As one of this edition’s interviewees comments, regulators are used to managing change, but they also exist to encourage certainty. In the context of Brexit, where the territory is unfamiliar to all, there is precious little of the latter to be found. All too often, these unknowns are viewed only from a UK perspective.
To provide a broader view on some of the potential regulatory impacts of Brexit, we were very pleased to talk to Samantha Barrass, Chief Executive of the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission (GFSC) and Garrett Blaney, Chair of Agency for the Co-operation of European Energy Regulators (ACER). Both offer very interesting viewpoints, differing in outlook at times, but ultimately with the shared goal of delivering the best outcome for consumers with consensus and certainty at its core.
For Samantha, the notion of challenge is clearly identified, but it is something that brings more opportunity than it does concern, both for her organisation and the jurisdiction of Gibraltar as a whole. Garrett considers not only the regulatory impacts faced by Europe and Ireland as Brexit moves forward, but also the very broad reaching consequences of decarbonisation and digitalisation facing the energy market on a global scale. He shares his thoughts on independent and fully accountable regulation, and the increased need to demonstrate this.
For leaders in regulation, there are challenging times ahead. It is more important than ever that they retain and communicate a clear vision and evolve strategies to engage their teams and the public they serve. To expand further on this, we hear from our Leadership Services partner, Mike McManamon. As a new member to the Saxton Bampfylde team, we also get to know Mike a bit more personally in our View From The River feature.
We hope you enjoy this edition of Canvas and look forward to hearing your thoughts over the coming months.