The FCA has appointed Johan Sekora as chief operating officer from the start of June.
Relocating from Stockholm, he brings 25 years of financial services experience and is a leading European voice on the importance of industry collaboration and the use of technology to tackle financial crime.
In recent years he has worked on accelerating the use of data and artificial intelligence to address emerging risks. He joins from major Swedish bank SEB, where he was global head of financial crime prevention.
He has also served as chair of SAMLIT, the Swedish banking sector’s financial crime collaboration with the Swedish police.
Prior to joining SEB, he spent 20 years with HSBC in the UK and internationally, most recently as global chief operating officer, regulatory compliance.
The regulator said Mr Sekora will play a central role in supporting its strategy to be a ‘smarter, more effective regulator.’
Mr Sekora said: “As the leading and largest European regulator, the FCA leads from the front in many regulated areas by protecting customers, driving smarter regulation, and combatting financial crime through collaboration and the use of AI.”
Separately, Simon Walls has also been appointed as executive director of markets, a role he has been filling on a temporary basis since 2024.
Mr Walls joined the FCA in 2006 and has held senior roles across wholesale markets, including policy, asset management and banking supervision. He played a key role in navigating significant events affecting markets, including the LIBOR (the London Interbank Offered Rate) transition and the UK’s exit from the EU.
He was the head of the wholesale markets department from 2016, before taking up the post of director of sell-side in 2022.
Before joining the FCA, Simon started his career on the graduate scheme at the Bank of England and holds qualifications in economics and law.
Nikhil Rathi, chief executive of the FCA said: “A strong leadership team is a crucial part of us being the smarter regulator we aspire to be. Simon’s appointment provides continuity as we continue to reform our wholesale markets, while Johan brings significant international experience that will help us operate more efficiently and effectively in the interests of consumers, markets and the wider economy.”