Jonathan McKernan

Jonathan P. McKernan is an American lawyer who is serving Under Secretary of the Treasury for Domestic Finance. He was previously was a member of the board of directors of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

Early life and education McKernan attended the University of Tennessee, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in economics, and the Duke University School of Law, where he received a Juris Doctor with high honors. He is married.

Career After his education, McKernan became a banking lawyer and worked for Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale, Dorr LLP and Hogan Lovells US LLP. In 2017, he became an aide to U.S. Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee, advising him on financial issues. He was sworn in as a member of the board of directors on January 5, 2023.

On February 11, 2025, President Donald Trump nominated McKernan to serve as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). McKernan's nomination was supported by numerous business groups. During his confirmation hearings, McKernan criticized the CFPB for being overly aggressive against financial institutions during the Biden administration. McKernan said, "We've got to refocus it on its mission. We need to right-size it, make sure that we have an efficient CFPB and we need to reinstate some accountability to our elected officials." He was confirmed by the Senate on October 7, 2025.