Former SEC Corporate Governance Division Chief Counsel Named Anti-Investment Scam Advisor of Scam Watch Pilipinas

• IN PHOTO: Anti-Investment Scam and Corporate and Securities Advisor Atty. Joanne Ranada and Scam Watch Pilipinas Co-Founder Jocel de Guzman.

Scam Watch Pilipinas has named former Securities and Exchange Commission Corporate Governance (SEC) Division Chief Counsel Atty. Joanne L. Ranada as its Anti-Investment Scam and Corporate and Securities Advisor, strengthening the organization’s legal capability as it expands its nationwide anti-fraud advocacy and public education programs.

Scam Watch Pilipinas Co-Founder Jocel de Guzman welcomed the appointment, saying Ranada’s extensive experience in securities regulation and corporate governance will help strengthen the group’s work in protecting the public from fraudulent investment schemes.

“We are honored to welcome Atty. Joanne Ranada to Scam Watch Pilipinas as our Anti-Investment Scam and Corporate and Securities Advisor. Her experience both as a regulator and a corporate lawyer gives our advocacy a strong legal foundation, particularly in addressing the growing problem of investment scams,” de Guzman said.

Ranada previously served at SEC where she held key roles in both the Corporate Governance and Finance Department and the Company Registration and Monitoring Department. She served as Chief Counsel and Officer in Charge of the Corporate Governance Division where she supervised corporate governance compliance of publicly listed companies, reviewed regulatory reports, issued legal opinions, and helped draft memorandum circulars related to corporate governance and securities regulation.

Earlier, she worked as Securities Counsel III in the Securities Registration Division and the Corporate and Partnership Registration Division where she reviewed registration statements, corporate applications, mergers and acquisitions, and compliance reports of Philippine corporations and registered issuers of securities.

Ranada continues to be recognized for her expertise in securities regulation and has been tapped by the SEC to deliver talks and lectures on investment scams and investor protection, helping educate the public on how fraudulent investment schemes operate.

De Guzman said Ranada’s experience in securities regulation will be particularly valuable as Scam Watch Pilipinas expands its educational programs to combat fraudulent investment schemes that continue to victimize Filipinos.

As part of her role, Ranada will lead the organization’s anti-investment-scam training programs, delivered through community education sessions, private-sector partnerships, and the Scam Watch Pilipinas Volunteer Watcher network.

“Investment scams are among the most damaging forms of fraud because they prey on people’s hopes to grow their savings. Through Atty. Ranada’s leadership, we want to equip Filipinos with the knowledge to recognize warning signs and avoid falling victim to these schemes,” de Guzman said.

Following her work in government, Ranada moved to private practice, where she held senior legal positions in major institutions, including Quisumbing Torres, the Philippine member firm of Baker McKenzie, Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Aboitiz Power Corporation, and BDO Private Bank. She is currently Principal and Local Partner for Corporate Services at Forvis Mazars Philippines, where she provides advisory services on corporate structures, mergers and acquisitions, regulatory compliance, and governance.

Beyond legal practice, Ranada is also active in the legal academe. She teaches corporation law and securities regulation in several law schools and serves as a bar review lecturer in commercial law.