New members bring wide-ranging expertise to support the CMA’s independent work.
12 new independent members of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)’s panel have been appointed by the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (DBIST).
The panel currently consists of 22 members who are appointed for up to 8 years and act as independent decision makers in some of the CMA’s work – including phase 2 market investigations, merger inquiries and regulatory appeals.
The appointments will take effect in September and October 2026 and bring together extensive experience across business, academia, economics, finance and technology.
Appointments starting 1 September 2026
- Shamshad Ali is a chartered accountant and experienced finance and strategy professional with board roles, including at the University of Reading and ICAEW.
- Vicky Boiten-Lee is an experienced energy and retail executive with expertise in pricing, distribution, strategy and M&A.
- Martina Garcia is a financial services expert and economist with senior experience at the London Stock Exchange Group and HM Treasury.
- Patrick Bartlett is a chartered accountant with more than 35 years’ experience in finance and audit, including senior financial and board roles.
- Aodhan O’Donnell is a consumer protection, regulation and market analysis expert with extensive experience across regulated sectors and digital markets.
- Professor Helen Simpson teaches economics at the University of Bristol, specialising in productivity, innovation, foreign direct investment and place-based policies.
Appointments starting 1 October 2026
- Michael Bender is an experienced global business consultant with a background in management, leadership and technology.
- Dr Sarah Deasley is an economist with more than 35 years’ experience advising governments, regulators, businesses and investors on competition, regulation and infrastructure.
- Professor Ioannis Kokkoris teaches competition law and economics at Queen Mary University of London, with extensive experience in competition law, policy and enforcement.
- Stephen Unger is a former Ofcom executive board member with extensive experience in technology, telecommunications and regulation.
- Frances Warburton brings regulatory and competition expertise with more than 30 years’ experience across the public and private sectors, including senior roles at the OFT and Ofgem.
- Patricia Treacy is a competition and intellectual property lawyer and former partner at Bristows LLP, with extensive legal and judicial experience.
Notes to editors
- Members are appointed to the CMA panel by the Secretary of State for Business for up to 8 years. They are appointed through open competition for their experience, ability and diversity of skills in competition, economics, law, finance and business.
- Biographies of the new panel members are available online.
For media enquiries, contact the CMA press office.
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Facts Only
Twelve new independent members were appointed to the CMA panel by DBIST.
The panel currently has 22 members serving up to eight years.
Appointments start in September and October 2026.
Members starting September 1, 2026, include Shamshad Ali, Vicky Boiten-Lee, Martina Garcia, Patrick Bartlett, Aodhan O’Donnell, and Professor Helen Simpson.
Members starting October 1, 2026, include Michael Bender, Dr Sarah Deasley, Professor Ioannis Kokkoris, Stephen Unger, Frances Warburton, and Patricia Treacy.
Members are appointed through open competition based on experience, ability, and diversity of skills in competition, economics, law, finance, and business.
Executive Summary
Full Take
The structure of the appointments suggests a deliberate effort to diversify the panel's expertise across several crucial domains—finance, regulation, law, academia, and technology—to enhance the scope of independent decision-making within the CMA. The phasing of appointments across two overlapping start dates, spanning September and October 2026, indicates a strategic timeline for integrating new perspectives over time. The inclusion of experts spanning chartered accountancy, energy executive experience, economic theory, public regulation (Ofcom/OFT background), and specialized legal knowledge reflects an attempt to build comprehensive analytical capacity capable of handling complex market investigations and regulatory appeals.
The pattern observed is the use of high-credentialed individuals from varied sectors—finance, public service, and higher education—to confer legitimacy and breadth upon a body tasked with oversight. This bolsters the argument that effective competition regulation requires an interdisciplinary synthesis rather than a narrow focus on a single discipline. The implication is that future regulatory decisions will be informed by a wider spectrum of practical, theoretical, and legal realities.
What assumptions are embedded in this selection? Does the weighting of these fields adequately reflect current market complexities where technology, finance, and cross-sectoral regulation intersect? What specific gaps in expertise does this new cohort aim to fill in relation to ongoing regulatory challenges?