Keeping a lid on regulation is key to innovation, FCA competition director

In an interview with Womanthology

Victoria McKeever
clock • 2 min read

Encouraging innovation is a key part of Mary Starks' role at the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) - as is ensuring the regulation "barrier is no higher than it needs to be".

Mary Starks is a director of competition at the FCA, a job she has been sharing with a work-partner since August 2013. In an interview with online women's magazine Womanthology, she explained why it was necessary to keep a lid on regulation, in order to allow the industry to flourish. "Regulation is, almost by definition, a barrier to entry," said Starks, "part of my job is to make sure the barrier is no higher than it needs to be, and does not disproportionately exclude small or innovative businesses." Starks' role is focused on the regulator's objective to promote competition in ...

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