Scott Baret was appointed a vice chairman of Deloitte and the leader of its banking and securities practice, which provides services to each of the banks and securities firms listed on the Fortune 500.

Baret, partner, Deloitte Risk and Financial Advisory, Deloitte & Touche has more than 26 years of experience focused on advising Deloitte’s largest domestic and international banking and securities clients.

He succeeds Kenny Smith, a vice chairman of Deloitte, who was named to the role in 2014 and retains his position as Deloitte’s national financial services industry leader. Smith also spearheads a number of significant client and relationship efforts.

Baret will lead the overall strategic direction of the sector as well as its go-to-market strategies and resources. Banking and securities represents the largest sector by both revenue and headcount at Deloitte, with more than 6,000 client-focused professionals.

Most recently, Baret led large client projects at Deloitte related to the current financial environment in the areas of operations, risk management and governance. These projects have focused on transforming the way boards and organizations approach risk management and governance, which often includes evaluating the use of data from trade operations, finance and compliance.

Baret formerly led Deloitte Risk and Financial Advisory’s U.S. banking and securities practice, as well as its global financial services industry practice globally in the risk and financial advisory business.

A frequent commentator, Baret has contributed to Deloitte’s reports on board governance, structured products and a series on the new financial marketplace following the financial crisis. He has also contributed to whitepapers from the Group of Thirty as well as the Institute of International Finance, covering such topics as conduct risk, risk culture, risk management and governance.

“It’s a transformative moment in the banking sector,” said Smith. “Scott has demonstrated a deep commitment to our clients and our people, and I’m confident the sector will continue to thrive under Scott’s leadership.”