Chief Information Officer
The FDIC Board has appointed Howard Whyte as Chief Information Officer. Mr. Whyte has more than 20 years of information technology and security experience in the federal government, military, and private sector.
Since January 2017, Mr. Whyte has been the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at the FDIC. In that role, he has worked to reduce cybersecurity risk by implementing a 24/7 Security Operations Center, incorporating threat intelligence into security operations, and working with the Divisions and Offices to address IT security challenges. Prior to joining the FDIC, Mr. Whyte led the Threat Management Center at Goldman Sachs, focusing on cybersecurity detection, protection, response, and recovery on a global scale. Previously, he served as CISO and deputy CISO at NASA.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Whyte was a senior information assurance officer in the U.S. Army Network Enterprise Technology Command and the Defense Information Systems Agency, a telecommunications manager at Interim HealthCare, and an information management officer for the U.S. Army.
Mr. Whyte has a bachelor’s degree in business management from the University of Maryland and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix.
Mr. Whyte replaces Lawrence (Larry) Gross, Jr., who will retire from the FDIC in January 2018 after more than 40 years of combined federal and military service. Mr. Gross is continuing to serve in the Office of the Chairman in an advisory capacity to assist in the transition until his retirement. As CIO since November 2015, Mr. Gross helped the FDIC implement several significant information technology initiatives.
Noreen Padilla, deputy director in the Division of Information Technology, is serving as acting CISO during the search for a permanent CISO.
Office of Complex Financial Institutions Director
The FDIC Board has appointed Ricardo Delfin as director of the Office of Complex Financial Institutions (OCFI). Mr. Delfin has served as deputy director of the Resolution Policy Branch in OCFI since 2014. Prior to joining the FDIC, Mr. Delfin held several prominent roles, including executive director of The Systemic Risk Council, special counsel to the Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and senior counsel for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services.
Mr. Delfin earned a Bachelor of Science from Cornell University and a Juris Doctor from Northwestern University School of Law.
Mr. Delfin replaces Art Murton, who on October 1 became Special Advisor to the Chairman. In his new assignment, Mr. Murton advises the chairman on matters related to complex financial institutions and is assisting in the OCFI leadership transition.
Chicago Regional Director
John Conneely was appointed regional director for the Chicago Region, effective January 2018.
Mr. Conneely presently serves as the deputy regional director for the New York Region and will complete a temporary assignment in the Division of Risk Management Supervision’s Complex Financial Institutions Branch the remainder of this year. As regional director, Mr. Conneely will oversee the FDIC’s bank supervision and consumer protection activities in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The Chicago Region supervises more than 1,200 institutions with assets of more than $900 billion.
Mr. Conneely has held significant executive leadership positions during his 28-year career with the FDIC, including deputy regional director in the Division of Risk Management (RMS) in the New York Region, acting associate director for the Complex Financial Institutions Branch in RMS and acting deputy director in the Division of Insurance and Research. He additionally served as an assistant regional director in the New York Region.
Mr. Conneely holds a Risk Management commission from the FDIC and both a Bachelor and Master of Science degree in Banking and Money Management from Adelphi University.
New York Regional Director John F. Vogel will serve as acting regional director in Chicago through the end of 2017. John has served as New York Regional Director since 2012 and has a broad range of executive-level experience, including as deputy to a former FDIC Director. Marianne Hatheway, deputy regional director for risk management in the Boston Area Office, is serving as acting regional director in New York.
Mr. Conneely replaces M. Anthony Lowe, who was named ombudsman and director of the Office of the Ombudsman earlier this year.