UK Watchdog Appoints Three Senior Directors for New Digital Markets Regime

To bolster its leadership team, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has announced the appointment of three senior directors as it gears up for its expanded role under the new digital markets competition regime. This comes in the wake of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers (DMCC) Act, passed in May, which has bestowed the CMA with enhanced powers to promote competition within the digital markets sector. The new regime is anticipated to be operational later this year.

The newly appointed senior directors are:

Cat Batchelor

Cat Batchelor, an existing director at the CMA, has been pivotal in preparing for the new digital markets competition regime. She previously spearheaded the Digital Markets Taskforce, providing crucial advice to the government on pro-competition measures prior to the DMCC Act. Batchelor’s experience includes various roles at the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), where she focused on competition and innovation in financial services.

Tania Van den Brande

Joining the CMA from Ofcom later this year, Tania Van den Brande brings a wealth of experience in digital markets. At Ofcom, she led initiatives including a market study into cloud services and supported the implementation of the new Online Safety Act. Her expertise is expected to be invaluable as the CMA navigates the evolving digital landscape.

Related: UK’s CMA Director Returns to Cleary Gottlieb as Antitrust Partner

Euan MacMillan

Euan MacMillan, also an existing director at the CMA, has been at the forefront of preparing for the digital regime. His international experience in economic analysis, programming, and policy, including assignments in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Pakistan, positions him well to contribute to the CMA’s new responsibilities.

Will Hayter, Executive Director for Digital Markets at the CMA, expressed his enthusiasm about the appointments, stating, “This is a genuinely exciting time to work at the CMA as we drive forward preparations for the new pro-competition digital markets regime. I congratulate Cat and Euan on their promotions and warmly welcome Tania, who is bringing a wealth of digital markets experience from Ofcom. They are part of a brilliant team we are building to oversee a new, targeted regime – ensuring we will be best placed to tackle harmful practices and deliver positive outcomes for people, businesses, and the UK economy.”

The DMCC Act’s introduction marks a transformative period for the CMA, which is now tasked with enforcing a forward-looking digital markets competition regime designed to foster a fair and competitive digital marketplace.

Source: Gov UK