Jelena McWilliams

Jelena McWilliams

Chairman Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)

Jelena McWilliams currently serves as the 21st Chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.  Previously, she was Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary at Fifth Third Bank in Cincinnati, Ohio.  Prior to joining Fifth Third Bank, Ms. McWilliams worked in the United States Senate for six years, most recently as Chief Counsel and Deputy Staff Director with the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, and previously as Assistant Chief Counsel with the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee. From 2007 to 2010, Jelena served as an attorney at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.  Before entering public service, she practiced corporate and securities law at Morrison & Foerster LLP in Palo Alto, California, and Hogan & Hartson LLP (now Hogan Lovells LLP) in Washington, D.C.  Ms. McWilliams graduated with highest honors from the University of California at Berkeley with a bachelor’s degree in political science, and earned her law degree from U.C. Berkeley School of Law. 

More Related to Jelena McWilliams

Jelena McWilliams: Banking with Empathy

For Jelena McWilliams, the mission of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) – to maintain stability and public confidence in the nation’s financial system – is a personal one. After immigrating to the U.S. with only $500, she put herself through undergraduate and law school to become one of the leading voices for financial inclusion. In this episode, Jelena shares with Jennifer what it’s like to head the FDIC during a time of such extreme economic hardship and uncertainty, revealing her keen sense of empathy for the challenges currently facing the most financially vulnerable Americans.

Session  

The Future of Financial Health: The Role of Regulation

In this conversation with FDIC Chairman Jelena McWilliams and Acting Comptroller of the Currency Brian Brooks we re-examine the role of regulation and explore what changes are needed to ensure Americans’ financial health is sufficiently supported by public policy.