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The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) today announced that it has appointed former Congressman Kenneth E. Bentsen, Jr. as Executive Vice President, Public Policy and Advocacy and head of SIFMA’s Washington, DC office. Mr. Bentsen joins SIFMA from the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association, where he has served as president and chief operating officer since 2006.
“I am extremely pleased to announce that Ken will be joining our team,” said SIFMA President and CEO Timothy Ryan. “With his breadth of financial experience in both the private and public sector, Ken understands our members' public policy goals and business interest and will help drive our efforts to play a proactive, constructive role in the ongoing regulatory reform debate.”
In his role at SIFMA, Mr. Bentsen will be responsible for SIFMA’s legal, governmental, and legislative affairs and advocacy initiatives. Mr. Bentsen’s career at SIFMA will begin in September. Mr. Bentsen will report directly to Mr. Ryan.
“I am excited to join the leadership team at SIFMA. As the leading trade association for the U.S. and global financial markets sector, I can think of no industry organization more consequential at this time in our nation’s financial history,” Bentsen said. “I have been impressed by SIFMA’s proactive posture toward enacting financial regulatory reform which greatly influenced my decision to join.”
“While it is extremely difficult to leave my position at the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association where our team has accomplished a great deal, the opportunity to become part of SIFMA at this time, and given my professional background as an investment banker in New York and Texas, as a member of Congress deeply engaged in financial regulatory policy; and as the leader of a financial services trade association, was something I could not let pass by,” Bentsen added.
In his most recent position as president of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association, Mr. Bentsen led the 700-member financial services trade association representing commercial and investment banks, financial services companies and manufacturers in the commercial finance sector. In that role he developed and implemented a new strategic direction for this principal industry association. From 2003 to 2006, Mr. Bentsen was a Managing Director at Public Strategies, Inc. where he was a strategic and management consultant principally to the firm’s financial services clients.
From 1995 to 2003, Mr. Bentsen served as a Member of the United States House of Representatives from Texas, where he sat on the House Financial Services Committee (and its predecessor House Banking and Financial Services Committee), and separately on the House Budget Committee. Mr. Bentsen was an active participant in the drafting and enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act and the Commodities Futures Modernization Act. During his tenure in the Congress, he played an active role in legislation and oversight of regulations affecting bank and thrift charters, federal deposit insurance, securities law, derivatives, and the federal government sponsored enterprises (Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the FHLB system). Mr. Bentsen was also instrumental in the passage of the landmark Balanced Budget Act of 1997, particularly with respect to health care policy.
Prior to his service in Congress, Mr. Bentsen was an investment banker at both a major Wall Street firm and a large regional firm, where he specialized in municipal and mortgage finance.
Mr. Bentsen has a B.A. from the University of St. Thomas and an M.P.A. from American University.
