2025 The FCA in Focus: Competitiveness, Private Markets, & the Future of UK Regulation

Howard Cornwell

Manager, Alternatives Supervision Team, Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)

Howard manages the Alternatives Supervision team within the Wholesale Buyside Directorate. He has worked at the FCA for over 6 years, prior to which he worked in the RBS group for 19 years in various roles.

Current team priorities include supporting Private Markets Multi Firms reviews and structured engagement, working with Hedge Funds in relation to risk management processes, and identification of smaller firms with complex products and a retail investors nexus.

Joshua Evans

Senior Market Analyst, Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)

Joshua is a senior market analyst in the FCA’s Asset Management Sector Team. He led the private market valuations review and has previously worked on the Bank of England’s system-wide exploratory scenario, analysing the funds sector.

Damian Finlayson

Lead Supervisor, Asset Management Supervision, Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)

Damian Finlayson is the Lead Supervisor within Asset Management Supervision. Prior to his current role, he worked within the Economics and Competition teams at the FCA across a number of regulatory initiatives. Current priorities include leading the Conflicts of Interest multi-firm review, which is looking to assess how firms oversee their policies and the application of their conflict-of-interest framework.

Gavin Haran

Asset Management & Investment Funds Policy, Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)

Gavin Haran leads the FCA’s reforms to the UK’s AIFM regime and is also working on institutional investment in private markets.

Prior to this, he worked for the British law firm Macfarlanes and for JP Morgan. He began his career at HM Treasury working on banks during and after the Global Financial Crisis.