Sallie Mae has appointed Mark Heleen senior vice president and general counsel.

Heleen, who joined Sallie Mae in 1998, has held responsibility for all legal matters for the financing and derivative transactions of the company, including the company’s recent $3 billion equity offering, its $34 billion asset-backed commercial paper facility and its $2.5 billion unsecured senior notes issue. Most recently, Heleen has worked with federal officials on the company’s implementation of the U.S. Department of Education’s loan participation and purchase program.

Prior to joining Sallie Mae in 1998, Heleen worked as an attorney for PNC Bank and Tucker Arensberg, PC in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.