"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."
Ashley is currently CEO of the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) in Hong Kong, a role he has held since 2011. Ashley also chairs the Board of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) and sits on the Financial Stability Board's Plenary and its Steering Committee.
Ashley is expected to take up his role as FCA Chair in January for a five-year term.
The FCA has also announced the appointment of six new directors, filling a mix of new and existing roles.
Roma Pearson has been appointed as the FCA’s director of consumer finance, responsible for the supervision and policy development in the consumer lending sector. Roma has been at the FCA and its predecessors since 1996, most recently as a head of department in the risk and compliance oversight division.
Camille Blackburn will join the FCA in October to the newly created role of director of wholesale buy-side. In her new role, Camille will be responsible for policy development and the effective supervision across asset management, alternative investments, custody banks and investment research. Camille will join the FCA from Legal & General Investment Management, where she is currently global chief compliance officer.
Matthew Long has been appointed as director of payments and digital assets, a new role overseeing the e-money, payment and crypto-asset markets and leading related policy development. Matthew is currently a director within the National Economic Crime Command within the National Crime Agency, which has a strategic leadership role for economic crime and illicit finance. He also led the UK Financial Intelligence Unit.
Anthony Monaghan has been promoted within the FCA to director of retail and regulatory investigations, which he has been covering on an interim basis since April 2021. Anthony will be responsible for the FCA’s regulatory investigations in sectors including banking, insurance, financial advice and personal pensions.
Karen Baxter will join the FCA’s enforcement team as director of strategy, policy, international and intelligence. In her role, Karen will lead the specialised functions that support the breadth of the FCA’s enforcement and market oversight activities, helping ensure it has the tools it needs to do its work effectively. Karen had a 30-year policing career, holding senior roles including as commander and national coordinator for economic crime at the City of London Police.
Simon Walls, who was appointed interim director in May, will continue in the role of director of wholesale on a permanent basis.
Richard Lloyd, interim chair of the FCA, commented: "We are looking forward to working with Ashley as he takes over the leadership of the FCA’s Board next year. As the FCA continues to strengthen its vital work to protect consumers and our financial markets, his deep experience of leading a major international regulator will help us deliver our ambitious strategy for the future."
Nikhil Rathi, chief executive of the Financial Conduct Authority, said: "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. 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."
