Paul Bourque has been appointed executive director of the British Columbia Securities Commission, the regulator announced on Tuesday.

The appointment is effective May 17, 2010.

Most recently, Bourque was associate partner and leader of the securities and regulatory investigations practice for Deloitte & Touche.

His other regulatory and law enforcement experience includes eight years as senior vice president of member regulation at the Investment Dealers Association during the period when the association merged with Market Regulation Services Inc. to become the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada.

Bourque also served as Deputy Minister of Justice and Deputy Attorney General for the Alberta Government.

He also worked at the Ontario and B.C. Securities Commissions in the mid-1990s in key operational functions.

A graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School, Bourque is a member of the bars of Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia.

In his new role, Bourque will be the chief operating officer of the commission, overseeing financial and administrative affairs, and directing the activities of the staff to effectively enforce the Securities Act.

“I am confident that Paul, with his extensive experience in securities regulation and enforcement, will provide strong leadership to the commission,” said Brenda Leong, chair and CEO of the BCSC. “We will work together to continue to build on our integrated approach to protect investors – through strong compliance programs, innovative investor education, tough enforcement and cost effective regulation.”

IE