Commissioner Scott D. O'Malia

Scott O’Malia was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on October 8, 2009, as Commissioner of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and was sworn in on October 16, 2009. He is currently serving a five-year term that expires in April 2015.

Born in South Bend Indiana and raised in Williamston, Michigan, Commissioner O’Malia learned about commodity prices firsthand growing up on a small family farm.  As a Commissioner of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), he brings both his agricultural background and experience in energy markets, where he has focused his professional career.

Before starting his term at the CFTC, Commissioner O’Malia served as the Staff Director to the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, where he focused on expanding U.S. investment in clean-energy technologies, specifically promoting low-cost financing and technical innovation in the domestic energy sector. 

From 2003 to 2004, Commissioner O’Malia served on the U.S. Senate Energy and National Resources Committee under Chairman Pete Domenici (R-N.M.), as Senior Policy Advisor on oil, coal and gas issues.  From 1992 to 2001, he served as Senior Legislative Assistant to U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R.-Ky.), now the Senate Minority Leader.  During his career, O’Malia also founded the Washington office of Mirant Corp., where he worked on rules and standards for corporate risk management and energy trading among wholesale power producers.

In his time at the CFTC Commissioner O’Malia has advanced the use of technology to more effectively meet the agency’s oversight responsibilities and is seeking the reestablishment of the long dormant CFTC Technology Advisory Committee (C-TAC).  As Chairman of the newly reinstated Committee, Commissioner O’Malia intends to harness the expertise of the C-TAC membership to establish technological ‘best practices’ for oversight and surveillance considering such issues as algorithmic and high frequency trading, data collection standards, and technological surveillance and compliance.

Commissioner O’Malia earned his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Michigan.  He and his wife, Marissa, currently live in Northern Virginia with their three daughters.

Letter to Technology Advisory Committee Members

Commissioner Scott D. O'Malia, as chair of the CFTC's Technology Advisory Committee, is seeking input from the committee's members on a definition of High Frequency Trading. MEmbers of the committee should submit feedback by Friday, December 9, 2011.

Letter to the Technology Advisory Committee regarding the definition of High Frequency Trading