The Options Clearing Corp., the world's largest equity derivatives clearing organization, has hired a new general counsel along with three other executives.

The Chicago-based clearinghouse announced Thursday it had appointed Janet Angstadt as executive vice president and GC. She'll be focused on compliance and regulatory issues while overseeing the strategic direction of OCC's legal programs.

Janet Angstadt.

Angstadt, who started her new job Monday, will report to CEO John Davidson and also serve on OCC's management committee. She joins OCC after having spent the past 12 years as a partner at Katten Muchin Rosenman, where she was co-head of the firm's financial services practice in Chicago.

After graduating from DePaul University College of Law in 1990, Angstadt began her law career as a senior counsel for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission before going into private practice as an associate at Schiff Hardin, according to her LinkedIn profile.

She later took an in-house position as deputy general counsel at Archipelago Holdings Inc., an electronic stock exchange that NYSE Group Inc. acquired in 2006. She went on to serve as general counsel of the new entity, NYSE Arca Inc., until she joined Katten a year later.

Angstadt was not available to comment, according to a spokesman for OCC. The group was founded in 1973 and operates under the jurisdiction of the SEC as a registered clearing agency and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

OCC also has named Saqib Jamshed as senior vice president of model risk governance; Pat Hickey as senior vice president of product and business development; and Sandeep Maira as first vice president and head of risk solution delivery and support.

Davidson, the CEO, said in a prepared statement that the “appointments demonstrate OCC's continued ability to attract the best talent as we work to stay ahead of risk, foster innovation and lead the U.S. equity options industry in developing further efficiencies and growth.”

The group's chief operating officer, Scot Warren, added that the “additions to OCC's management team will help us sustain our resiliency, enhance our operations, and help us continue to develop innovative technology solutions to better serve the users of the equity options markets.”