Hester M. Peirce is a Commissioner at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. This post is based on her recent remarks before the American Chamber of Commerce, available here. The views expressed in this post are those of Ms. Peirce and do not necessarily reflect those of the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff.
It is an honor to be with you today [August 7, 2019]. I have long wanted to visit Japan. Indeed, one of the options I explored following college was coming to Japan to teach English. Instead I ended up in Austria—not teaching English. My would-have-been students are certainly better off for it, but I am pleased to finally have the chance to be here in a learning, rather than teaching, capacity. Before I begin, I must give a standard disclaimer: the views I express today are my own views and not necessarily those of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or my fellow Commissioners.
One of the reasons I wanted to become a Commissioner was because I believe in the transformative power of the capital markets. Capital markets bring people together in joint endeavors to improve society. The capital markets match people who have new ideas with people who have money to invest, and the combination can produce products and services that improve everyone’s well-being. In the process, the lives of the entrepreneur and the investor can markedly improve as each enjoys the fruits of her contributions to the project. Employees of the enterprise and local communities may also benefit.
