Former US Attorney Mary Jo White has been sworn in as chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

White was nominated to serve as the US authority’s chairman by President Barack Obama in February and the move was confirmed by the US Senate this week.

She served as the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York from 1993 to 2002 - a role in which she prosecuted complex securities and financial institution frauds, while also focusing on international terrorism cases.

Before that, White served as the first assistant US Attorney, and later acting US Attorney, for the Eastern District of New York between 1990 and 1993.

After leaving her US Attorney post, White became chair of the litigation department at Debevoise & Plimpton in New York, where she led a team of some 200 lawyers. She served as a litigation partner at the firm between 1983 and 1990, having also worked as an associate there from 1976 to 1978.

White has also served as a director of the Nasdaq Stock Exchange.