CFTC Names Mel Gunewardena as International Affairs Director and Senior Markets Advisor

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced on March 2, 2026, the appointment of Mel Gunewardena as the Director of the Office of International Affairs and Senior Markets Advisor to Chairman Michael S. Selig. Chairman Selig welcomed Gunewardena back to the agency, highlighting his decades of experience across global financial markets and international regulatory policy. Gunewardena will work to maintain the standing of the United States as a leading marketplace for investors and risk managers. Chairman Selig also expressed gratitude to Mauricio Melara, who served as acting director of the international division since January 2025 and will continue working within the office. In his new capacity, Gunewardena will help steer the Commission's international engagement and deliver data-driven market structure and risk management insights to support the agency's leadership. He emphasized a commitment to keeping U.S. commodities and derivatives markets competitive for commercial and institutional participants, including agricultural, energy, and mining sectors. Gunewardena previously served as the CFTC’s chief market intelligence officer from 2019 to 2022 and later as a senior advisor for global markets to the chief executive of the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). His private sector background includes managing director roles across trading, prime brokerage, and derivatives at Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank, and State Street. Throughout his career, Gunewardena has contributed to key international and domestic market stability initiatives. His background includes serving on the board of CLS Bank to mitigate foreign exchange settlement risks, serving on the board of Markit Partners for credit default swap clearing infrastructure, leading CFTC task forces during extreme commodity market volatility, and serving on subcommittees for the Financial Stability Oversight Council and the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO).