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Paul Atkins is currently Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Prior to that, he served as Chief Executive Officer of Patomak Global Partners and was an independent director and non-executive chairman of BATS Global Markets from 2012 to 2015.Atkins was appointed by George W. Bush as an SEC commissioner from 2002 to 2008. During his tenure, he actively promoted transparency, consistency, and cost-benefit analysis at the agency.Prior to serving as SEC commissioner, Atkins advised the securities and investment management industries, focusing on strategic planning, regulatory compliance, risk management, new product development, and organizational controls. He began his career in New York as an associate handling corporate transactions for U.S. and international clients, including public and private securities offerings and mergers and acquisitions. He worked in the firm's Paris office for two and a half years and qualified as a French legal counselor.Atkins is a member of the New York and Florida Bars and received his J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School in 1983 and his B.A. from Wofford College in 1980.