Wayne Abernathy Bio

“Too Big to Fail” event panelist, April 11, 2014

Wayne A. Abernathy joined the American Bankers Association in February of 2005, and serves as Executive Vice President for Financial Institutions Policy and Regulatory Affairs. Mr. Abernathy oversees ABA groups that deal with policy development, regulatory and compliance issues, bank general counsels, securities and investment, derivatives policy, and risk management.

Before joining ABA, Mr. Abernathy served two years as Treasury Assistant Secretary for Financial Institutions under President George W. Bush, receiving the Alexander Hamilton Award in recognition of his service. In that office he was also a member of the Board of Directors of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation. Prior to his work in the Treasury, Mr. Abernathy served as Staff Director of the Senate Banking Committee, under Chairman Phil Gramm.

Previous experience with the Senate Banking Committee includes serving as Staff Director of the Subcommittee on Securities during 1995-1998. From 1989 until 1994, Mr. Abernathy was a Republican economist for the committee. He previously worked as a senior legislative assistant for Senator Gramm during 1987-1989 and as an economist for the Banking Committee’s Subcommittee on International Finance and Monetary Policy during 1981-1986.

Mr. Abernathy earned his bachelor’s degree in International Studies from The Johns Hopkins University in 1978. In 1980, he received a master’s degree in International Studies from the School of Advanced International Studies of The Johns Hopkins University.