Former GFI Executive Vice President J. Christopher Giancarlo was officially sworn in as a Commissioner at the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission, after being confirmed by the U.S. Senate on June 3, assuming his responsibilities yesterday.
Ordinarily, the CFTC elects its senior regulatory figures from highly respected law firms, or from governmental advisory positions, the vast majority of whom are corporate lawyers with several decades of experience. This time, however, the US regulatory authority has sourced Mr. Giancarlo after his long and successful career with New York-based Interdealer Broker GFI Group.
A lawyer himself, his most recent position at GFI Group was that of Executive Vice President, however Mr. Giancarlo joined the firm in 2001 as part of the acquisition of FENICS, where he structured strategic alliances with major investment banks.
Prior to joining FENICS, he was a partner in the New York law firm Brown Raysman Millstein Felder & Steiner, LLP, where he practiced corporate and securities law. Mr. Giancarlo is a retired board member and former Chairman of the Wholesale Markets Brokers Association, Americas. He is also founding Co Editor-in-Chief, eSecurities: Trading and Regulation on the Internet.
Mr. Giancarlo was born in Jersey City, New Jersey. He received his B.A. in Government from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York and J.D. from Vanderbilt University School of Law. Mr. Giancarlo is married and has three children.