Full Name
Melissa Hodgman
Job Title
Associate Director
Company
US Securities & Exchange Commission
Speaker Bio
Melissa R. Hodgman serves as Associate Director in the Division of Enforcement at the
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. In 2021, she served as Acting Director of
Enforcement where she oversaw approximately 1,400 attorneys, accountants, and staff across
eleven regional offices and headquarters focused on enforcing the federal securities laws.
During her SEC career, Ms. Hodgman has conducted and supervised numerous matters
across a broad spectrum of the federal securities laws including matters involving financial
fraud, audit failures, and issuer disclosures; cybersecurity and national security events and
disclosures; crypto and digital assets; broker-dealers, investment advisers, investment
companies and NRSROs; offering frauds and affinity frauds; market structure, manipulation
and insider trading; and cross-border and FCPA violations. She has led the agency’s response
to critical world and market events including Covid-19, 2021 market volatility, Ukraine-
Russia, 2023 bank failures, and Israel-Hamas. She is the Division lead for the Cross-Border
Working Group, oversees the Financial Reporting and Audit Group, and serves as a member
of the Whistleblower Claims Review Staff. Ms. Hodgman serves as the Enforcement Lead
on numerous agency rulemakings. Prior to 2021, Ms. Hodgman served on the staff in several
capacities including as an Assistant Director and a member of the Market Abuse Unit.
In addition to her leadership on substantive matters, Ms. Hodgman has played a key role in
agency initiatives involving hiring, diversity and inclusion, and labor-management relations.
She has led the Enforcement Hiring Committee, served as the Co-Executive Sponsor of the
Women’s Committee, co-sponsored the Diversity and Inclusion Committee, served on both
the National and Local Labor-Management Committees.
Ms. Hodgman’s vital contributions to the work of the agency have been recognized through
presentation of numerous awards including: the 2023 International Award for HFCAA
Implementation; the 2022 Scott W. Friestad Award for Leadership and Mentoring; the 2017
Arthur F. Mathews Award; the 2010 Ellen B. Ross Award; the 2010 Chairman’s Award for
Excellence; and multiple Division Director Awards.
Before joining the SEC in 2008, Ms. Hodgman was an Associate at Milbank, Tweed, Hadley
& McCloy. She earned from Georgetown University a Bachelor of Science in Foreign
Service; a Juris Doctor, magna cum laude; and a Master of Law in Securities and Financial
Regulation, with Distinction.
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. In 2021, she served as Acting Director of
Enforcement where she oversaw approximately 1,400 attorneys, accountants, and staff across
eleven regional offices and headquarters focused on enforcing the federal securities laws.
During her SEC career, Ms. Hodgman has conducted and supervised numerous matters
across a broad spectrum of the federal securities laws including matters involving financial
fraud, audit failures, and issuer disclosures; cybersecurity and national security events and
disclosures; crypto and digital assets; broker-dealers, investment advisers, investment
companies and NRSROs; offering frauds and affinity frauds; market structure, manipulation
and insider trading; and cross-border and FCPA violations. She has led the agency’s response
to critical world and market events including Covid-19, 2021 market volatility, Ukraine-
Russia, 2023 bank failures, and Israel-Hamas. She is the Division lead for the Cross-Border
Working Group, oversees the Financial Reporting and Audit Group, and serves as a member
of the Whistleblower Claims Review Staff. Ms. Hodgman serves as the Enforcement Lead
on numerous agency rulemakings. Prior to 2021, Ms. Hodgman served on the staff in several
capacities including as an Assistant Director and a member of the Market Abuse Unit.
In addition to her leadership on substantive matters, Ms. Hodgman has played a key role in
agency initiatives involving hiring, diversity and inclusion, and labor-management relations.
She has led the Enforcement Hiring Committee, served as the Co-Executive Sponsor of the
Women’s Committee, co-sponsored the Diversity and Inclusion Committee, served on both
the National and Local Labor-Management Committees.
Ms. Hodgman’s vital contributions to the work of the agency have been recognized through
presentation of numerous awards including: the 2023 International Award for HFCAA
Implementation; the 2022 Scott W. Friestad Award for Leadership and Mentoring; the 2017
Arthur F. Mathews Award; the 2010 Ellen B. Ross Award; the 2010 Chairman’s Award for
Excellence; and multiple Division Director Awards.
Before joining the SEC in 2008, Ms. Hodgman was an Associate at Milbank, Tweed, Hadley
& McCloy. She earned from Georgetown University a Bachelor of Science in Foreign
Service; a Juris Doctor, magna cum laude; and a Master of Law in Securities and Financial
Regulation, with Distinction.
