FCA names new consumer finance head
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has confirmed six new senior appointments including a new director of consumer finance, as the City regulator continues its hiring spree.
Veteran regulation specialist Roma Pearson has been named director of consumer finance, with responsibility for supervision and policy development in the consumer lending and mortgages sectors.
Pearson has been with the FCA and its predecessors since 1996, and was most recently a head of department in the risk and compliance oversight division.
Meanwhile Camille Blackburn will join the FCA in October as director of wholesale buy-side – a newly-created role.
Blackburn was previously global chief compliance officer at Legal & General Investment Management. In her new role she will be in charge of policy development and the effective supervision across asset management, alternative investments, custody banks and investment research.
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Matthew Long has been appointed in another newly created role, as director of payments and digital assets.
He will oversee the e-money, payment and crypto-asset markets and leading related policy development. Long will join the FCA in October from his current role as a director within the National Economic Crime Command within the National Crime Agency.
Anthony Monaghan has been promoted within the FCA to become director of retail and regulatory investigations, which he has been covering on an interim basis since April 2021. He will be responsible for the FCA’s regulatory investigations in sectors including banking, insurance, financial advice and personal pensions.
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And Karen Baxter will join the FCA’s enforcement team as director of strategy, policy, international and intelligence. In this role, Baxter will support the FCA’s enforcement and market oversight activities. She has previously held a number of senior roles including as commander and national coordinator for economic crime at the City of London Police. She will join the FCA in September.
Finally, Simon Walls will continue in the role of director of wholesale, sell-ide on a permanent basis, after being made interim director in May.
“As our remit grows and to deliver on our ambitious strategy, we’re continuing to develop and bring in the skills and talent we need,” said Nikhil Rathi, chief executive of the FCA.
“My executive committee colleagues and I are delighted to announce the latest additions to our leadership team, who will each bring deep expertise and broad experience to the FCA.”
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