Bari Havlik Joins FINRA as Executive Vice President, Member Supervision

WASHINGTON — The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) announced today that it has named Bari Havlik as Executive Vice President for Member Supervision. In that capacity, Havlik will be responsible principally for leading FINRA’s Member Regulation program, which includes surveillance and examination programs for member firms. She will replace Susan Axelrod, who is leaving FINRA after 28 years of service, and will report directly to FINRA CEO Robert Cook. Havlik will start on April 30.

“FINRA’s mission of investor protection and market integrity depends on the effective, efficient supervision of our members, rooted in an expertise about their activities, challenges, and risks,” said Cook. “We are delighted that Bari is joining FINRA to bring her exceptional talents and deep experience to bear on that essential work. Under her leadership and our ongoing work under FINRA360, I am confident that FINRA will continue to enhance our supervisory programs to keep investors safe and promote vibrant capital markets.”

“FINRA plays an integral role in protecting investors and safeguarding the strength of the U.S. capital markets,” said Havlik. “I have had the privilege of working with many people at FINRA over the years, and I am excited to join this extraordinary team, to advance the goals of FINRA360, and to help ensure FINRA’s programs for supervising member firms and protecting investors keep pace with an ever-changing market environment.”

Havlik was most recently a Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer for The Charles Schwab Corporation. She began her career in financial services in 1982 and has worked for discount brokerage, full service retail, and institutional securities firms, as well as bank-affiliated broker-dealers. Prior to focusing on compliance, she gained industry experience working for a variety of departments within firms, including operations and sales. Havlik was on the board of the National Society of Compliance Professionals from October 2009 through March 2011. She was also active in several industry advisory committees for FINRA and the MSRB, including as a member of the FINRA Membership Committee. Havlik received her undergraduate degree from DePaul University.

FINRA is dedicated to investor protection and market integrity. It regulates one critical part of the securities industry – brokerage firms doing business with the public in the United States. FINRA, overseen by the SEC, writes rules, examines for and enforces compliance with FINRA rules and federal securities laws, registers broker-dealer personnel and offers them education and training, and informs the investing public. In addition, FINRA provides surveillance and other regulatory services for equities and options markets, as well as trade reporting and other industry utilities. FINRA also administers a dispute resolution forum for investors and brokerage firms and their registered employees. For more information, visit www.finra.org.