The Securities Industry Association (SIA) has hired two new employees in the Corporate Communications Department.
Travis Larson has been named the new vice president, Corporate Communications and Ben Veghte has been appointed to the position of coordinator, Corporate Communications. Both will be based at SIA.s Washington, DC office. Before coming to SIA, Larson worked at Clear Channel Communications as the director of Communications, Government Affairs. Among his many responsibilities, Larson served as an on-the-record spokesperson and media strategist. Prior to his time at Clear Channel, Larson was Director of Communications for the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association serving as the spokesperson for the wireless industry. In addition to his communication experience in the private sector, Larson also honed his skills while working for the International Republican Institute and Senator John McCain’s 2000 campaign for the Republican Presidential nomination, during which he traveled across the nation with more than 150 reporters. A native of Arizona, Larson is a Georgetown University grad with a Bachelors degree in Government, International Relations.
Hailing from Connecticut, Veghte previously worked at the Reinsurance Association of America as a Federal Affairs & Communications Associate. In this role, he worked on issues such as insurance regulatory reform, US-EU financial service industry relations, and the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act. Veghte has an extensive background as a published writer for two newspapers. Getting his start as a News Reporter, Veghte eventually worked his way up to the position of Managing Editor for The Muhlenberg Weekly. Additionally, Veghte also worked as an intern Reporter for The Allentown Times where he wrote both news and feature stories. Veghte is a graduate of Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA, where he was a double major in Political Science and Communications. He has studied in London at both The American School in London and Huron University.
“We are very excited about the recent appointments of Travis Larson and Ben Veghte to our Corporate Communications Department,” said Christina Martin, Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications. “Travis has a significant amount of experience in the communications field and a stellar record of achievement. Ben will also prove to be an important addition to SIA. His enthusiasm and energy coupled together with his writing skills place him in a position to achieve much success. I’m confident that these two will prove to be invaluable to us as we continue to promote the positive image of the securities industry.”