New Zealand FMA appoints Margot Gatland as Head of Enforcement

The Financial Markets Authority (FMA), New Zealand’s financial watchdog, has confirmed the appointment of Margot Gatland as its new Head of Enforcement.

Margot Gatland joined the FMA in December 2017 as a senior solicitor. She already led a number of successful FMA prosecutions and was most recently Acting Head of Enforcement at the FMA.

The litigation lawyer’s past work experience includes jobs in New Zealand and the United Kingom, having worked at the Serious Fraud Office, Meredith Connell, commercial firms, and in government.

Liam Mason, FMA General Counsel, said: “Margot Gatland has been confirmed as our new Head of Enforcement after an extensive local and international search. This is a crucial role, responsible for leading all the FMA’s work to enforce the law and prosecute misconduct.

“Given the importance of enforcement at the FMA, we wanted to test the market to ensure we appointed the best person to the role. We received a high level of interest from both local and overseas candidates. The interest in the role reflects the high regard in which the FMA is held, and we’re delighted that we have the right skills and experience inside the FMA with Margot.”

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The New Zealand regulator appointed experienced international regulator Samantha Barrass as its new Chief Executive in January 2022 after announcing the hire in September 2021.

FMA Chair Mark Todd said Ms. Barrass has a strong New Zealand connection and brings deep international regulatory experience and leadership skills to the role.

She has worked in a range of regulatory and executive roles in the UK and Europe. Between 2014 and 2019, Ms. Barrass was the Chief Executive Officer of the financial regulator in Gibraltar. The role encompassed conduct and prudential regulatory oversight. Earlier in her career, she worked for nine years in a number of roles at the Financial Services Authority in the UK (now the Financial Conduct Authority).

Most recently, Ms. Barrass led the establishment of the UK’s Business Banking Resolution Service, an innovative service designed to resolve disputes between banks and their business customers. She has also held senior roles at the UK Solicitors Regulatory Authority and the London Investment Banking Association.

After graduating in economics from the University of Canterbury in Christchurch and completing post-graduate study at Victoria University of Wellington, Ms. Barrass began her career as an economist at the Reserve Bank of New Zealand. She then moved to the UK to attend the London School of Economics, where she was awarded an MSc.