Investment Company Institute Names Erica Richardson Chief of Staff

Former Trump Administration official and House GOP leadership aide will retain her duties as Chief Strategic Communications Officer

WASHINGTON, Feb. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Investment Company Institute (ICI) announced today that Chief Strategic Communications Officer Erica Elliott Richardson has been promoted to Chief of Staff to ICI President and CEO Eric Pan. In this role, Richardson will oversee the coordination of the organization's advocacy and external affairs efforts across ICI departments. Richardson, a former Trump Administration official at the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and senior staffer in Republican leadership on Capitol Hill, will continue to serve as Chief Strategic Communications Officer, in addition to her new responsibilities.

"I'm thrilled that Erica will take on this new role as my Chief of Staff. Her mission will be to assist me in strengthening how we advocate before the new administration and Congress, making sure we bring all of ICI's strengths to bear. In this role, Erica will build on her success leading our award-winning Strategic Communications team in utilizing new capabilities and changing how ICI is viewed in Washington and by policymakers around the globe," said ICI President and CEO Eric J. Pan.

"ICI has been synonymous with the fund industry for more than 80 years, having been a trusted partner for lawmakers and regulators during every major policy debate since the enactment of the Investment Company Act of 1940. ICI is an authoritative voice for the middle class, and I am looking forward to working with the Trump administration and Congress to put hardworking Americans at the center of our economic recovery," said incoming Chief of Staff Erica Richardson.

"ICI's reputation is built on our world-class research and legal analysis, intricate industry knowledge, and deep relationships in the policymaking community. Eric's vision for a holistic approach bringing all of ICI's resources to further sharpen our advocacy operations will cement our position as a formidable defender of American investors," Richardson commented.

Under Richardson's leadership, ICI's strategic communications team has been focused on policy advocacy, including the Secure Financial Future campaign, which boasts hundreds of thousands of retail investor advocates. Most recently, ICI launched the new Help U.S. Retire initiative developed in anticipation of the coming tax debate in Congress. The team reaches retail investors every day on behalf of ICI members to ensure their priorities are reflected in Washington. As a result, the department has been named a PRWeek 'Best Place to Work' for two years running, and Richardson was recently named as one of Ragan PR's Top Women in Communications.

Richardson has more than twenty years of experience in strategic public affairs across government and private sectors, specializing in helping organizations manage political risk and reputational challenges. She has worked at the highest levels of the US government, in both the Administration and Congress. Richardson was a presidential appointee to the CFTC, the US derivatives regulator, where she served as the Director of External Affairs.

Her government service also includes almost a decade working in Congress in senior leadership roles, most notably as the spokesperson for Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy in the House of Representatives, counseling the congressional leadership on the communications approach to legislative initiatives under consideration, as well as non-legislative political challenges. Richardson began her tenure on Capitol Hill as a communications director working with the House Financial Services Committee during the 2007–2009 financial crisis and Dodd-Frank legislative process.

Prior to ICI, Richardson established the financial services public affairs practice for FTI Consulting's DC office, advising domestic and international clients on global public policy and communications. Richardson holds bachelor's and master's degrees from Auburn University and a doctorate in law and policy from Northeastern University.

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SOURCE Investment Company Institute