Sara Badler of New York Life Insurance Co. (courtesy photo)

Sara Badler has moved in and out of the law, including a stint as a third-grade teacher in the South Bronx, but has finally found her home at New York Life Insurance Co., where she will become chief compliance officer on Jan. 1.

"My time teaching was deeply fulfilling," Badler told Corporate Counsel, and she says it taught her an important lesson.

"I learned that people learn and work in different ways," she said. "There is no one right way for every person or for all situations. Being aware of this is important when it comes to leading, no matter your role."

Badler currently heads all compliance functions for New York Life Investments, the global asset management business of New York Life based in New York.

In her new post as chief compliance officer for the parent company, Badler will report to Sheila Davidson, New York Life's chief legal officer and executive vice president.

"Sara has done a tremendous job on behalf of New York Life Investments, and New York Life will continue to benefit from her sound judgment and ability to identify and resolve complex issues in a dynamic environment," Davidson said in a statement. "I am confident that she will further New York Life's ability to successfully navigate the ever-changing business and regulatory landscapes."

Badler acknowledged her on-and-off relationship with the law.

After earning her law degree from Fordham University School of Law, she worked for eight years as an associate counsel, first at Damson Oil Corp. and then at Oppenheimer Funds Inc. Looking for something more, she left the law and earned a master's degree in early childhood education from Bank Street College of Education in 1994.

After her teaching stint, Badler decided to rejoin the corporate world and became general counsel of Van Kampen Investments Inc. in 1999.

She then joined New York Life Investments in 2004 and was named deputy general counsel in 2007. She served as chief investment counsel until she took over the compliance team in 2009.

Badler's career has moved in and out of the compliance space as well.

"I spent most of my career serving as in-house counsel," she said. "At different times, I had responsibility for both legal and compliance departments."

Badler said she appreciates the "unique vantage point" of working in compliance.

"The work involves assessing the regulatory framework and determining what needs to be done and how to make it work within a particular organization," she explained. "The initiatives are concrete and require in-depth knowledge of an organization's operations and strategies, as well as the applicable regulations."

At New York Life, Badler will succeed Barbara McInerney, who is retiring at the end of the year after over 20 years with the Fortune 100 company.

Badler said fortunately McInerney is leaving her with "a strong compliance program in place and a talented team to implement the program."

She said her top priorities will be addressing regulatory initiatives that impact the company, building knowledge transfer opportunities across the various compliance teams, and enhancing personal and career development programs.