Ethiopis Tafara Named Director of the Office of International Affairs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2003-105

Washington, D.C., Sep. 3, 2003 -- Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman William H. Donaldson today announced the appointment of Ethiopis Tafara as the Director of the Office of International Affairs. Mr. Tafara will oversee the Commission's international regulatory policy and enforcement initiatives, working with foreign regulators and international organizations, as well as the SEC's other division and office directors with respect to the international aspects of the Commission's programs. Over the past year, Mr. Tafara has served as the Commission's Acting Director of the Office of International Affairs. He has played a vital role in advising the Commission on the international implications of new Commission initiatives on corporate governance, auditor oversight and the creation of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, and attorney ethics. Mr. Tafara represents the Commission in the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) and the Council of Securities Regulators of the Americas and has been a key player in the SEC's ongoing regulatory dialogue with the European Commission. He also worked to enhance the SEC's enforcement cooperation with its foreign counterparts through organizations such as the Financial Action Task Force and IOSCO's recent Multilateral Memorandum of Understanding Concerning Consultation and Cooperation and the Exchange of Information.

In announcing the appointment, SEC Chairman Donaldson said, "Ethiopis has proven himself to be a highly respected and skilled representative of the Commission in its effort to enhance investor protection worldwide. Indeed, Ethiopis is a much sought after expert on international enforcement and regulatory issues, providing the Commission with valuable insights into the increasingly global nature of securities markets. I am very pleased to have him as an integral part of our team."

Mr. Tafara, 39, joined the Commission's staff in 1999 as an Assistant Director in the Office of International Affairs. Prior to joining the SEC, Mr. Tafara was counsel to the chairperson at the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission and also served in the CFTC's Division of Enforcement. He began his legal career in Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen and Hamilton's Brussels office, where he worked on trade and competition matters. Mr. Tafara received his A.B. from Princeton University and his law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center. He and his wife, Michelle, have one son, Gaebriel.