The FCA has hired a financial consultant specialising in retirement market intelligence.

Robert Holford becomes a technical specialist at the regulator.

He leaves his role at financial consultancy Spence Johnson.

The FCA confirmed the appointment but declined to make any further comment.

Mr Johnson has eight years’ experience in the asset management and consultancy industry.

At Spence Johnson, he led the delivery of the retirement practice’s market intelligence and consultancy services focused on the DC and Retirement Income markets. The company said his clients include a range of financial industry participants including asset managers, pension’s providers and insurance firms.

The firm said he had presented at a number of conferences, including Workplace Pensions Live 2014 and the Allianz-Oxford Pensions Conference, as well as being a regular contributor to Asset TV’s DC master classes.

Previously, he worked as a business consultant for Investit, a management consultant focused exclusively on the investment management firms.

His career also included a four year stint at Cambridge Associate’s manager research team, researching long-only equity, fixed income and property managers operating within the UK and EMEA region.

He studied English at Cambridge University before gaining a Graduate Diploma in Law at BPP Law School.

He also has a MRes, International Political Economy & Global Governance (Global Politics) from Birkbeck, University of London.