The watchdog has made two senior appointments for areas covering markets, operations and technology.

The Financial Conduct Authority has made two permanent appointments to its executive team: Simon Walls will become permanent executive director, markets; and Johan Sekora has been appointed as chief operating officer.

Initially, in 2024, Walls' role was temporary until he joined the regulator in 2006. He held several senior positions across wholesale markets, including policy, asset management and banking supervision. He was also involved in managing the change in how the UK set interbank interest rates from the old LIBOR system, as well as handling changes affecting the UK financial markets when the UK left the European Union. 

Sekora, who is relocating from Stockholm to take up the role at the start of June, brings more than 25 years’ experience in financial services. The FCA said he is a “leading European voice on the importance of industry collaboration and the use of technology to tackle financial crime.”

Sekora previously worked at SEB, the Swedish bank, where he was global head of financial crime prevention. He has also served as chair of SAMLIT, the Swedish banking sector’s financial crime collaboration with the Swedish police. Prior to joining SEB, he spent 20 years with HSBC in the UK and internationally, most recently as global chief operating officer, regulatory compliance.