About Caroline D. Pham

The Honorable Caroline D. Pham was appointed by President Biden and unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate. She was sworn in as a CFTC Commissioner on April 14, 2022 for a 5-year term. Pham is a recognized leader in financial services compliance and regulatory strategy and policy, with deep expertise in derivatives and capital markets and emerging issues such as digital innovation. Her substantial experience spans key international issues such as prudential regulation and systemic risk, financial markets including currencies and commodities, fintech and digital assets, ESG, and the impact of major disruptions like the 2008 financial crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to her appointment, Pham advised boards, executive management, policymakers, regulators, and industry leaders on regulatory developments and impacts to the global financial system, markets, and banking. She has engaged with the FSB, IOSCO, Basel Committee, BIS, central banks, government ministries, and companies across nearly all sectors. Pham was previously a managing director at a large global bank where she held various senior roles in compliance, legal, the chief administrative office, and the institutional clients group, working closely with innovation, strategic investment, and product teams. She has built global programs and teams and led initiatives for implementation of the Dodd-Frank Act and other global regulatory reforms. Pham’s past experience includes serving as Special Counsel and Policy Advisor to former CFTC Commissioner Scott O’Malia. She was also a Visiting Fellow at the George Washington University Center for Law, Economics, and Finance and served on the Dean’s Advisory Council for the Business and Finance Law Program. Pham is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and received the Cornerstone Award for lifetime achievement from the National Conference of Vietnamese American Attorneys. Her former American Bar Association leadership roles include member of the Council of the Business Law Section and the Executive Committee of its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Board; Vice Chair of the Banking Law Committee; and Co-Chair of the Securities, Capital Markets, and Derivatives Subcommittee. She has led a number of diversity and mentoring initiatives throughout her career. Pham graduated from UCLA and the George Washington University Law School, where she received the Manatt-Phelps Scholarship. She is from California’s Central Valley, the “food basket of the world.”