Luis Aguilar

His first term as a Securities and Exchange (SEC) Commissioner began only weeks before the 2008 financial crisis.

Luis Aguilar (’76) knows how to work under pressure.

Only weeks before one of the biggest financial crises in history, the Georgia Southern University alumnus became a member of the key government agencies that responded to the 2008 collapse of the American financial system. Aguilar began his first term as a Securities and Exchange (SEC) Commissioner on July 31, 2008, when several large financial institutions collapsed and global stock markets declined sharply. Now into his second term, Aguilar said the SEC continues at the same intense pace that started his first day.

“Serving as an SEC Commissioner is always a significant commitment because of the SEC’s jurisdiction over 35,000 plus entities, the capital markets and more,” he said. “However, my tenure has been heavily impacted by the fact that two months after I took the job, the Lehman Brothers collapse was followed by a significant systemic crisis of the American financial system. Since then, the SEC and other regulators have been working to develop more informed and pro-active oversight. “

Prior to taking the job in Washington, D.C., Aguilar worked as a partner in the Atlanta, Ga., office of an international law firm specializing in securities and was the general counsel at the investment firm, Invesco, in the late 1990s. Aguilar said while he never anticipated having his current job, he is thrilled to be engaged in public service.

“I arrived in the United States when I was six years old as a refugee from communist Cuba. The generosity of the American people and the strength of the American system allowed me to be successful in my career. It is a privilege to work at the SEC and give back to the American public.”

The Commissioner believes that his educational experiences helped him achieve various degrees of professional success. “The foundation for any career often starts with an excellent education, which I received at Georgia Southern,” he said. “I believe my education initially prepared me for new situations, and gave me the confidence that I will know the critical questions to ask.”

Sandra Bennett