Friedlander, FINRA’s associate director of fixed income regulation since 2010, succeeds Malcolm P. Northam, who retired from the self-regulator at the end of last year and now head’s consulting firm, Securities Risk Management Ltd. in Washington, D.C.
“Cindy brings many years of relevant experience to this position. She is dedicated to investor protection, and is highly regarded internally and by the [Securities and Exchange Commission], [Municipal Securities Regulatory Board], and the fixed income industry,” Daniel Sibears, FINRA executive vice president of member regulation programs, wrote in an email to staff obtained by The Bond Buyer. “Cindy is a terrific collaborator and consensus builder. In her new role, Cindy will lead our commitment to teamwork across FINRA departments to achieve nationally consistent policies and approaches to fixed income regulation.”
Friedlander will direct FINRA’s policies and national programs for fixed income securities and design and develop, then deliver to staff and member firms, guidance about fixed-income policies, said an email from a FINRA spokesperson.
She will also represent FINRA at industry and government events, be staff liaison to FINRA’s fixed-income committee and be a fixed-income representative to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board and the Securities and Exchange Commission, FINRA said.
Friedlander, who did not immediately return calls for comment, joined FINRA in 1997 as associate director, according to her LinkedIn profile.
She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and an MBA from George Mason University.
Northam’s firm, Securities Risk Management, provides compliance consulting to firms in the fixed income market, with a focus on companies dealing in tax-exempt securities.
The firm helps clients comply with rules from FINRA and the MSRB, such as political contribution rules and the board’s new interpretive guidance to rule G-17, which requires underwriters to make a host of new disclosures to issuers, Northam said.
Northam also plans to give compliance lectures and hold training seminars on fair pricing, but will not conduct “boots on the ground” compliance testing, he said.
