Former Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) interim chief executive Christopher Woolard is among the individuals to receive accolades in the latest New Year’s honours list.
Woolard was awarded a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to financial regulation and financial technology innovation.
He was made interim chief executive of the FCA in March 2020 after Andrew Bailey left the role to become Bank of England governor. Before that he was the regulator’s director of strategy and competition, and an executive board member.
At the FCA, he founded Project Innovate, a scheme to help fintech firms overcome regulatory hurdles, and the regulatory Sandbox, which allows businesses to test propositions in the market with real consumers.
Woolard left the FCA in September 2020 before joining EY in February last year as chair of its global financial services regulatory network and its leader on financial services regulation for the Emea region.
Before joining EY, Woolard spent 25 years as a public servant on boards or committees, including at the Bank of England, Federation of Small Businesses and the International Organization of Securities Commissions (Iosco).
Other honours
Another recipient of a CBE on the 2021 list was National Employment Savings Trust (Nest) Corporation chief executive Helen Dean.
Dean played a key role in devising and bringing pensions auto-enrolment to the UK market during her time at the Department for Work and Pensions and then PADA, the predecessor to Nest.
She led Nest’s marketing before being appointed as chief executive in September 2016.
Elsewhere, Refinitiv chief privacy officer Vivienne Artz, who is also the president of Women in Banking and Finance, was awarded a CBE for services to financial services and gender diversity.
Services to business and the economy
Other awards for services to the economy and business included former chairman of the Office for Budget Responsibility Robert Chote who was given a knighthood for services to fiscal policy and the economy.
Similarly, Jane Guyett, a senior independent director of UK Government Investments gained a CBE for public service to the economy.
Financial Reporting Council executive director, resources and strategy Tracy Vegro was handed a CBE for services to business and diversity.
In addition, HM Treasury director of financial services Gwyneth Nurse picked up a CBE for public service.
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