Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan appointed two to director positions in the agency – Holly Vedova will head the bureau of competition, and Samuel Levine will head the bureau of consumer protection.
Both candidates had been serving in these roles in an acting capacity since June 2021. The commission votes on their appointments were unanimous.
“Already in their roles as acting directors of the bureau of competition and bureau of consumer protection, Holly Vedova and Sam Levine have taken important steps to ensure the FTC is working vigorously on behalf of the people we serve,” said Khan. “Now as permanent directors of the FTC’s enforcement bureaus, their mission will be to guide this agency as we work to safeguard fair competition and check unfair or deceptive practices. I look forward to continuing our work together.”
Vedova has been with the commission for over 30 years. Most recently she served as an attorney advisor for Commissioner Rohit Chopra. During her time she also has been an attorney advisor for four other FTC commissioners and counsel to the director of the bureau of competition. She also has been a staff attorney in the bureau of competition, mergers III division investigating mergers in various industries. Outside of public service, Vedova also spent two years in private practice as in-house antitrust counsel to a large pharmaceutical corporation.
Levine first worked in the commission’s Midwest regional office before also serving as an attorney advisor to Chopra. Prior to joining the FTC, he worked for the Illinois attorney general prosecuting predatory for-profit colleges. He also participated in a rulemaking to expand income-driven repayment options for student borrowers. The new director of the bureau of consumer protection also received the 2012 Gary Bellow Public Service Award in recognition of his commitment to social justice.