SIFMA Senior Managing Director Hunt to Step Down

WASHINGTON - A top Republican lobbyist for the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association is stepping down from his role at the industry group but will remain on staff as a "strategic consultant."

Richard Hunt, a senior managing director at SIFMA, will step down from his position on Saturday, according to a statement released yesterday by president and chief executive officer Tim Ryan.

His move comes about two weeks after SIFMA announced that it was cutting its staff of 200 by about 20%. The layoffs included Jill Hershey, a Republican lobbyist who focused on the muni market and tax issues.

"Richard's strategic and leadership acumen have benefitted SIFMA and its membership for over years," Ryan wrote. "Richard was instrumental in many of SIFMA's biggest legislative victories during his tenure - most notably the extension of capital gains and dividends tax rates."

Though Hunt will technically remain an employee of SIFMA, he is now using an e-mail address at huntgroupdc.com, indicating that he is starting his own consulting shop, according to Roll Call, which first reported on Hunt's role change. Prior to joining SIFMA, Hunt was a top aide to former House Ways and Means chairman Jim McCrery, R-La.

Until the change, Hunt led SIFMA's government affairs office along with Democrat Scott DeFife, a former aide to House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md.

Since August, Hunt and DeFife have reported to Michael Pease, who is charged with the group's global advocacy and formerly worked for House Financial Services chairman Barney Frank, D-Mass.

For reprint and licensing requests for this article, click here.
Bankruptcy
MORE FROM BOND BUYER