The insurance and financial services sector have seen a wave of senior appointments, with the FCA confirming two permanent additions to its executive team and London broker Price Forbes installing a new joint managing director in its accident and health business.
The FCA has appointed Simon Walls (pictured above, left) as permanent executive director, markets, after he held the post on an interim basis since 2024. The regulator said the move provides continuity at what it described as a volatile period for UK and global markets.
Walls is expected to push on with work to strengthen the FCA's approach to wholesale markets and to rebalance risk to support a more resilient financial system. He joined the watchdog in 2006 and has held senior positions across wholesale markets, policy, asset management and banking supervision.
His earlier remit included steering markets through the LIBOR transition and the UK's exit from the European Union.
The FCA has separately appointed Johan Sekora (pictured above, right) as chief operating officer, with the Stockholm-based executive relocating to take up the post at the start of June. He brings more than 25 years of financial services experience to the regulator.
Sekora has been a prominent European voice on industry collaboration and the application of technology to combat financial crime. He has worked extensively on the use of data and artificial intelligence to address emerging risks.
FCA chief executive Nikhil Rathi said a strong leadership team was "a crucial part of us being the smarter regulator we aspire to be". He said Walls' appointment supports continuity in wholesale markets reform, while Sekora brings international experience that will help the regulator operate more effectively for consumers and markets.
In a separate development, Price Forbes has appointed Finn Cackett as joint managing director of its accident and health (A&H) division, effective immediately. He will be based in London and report to David Merry, head of A&H at the insurance broker.
In his new role he will oversee business production, develop and execute growth strategies, and design new products for the division.
Merry said Cackett was "exactly the kind of talent we are looking to attract as we continue to scale", adding that he is highly regarded across the market.
The hire, he added, reflects both the strength of the Price Forbes platform and the broker's ambition for future growth in the A&H insurance segment.
