Dalia Blass was named director of the SEC's investment management division late Thursday. She replaces David W. Grim.
Ms. Blass is rejoining the Securities and Exchange Commission, where she most recently served as assistant chief counsel for the division, which oversees regulation of investment companies, variable insurance products and federally registered investment advisers.
In the interim, she was a counsel at law firm Ropes & Gray where she focused on advising investment companies, investment advisers, fund sponsors and trustees. Ropes & Gray partners Bryan Chegwidden and Thomas R. Hiller said in a statement that Ms. Blass "is smart, practical and deeply knowledgeable about the big issues facing the investment management industry."
The SEC also named Jeffrey H. Harris as director of the agency's division of economic and risk analysis. He replaces Mark Flannery, who left the agency to return to teaching.
Mr. Harris is a professor and the Gary D. Cohn Goldman Sachs chair in finance at Kogod School of Business at American University and was chief economist at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
"Dr. Harris' extensive research on securities and commodities issues and experience in government, academia and the private sector make him a great fit to lead DERA's team of dedicated economists," SEC Chairman Jay Clayton said in a statement.