The Clearing House, a national bank-owned private sector payments provider and industry forum, has named Paul Saltzman executive vice president, general counsel, and head of The Clearing House Association, effective immediately.

Saltzman will report to CEO James Aramanda. He succeeds Norm Nelson, who retired after more than 20 years of service.

In his new role, Saltzman will have the dual responsibility of overseeing the legal, compliance, and litigation functions for the organization's payments business and steering the strategic agenda for The Clearing House Association, a not-for profit, membership-based business league. The Association represents the interests of The Clearing House ownership on a diverse range of legal, tax, finance, and regulatory matters through position papers, comment letters, and amicus curiae briefs.

Saltzman brings 25 years of experience in financial services, emerging technology, and industry associations. For nearly a decade, he served as executive vice president and general counsel for the Bond Market Association (now SIFMA), where he established and managed the regulatory and legal agenda for the fixed income industry. Under his direction, The Bond Market Association significantly increased its output, visibility, and credibility with legislators and regulators, including The Federal Reserve Board, the Securities and Exchange Commission, The Treasury Department, and the European Central Bank.

Prior to joining Clearing House, Saltzman was the managing director and general counsel of Ellington Management Group, an alternative investment manager specializing in mortgage-backed securities, and executive vice president and chief operating officer of Espeed, a publicly traded electronic marketplace. Saltzman was also formerly the in-house counsel for Greenwich Capital Markets and Kidder Peabody and Co., as well as an attorney for New York and Washington, D.C. firms.