Mary Simonson

Mary Simonson is a Bates Consulting Expert and a seasoned compliance professional with more than 30 years of experience in compliance, supervision, and risk management leadership roles.  Prior to joining Bates, she was the Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer at Advisor Group, Inc., one of the nation’s largest networks of independent financial advisors, a role she assumed in June 2016. As Chief Risk Officer, Ms. Simonson was responsible for developing and maintaining Advisor Group’s risk management program to identify, reduce and measure the risk exposure of the firm and its broker dealers. She ensured continuity of core practices during the 2016 separation of Advisor Group from AIG, and the subsequent creation of the firm’s independent status.

Before assuming the role as Chief Risk Officer at the Advisor Group, Ms. Simonson was the Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer of AIG Advisor Group, where she focused on the development, implementation and maintenance of all compliance procedures within the firm’s broker-dealers. She joined Phoenix-based SagePoint Financial, a member firm of Advisor Group, as a Vice President and Chief Compliance Office in 2010 and later assumed the additional role of CCO for two other member firms, Atlanta-based FSC Securities Corporation and New Jersey-based Royal Alliance Associates, Inc. Previous experience includes leadership roles in Compliance at Washington Mutual Bank, WM Financial Services, at CFM Partners, Inc., a governance and risk compliance firm, where she was Director of Business Development. Earlier, she held compliance roles at the Shearson Lehman, and Chemical Investments.

Ms. Simonson earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Pace University. She is registered with FINRA as a General Securities Representative Series 7, a General Securities Principal Series 24, and holds licenses for both Series 53 and Series 63.