President Donald Trump on Tuesday nominated Janet Dhillon, a former chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), as director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC).
Dhillon was previously nominated by Trump in 2017 to chair the EEOC, before being confirmed in May 2019. She would go on to serve her role until January 2021 and would continue to work in the EEOC until she resigned in November 2022.
After her time at the EEOC, Dhillon served a brief stint as chief legal officer and corporate secretary for retailer giant Dollar Tree Stores.
During her tenure as chair of the commission, Dhillon obtained over $535 million in recovery for victims of workplace discrimination, as stated by the EEOC.
Prior to joining the EEOC, Dhillon served as executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary of Burlington Stores, Inc. She was also previously the executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary of J.C. Penney Company, Inc., and before that, the senior vice president, general counsel and chief compliance officer of U.S. Airways Group, Inc, now American Airlines.
Dhillon served as counsel at law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP for over 10 years at the start of her career. She received a bachelor’s degree from Occidental College and a juris doctor degree from the UCLA School of Law.
Dhillon’s nomination is currently being considered by the Senate Finance Committee and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP). If confirmed, she would serve as head of the agency for five years and would be responsible for protecting defined benefit (DB) plans for over 30 million workers.
Ann Orr, who was designated by former President Joe Biden, has served as acting director of the PBGC since May 2024, following Gordon Hartogensis departure after his five-year term concluded on April 30, 2024.
SEE ALSO:
PBGC Names Ann Orr as Acting Director
Amanda Umpierrez is the Managing Editor of 401(k) Specialist magazine. She is a financial services reporter with over six years of experience and a passion for telling stories and reporting news. Amanda received her degree in journalism and government and politics at St. John’s University. She is originally from Queens, New York, but now resides in Denver, Colorado with her partner. In her free time, Amanda enjoys running, cooking, and watching the latest drama show.
