The UK's financial watchdog has named Mark Steward and Barbara Frohn in two key executive roles.

The UK's Financial Conduct Authority has hired Mark Steward as its new director of enforcement and market oversight and Barbara Frohn as director of risk and compliance oversight.

Steward takes on the new role from his position as head of enforcement at the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission, while Frohn is currently managing director at Banco Santander.

Both will join the FCA in early autumn and will be based in London. As part of the watchdog's new strategic approach, Steward's role brings together the FCA's enforcement function with its new market oversight division, which was created by incorporating the UK listing authority and market monitoring functions.

Meanwhile, Frohn will lead a new risk and compliance oversight division, providing a direct link between the risk function and the chief executive for the first time.

“These are two vital roles within the UK regulatory system and it says a lot about the FCA that we have been able to attract such high calibre candidates to fill them,” said the FCA's chief executive, Martin Wheatley, in a statement.

“Mark and Barbara have built up excellent reputations for their work in financial services across the globe, and I am delighted they have chosen to bring their experience to the FCA.”

In other key director appointments, Marc Teasdale has been named director of market oversight within the enforcement and market oversight division; Jo Hill takes on the roll of director for markets intelligence, data and analysis; and Andrew Whyte becomes director of communications within the strategy and competition division.

“While the FCA has been able to attract some of the best people from outside, we also have highly talented, hard-working people within the organisation and Marc Teasdale, Jo Hill and Andrew Whyte will be taking on roles that will be vital to the organisation successfully delivering its objectives and priorities for the years ahead,” said Wheatley.