HM Treasury has announced this morning that it has started the search for the next Chair of the PSR and FCA. While the search for Charles Randell’s permanent successor concludes, Aidene Walsh will act as Interim Chair of the PSR from 1 April 2022. Richard Lloyd OBE will act as Interim Chair of the FCA from 1 June 2022.

Aidene Walsh is currently a non-executive director of the PSR, and an executive director with Banking Competition Remedies Ltd (BCR), the organisation established to implement the Alternative Remedies Package of measures agreed between the UK Government and the European Commission. Prior to joining BCR, she was CEO of The Fairbanking Foundation ​after senior roles in global transaction banking.

Richard Lloyd OBE is currently the Senior Independent Director of the FCA Board, and is chair of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority and vice-chair of the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute. He has previously held executive positions at Which?, Consumers International and Shelter.

Charles Randell said, “I am very pleased that both Richard and Aidene have agreed to Chair the FCA and PSR Boards on an interim basis while the search for my permanent successor concludes. I am confident that under their leadership both organisations will continue to deliver on their strategies to become more agile and assertive regulators.”

Aidene Walsh said, “The PSR Board and Executive team are extremely grateful to Charles for his leadership as Chair since 2018. He has taken the PSR on its development journey and has recently delivered its 5-year strategy and demonstrated that it will intervene to ensure good outcomes for users of payment systems. I am delighted to be asked to be interim chair building on the strong foundations Charles has set in what is a fast-evolving payments sector.”

Richard Lloyd said, “I’m honoured to be asked to be interim chair of the FCA. The FCA Board is hugely grateful to Charles Randell for all that he has done over the last four years as chair. Charles is an outstanding public servant who has worked tirelessly to support consumers and businesses through the most turbulent of times. Under his leadership, wide-ranging improvements to the way the FCA does its job are already making a positive difference for the financial services industry and millions of people’s lives.“

 

Notes for Editors:

  1. The Chair of the FCA is an appointment of HM Treasury. The Chair of the PSR is an appointment of the FCA Board, with the approval of HM Treasury.