Jessica Rich, who was forced out by the Trump administration after 25 years of working at the FTC, and was most recently the director of the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Bureau of Consumer Protection, has joined Consumer Reports as Vice President of Consumer Policy and Mobilization.
Rich is widely recognized as one of the most knowledgeable and well-respected consumer champions in the U.S. In her new role, Rich will lead the consumer policy and mobilization efforts of Consumer Reports as it addresses the most urgent threats and pain points consumers face today, such as data privacy and security, health care costs, food safety, corporate accountability, and fairness and transparency in financial markets. She joins CR as the non-profit continues to transform itself to best define and drive a new era of consumer power and protection in today’s dynamic and complex digital economy.
“For years, Jessica has stood out as one of the country’s most effective and visible leaders when it comes to vital consumer issues such as privacy, data security, and financial services,” said Marta L. Tellado, CR’s President and CEO. “We are thrilled to welcome her to our team, where her deep experience and commitment to doing right by consumers will be instrumental in empowering communities around those and other issues, and in advancing the transformation underway at CR.”
Rich said, “I am excited to be joining the CR team, whose unstinting and legendary dedication to advancing consumer power is evolving to meet new and growing threats to consumers. Consumers face new challenges daily – from the personal privacy and security implications of emerging technologies, to efforts by government to roll back critical safeguards. I am eager to support CR’s mission to improve the responsiveness of both the marketplace and policymakers.”
As Bureau Director at the FTC, Rich oversaw over 450 attorneys, investigators, and other staff working to protect consumers by enforcing the consumer protection laws, educating consumers and businesses, and spearheading policy initiatives. During Rich’s 4-year tenure, her team initiated nearly 400 law enforcement actions aimed at stopping fraud, false advertising, and privacy invasions, resulting in billions of dollars recovered for consumers who had been harmed. Rich also took action to sharpen the agency’s technological expertise – for example, establishing a new Office of Technology Research and Investigations to improve the agency’s ability to serve consumers around issues such as the Internet of Things and mobile apps. Earlier in her career, Rich was the long-time manager of the FTC’s growing privacy program, and she is widely credited with building the program from a small team to the signature program that it is today.
Prior to joining the FTC, Rich was a lawyer in private practice in New York City. She is a graduate of Harvard University and the New York University School of Law.
