Senior appointments at the Financial Services Authority

Anna Bradley, currently Director of the National Consumer Council, has been appointed Director of Consumer Affairs reporting to FSA Managing Director John Tiner. The Consumer Division leads the work of the FSA to promote public understanding of the financial system and on consumer protection, including managing the FSAs relationship with the Financial Services Compensation Scheme and the Financial Ombudsman Service. She will join the FSA at the end of this year.

David Strachan, currently FSA Director Deposit Takers, has been appointed Director of Insurance Firms, also reporting to John Tiner. The Division is responsible for the supervision of more than 800 insurance companies and friendly societies and the Society of Lloyds. His appointment will take effect on 1 October 2002.

Philip Robinson, currently Director of the FSA Pensions Review, will take over from David Strachan as Director Deposit Takers, reporting to Managing Director Michael Foot. This division is responsible for regulating around 250 banks and building societies, some 670 credit unions, and e-money issuers. His appointment will also take effect on 1 October 2002.

John Tiner said:

"I am delighted that Anna Bradley is joining us. She is a recognised authority on consumer affairs. Her expertise will help us deliver a step-change in our work to improve public understanding of the financial system."

"I am very pleased that David will be taking on this key role in insurance regulation at such a critical time. He will help me to take forward the fundamental changes we are introducing in this area. His experience of financial regulation at a senior level both at the FSA and formerly at the Bank of England will enable the FSA to maintain the momentum of the ambitious programme of reforms to the insurance regime we inherited."

Michael Foot said:

"I am very pleased that Philip with his long senior experience of both regulation and the financial sector, and his recent successful contribution to the Pensions Review, will be taking on the key supervisory role of Director Deposit Takers Division "

Notes for editors

1. Anna Bradley (45) has been Director of the National Consumers Council since January 1999. She also held a number of posts at the Consumers Association between 1982 and 1993. From 1993 until the end of 1998 she was Executive Director and Company Secretary for the Institute for the Study of Drug Dependence. Before joining the Consumers Association she worked in an editorial role for Marshall Cavendish Publications.

2. David Strachan (39) has been Director of Deposit Takers Division at the Financial Services Authority since April 2001. Between 1998 and 2001 he was Head of Market Conduct and Infrastructure in the FSAs Market & Exchanges Division. During that time, he was responsible for the implementation of the new market abuse regime and production of the FSAs Code of Market Conduct. David joined the FSA in 1998 from the Bank of England where he worked in banking supervision and in market operations.

3. Philip Robinson (48) has been Director of the FSAs Pensions Review since February 2001. The Review has overseen the payment of around 11.5 billion in compensation to 1.1 million people who were mis-sold personal pensions in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Philip is also responsible for the FSAs Community Affairs programme. From late 1997 to February 2001 he was the FSAs Director of Communications and Corporate Affairs. From 1993 and 1997 he worked at the Investment Management Regulatory Organisation (IMRO) where he was Chief Operating Officer. An accountant by training he worked for a number of City firms before becoming a regulator.

4. The Pensions Review is now nearing completion and management responsibility for it will in future lie with the FSAs Investment Firms Division. There will not be a successor at Director level.

5. The FSA regulates the financial services industry and has four objectives under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000: maintaining market confidence; promoting public understanding of the financial system; securing the appropriate degree of protection of consumers; and fighting financial crime.

6. The FSA aims to maintain efficient, orderly and clean financial markets and help retail consumers achieve a fair deal.