellow at the McKinsey Global Institute, where he focused on student debt and other consumer credit markets.

Katherine Burger is Editorial Director of Bank Systems & Technology and Insurance & Technology, members of UBM TechWeb's InformationWeek Financial Services. She assumed leadership of Bank Systems & Technology in 2003 and of Insurance & Technology in 1991. In addition to ... View Full Bio