William Mason will join the Commission from the Central Bank of Ireland where he held the position of head of risk.
At the Irish central bank Mason led the development and implementation of its PRISM (Probability Risk and Impact SysteM) supervisory methodology – a strategy launched in the wake of the financial crisis to evaluate regulated firms and the risks they pose to the wider economy.
More recently, Mason has been working with the European Central Bank helping it plan for the Eurozone’s proposed Banking Union. Prior to that, he worked for the Financial Services Authority in the UK, joining shortly before the financial crisis, and led teams supervising a range of credit institutions, insurers and investment firms throughout the financial crisis.
Outgoing director general van Leuven said: “I have come to know William recently through our consulting him on the PRISM project being undertaken for the Central Bank of Ireland. I am certain his knowledge and experience will be of great value to the Commission in these times of threat and change.”