By Dawn Kopecki and Chris Prentice

NEW YORK, March 16 (Reuters) – The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s enforcement director will be leaving the agency in a sudden move coming just over six months after she started on the job, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Monday.

Former military judge Margaret Ryan has led the SEC’s enforcement unit since joining the agency in early September. Ryan had a background as a lawyer but little experience specific to securities law. Republican Chairman Paul Atkins took the helm at the SEC last April and took several months to get top leaders in place, including Ryan.

In an email seen by Reuters, Ryan said she was resigning effective immediately in a move that caught many off-guard. The SEC did not respond immediately to requests for comment.

“We have achieved things over the past six months and I know that this critical work will continue,” she said in the email.

(Reporting by Dawn Kopecki and Chris Prentice in New York)

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