Dr Kay Swinburne joins KPMG UK as vice chair of financial services

Dr Kay Swinburne is due to join KPMG UK as Vice Chair of Financial Services from 1 July 2019. Swinburne will chair KPMG’s risk and regulatory insight centre (RRIC), which provides insights on risk and regulation. Kay will work closely with Karim Haji, the Head of Financial Services, advising his leadership team and supporting board and C-suite level client relationships.

Swinburne has represented Wales in the European Parliament for the last 10 years, during which time she served as Vice-Chair of the parliament’s Economics and Monetary Affairs Committee (ECON). She played a pivotal role in shaping EU and global financial services legislation, including setting up the EU supervisory bodies (ESAs, SSM, SRM), capital markets union (EMIR, MiFID II, Prospectus, CCP Recovery & Resolution), and the broader banking union files.

KPMG UK chairman Bill Michael said: “I’m delighted that Kay is joining KPMG at a critical time for our firm, our profession and for the United Kingdom. Her wealth of experience and knowledge will be invaluable to our clients, and Kay’s arrival underscores our commitment to attracting the very best talent from across the market.”

KPMG UK Head of Financial Services Karim Haji said: “Kay brings a wealth of expertise to our firm, we are thrilled to welcome her. She has a unique blend of practical experience, both of working within financial services and in setting financial services legislation. The understanding, insights and challenge Kay can bring to our firm and clients is second to none. Kay’s appointment reflects the firm’s commitment to bringing the best talent to our clients.”

Swinburne said: “The financial services regulatory insights centre has a great reputation for its ability to recognise and anticipate the changing nature of regulation. The future will not be about technical rules based regulation, but about demonstrating that a firm acts within the best interests of society, the environment and the economy. The team at KPMG recognises that the corporate world has to work harder to demonstrate its value and I am excited to be taking up a strategic role at the firm to help shape and define that value.”