Richard C. Breeden

RICHARD C. BREEDEN - 2016

Richard Breeden served as the 24th Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from 1989 to 1993. The Breeden Commission made long-lasting improvements in SEC rules involving corporate finance (Rule 144A, among others) and cross border M&A transactions; market and issuer transparency; proxy rules and corporate governance; mutual funds and investment advisor oversight; international enforcement cooperation; accounting and disclosure standards; electronic trading and faster clearance and settlement and many other areas.

Chairman Breeden created the Commission’s international affairs office, strengthened enforcement resources and sought much tougher sanctions. He proposed and won passage of legislation giving the Commission the authority to impose fines, cease and desist orders and officer and director bars.

Prior to his SEC appointment, Mr. Breeden held a series of government positions under Presidents Reagan, Bush (41) and Clinton. Upon President Bush’s inauguration in 1989, Mr. Breeden served as Assistant to the President for Issues Analysis, functioning as one of the President’s most senior domestic policy and economic advisors. During this time Mr. Breeden was the principal architect of the President’s successful legislation to restructure the U.S. savings and loan industry. This program created the Resolution Trust Corporation and paved the way for restructuring hundreds of billions in assets held by insolvent banks and thrifts.

In recent years, Mr. Breeden has served as a corporate monitor in several high profile cases involving corporate wrongdoing of different types. He formed Breeden Capital Management to advise a series of investment partnerships and select personal investments. He has been a director of more than a dozen companies in the U.S. and Europe. He is a member of the Standing Advisory Group of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), and is a regular guest lecturer at the Columbia Business School.

Mr. Breeden is a graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Law School. He and his wife Linda live in Greenwich, Connecticut.