Catenaa, Wednesday, January 14, 2026- Former CFTC Chair Rostin Behnam and Robinhood legal executive Dan Gallagher have been appointed to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s Board of Governors, joining four new members in total.
Their roles will involve shaping FINRA’s policies and regulatory approach amid evolving financial markets.
FINRA, the self-regulatory organization overseeing US brokerage firms, announced that Heather Traeger, chief compliance officer at the Teacher Retirement System of Texas, and Tim Carter, CFO of Piper Sandler Companies, were also named governors.
FINRA CEO Robert Cook said the appointments bring “deep expertise and diverse perspectives” to the board, enhancing its ability to provide strategic oversight.
Behnam led the CFTC from 2021 until early 2025, pushing Congress to address gaps in federal crypto regulation and overseeing enforcement actions against major digital asset firms, including the now-defunct exchange FTX.
Gallagher, Robinhood’s top legal officer, previously served as an SEC commissioner and was considered for SEC leadership in 2024. He has been critical of federal approaches to crypto regulation and the SEC’s attempts to enforce compliance on industry participants.
FINRA’s board has 22 governors who serve three-year terms, either by appointment or election, and operates under the oversight of the SEC.
Behnam and Gallagher’s appointments signal the organization’s intent to integrate experienced voices from both traditional finance and the crypto policy arena as it navigates regulatory complexities in securities and digital assets.
FINRA announcement can be seen here
