WASHINGTON — Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent announced today key appointments for senior positions at the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
Biographies of the appointees are listed below in alphabetical order:
John Crews will serve as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Financial Institutions Policy. Prior to joining the Treasury Department, he served as a Policy Advisor to Majority Leader Steve Scalise, where he covered economic and financial services policy. Before his time in House leadership, John was the Policy Director of the Senate Banking Committee. During the first Trump Administration, he served on the National Economic Council as a Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy. John is a graduate of Princeton University
Connor Dunn will serve as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs, covering Banking and Finance. Prior to joining Treasury, Mr. Dunn held the role of Principal at FS Vector, a strategic consulting firm specializing in financial services policy. Before his time in the private sector, he served as the Deputy Policy Director on the Senate Banking Committee for Chairman Tim Scott, and as a Senior Professional Staff Member on the House Financial Services Committee under Chairman Patrick McHenry. During President Trump’s first term, Mr. Dunn served as a Policy Advisor to the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development and within the Department’s Office of Congressional Affairs. Mr. Dunn began his career on the government relations team at the National Multifamily Housing Council. He is a graduate of American University.
Spencer Hurwitz will serve as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, covering Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. Mr. Hurwitz comes to the Treasury Department with nearly seven years of experience on Capitol Hill. He is a seasoned communications professional who has worked with candidates and public officials at the local, state, and federal levels. Most recently, he served as the Director of Communications and Senior Advisor to United States Senator Marsha Blackburn, a member of the Senate Finance Committee. Spencer also served as a consultant for Senator Blackburn’s political operation, including her successful 2024 re-election.
Ashtyn Landen will serve as Deputy Executive Secretary. She previously held the role of Senior Director for Prudential Regulation at the American Bankers Association. Ashtyn began her public service career in the Attorney Honors Program at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, where she later served as an Enforcement Attorney. She earned her J.D. from SMU Dedman School of Law and a B.S. from Texas A&M University.
Paras Malik will serve as Counselor to the Secretary and as the Department’s Chief AI Officer. Ms. Malik joins the Treasury Department from the Boston Consulting Group, where she was a Managing Director and Partner advising clients across the public and private sectors on strategy, innovation, and organizational transformation. She previously served as an Executive Director at Morgan Stanley and as a Senior Bank Examiner at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Her experience also includes roles in the alternative investment sector, with positions at Bridgewater Associates and Liongate Capital Management in London. As Chief AI Officer, Ms. Malik will lead the Department’s strategic use of artificial intelligence to enhance mission delivery and strengthen the resilience of the U.S. financial system. Ms. Malik holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Columbia University, an M.Sc. from the London School of Economics, and an MBA from the Yale School of Management.
Zach Mollengarden will serve as Deputy Executive Secretary, covering International Affairs. Mr. Mollengarden previously served as an Attorney Advisor in the Treasury Department’s Office of the Assistant General Counsel for International Affairs. Prior to joining Treasury, Mr. Mollengarden worked in the Washington, D.C. and Singapore offices of Three Crowns LLP, a specialist international arbitration firm. Following law school, he served as a clerk for Judge Kevin Newsom of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Mr. Mollengarden holds a J.D. from Yale Law School, where he was an articles editor on the Yale Law Journal, an MPhil from the University of Cambridge, and a B.A. from Middlebury College.
David O’Brien will serve as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, covering Domestic Finance. Mr. O’Brien previously served Director of Executive Communications at the Bipartisan Policy Center. Prior to that he was Vice President of Strategic Communications at the National Association of Manufacturers, leading the association’s media strategy. He also worked in public relations in Washington, D.C. and for former chair and ranking member of the Ways and Means Committee Kevin Brady. Mr. O’Brien began his career with the Fox Business Network in New York.
John Poulson will serve as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs, covering International Affairs. Most recently, Mr. Poulson served as a Professional Staff Member on the Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee, where he worked under the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats & Spending Oversight. During the first Trump Administration, he served at the Department as Special Assistant to the Under Secretary for International Affairs, as well as in the Office of the Executive Secretary. Mr. Poulson previously held roles in the House of Representatives, as well as the National Security Institute at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School. He received his B.A. from Middlebury College and an M.S. from the Henley-Putnam School of Strategic Security at National American University.
Shane Shannon will serve as Counselor to the General Counsel. He joins the Treasury Department after serving as Vice President & Senior Counsel at Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC where he advised on the regulation and distribution of investment products. He previously served as an Associate in the Asset Management and Investment Funds practice at K&L Gates LLP where he counseled clients on matters relating to the federal securities laws. After law school, he served as Associate General Counsel at First Trust Portfolios LP. Mr. Shannon has broad experience in both regulatory and transactional matters relating to the financial services industry. He received a B.S. from Florida Atlantic University and a J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law.
Cory Wilson will serve as Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Protection (OCCIP). Mr. Wilson recently served as the Assistant Special Agent in Charge of Critical Systems Protection at the United States Secret Service, where he led teams responsible for mitigating cyber threats to networks and infrastructure linked to the security of the President and Vice President. Prior to that, he served as the Director of Cybersecurity Planning and Operations at the Office of the National Cyber Director, and has also held previous leadership roles at Treasury, INTERPOL, the Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Senate. He holds a master’s degree in National Security Studies and Strategic Planning from the U.S. Naval War College and a bachelor’s degree in administration of justice from Rutgers University.