Woodcock will take over the division from Sam Waldon, who has been serving as Acting Director. The new director leads a staff of more than 1,000 investigators, trial attorneys, and accountants. Atkins stated that the division will now focus on "the types of misconduct that inflict the greatest harm to investors" and cases that strengthen market integrity.
Woodcock returns to the SEC after previously serving as Director of the Fort Worth Regional Office from 2011 to 2015. During that tenure, he oversaw investigations across nearly every major area of the enforcement program and served on the Enforcement Advisory Committee. He also created and chaired the SEC's cross-divisional Financial Reporting and Audit Task Force, which targeted accounting violations and false financial statements.
At the time of his appointment, Woodcock chairs the Securities Enforcement Practice Group at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, with offices in Dallas and Washington, D.C. His practice focuses on regulatory enforcement, internal investigations, and corporate governance. He previously worked as a senior in-house attorney at Exxon Mobil Corporation and is a certified public accountant.
Woodcock is also an Adjunct Professor of Law at Texas A&M University School of Law, where he has taught securities, ethics, and compliance for more than a decade. He holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from Louisiana State University and a JD from the University of Texas School of Law.
"I am honored to join the exceptionally talented team in the Enforcement Division and look forward to advancing our vital mission of investor protection," Woodcock said. He added that his commitment is to lead the division with "the highest level of professionalism and rigor" while executing the Chairman's vision.
Chairman Atkins praised Woodcock as a "foremost expert in all relevant facets of securities law" with "deep institutional knowledge." Atkins expressed confidence in Woodcock's ability to lead the division, citing his diverse background spanning government service, Big Law partnership, public accounting, and corporate legal work.
The appointment is being watched closely by the securities bar as an indicator of how the new SEC leadership will pursue enforcement cases. Woodcock's experience in private practice and leading enforcement efforts from within the agency positions him to potentially recalibrate the division's approach.