Business professor named SEC economist

Mark Ready of the business faculty has been named chief economist of the Securities and Exchange Commission and director of the SEC Office of Economic Analysis.

Ready will go on leave from UW–Madison in April to assume his new duties and will return to the university after his SEC tenure.

As chief economist, Ready will advise SEC on the economic issues associated with the commission’s regulatory and policy activities. In managing the Office of Economic Analysis, he will study the potential effects of proposed regulations and conduct long-term research and policy planning.

Ready joined the School of Business faculty in 1990. He now serves as associate professor in the Finance, Investment and Banking Department and as an Aschenbrener Faculty Fellow. Before coming to UW–Madison, he was chief financial officer at V.I.P. Structures Inc. and a financial analyst at Ford Motor Co.

“It’s in the best tradition for universities to send their best and brightest for a period of government service,” says Business Dean Andrew Policano. “Mark Ready’s expertise in the financial markets and superior leadership skills will serve the SEC well.”