Head of Regulatory Affairs in London

Location: London / Hybrid

Contract: Interim, initially 6 months

Duration: Expected to run through December 2027

The Opportunity

Actus Search has been exclusively instructed by a leading European savings and retirement services business to appoint an experienced Head of Regulatory Affairs on an interim basis. This is a high-profile, Director-level appointment at an important point in the organisation’s UK growth and regulatory journey. The business is undertaking a significant regulatory transition, including the redomiciliation of its insurance business from Bermuda to London and the associated transition to UK PRA regulation. The successful individual will play a critical role in ensuring strong, effective and credible engagement with the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) throughout this process. This is a role for someone who can hit the ground running and take ownership of senior regulatory relationships from day one.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the organisation’s senior-level relationship and engagement with the PRA.
• Act as the principal regulatory affairs expert and senior point of contact for PRA-related matters.
• Develop and maintain strong, credible relationships with senior PRA stakeholders.
• Provide strategic regulatory advice to senior leadership and relevant governance forums.
• Support the business through its redomiciliation and broader UK regulatory transition.
• Provide regulatory leadership and oversight in relation to significant corporate activity, including M&A and integration activity.
• Anticipate emerging regulatory requirements and ensure the business is appropriately prepared.
• Coordinate regulatory engagement across internal stakeholders, ensuring consistent messaging and effective execution.
• Support responses to regulatory requests, consultations, submissions and other PRA interactions.
• Provide senior-level challenge and advice across regulatory, risk and governance matters.
• Help strengthen the regulatory affairs capability within the UK business.

Candidate Profile

We are looking for an established regulatory affairs leader with deep, demonstrable PRA experience within the UK life, pensions or savings sector. The ideal candidate will have:

• Led PRA relationships for a life insurer, pensions business, savings group or major financial services organisation.
• Significant experience operating at Head of Regulatory Affairs / Director / equivalent level.
• Extensive knowledge of the UK life insurance regulatory environment and PRA supervisory framework.
• A strong track record of engaging with senior regulators and managing complex regulatory relationships.
• Experience of major transactions, acquisitions, redomiciliations or significant regulatory change programmes.
• The credibility and gravitas to operate effectively with senior executives, Boards and regulators.
• The ability to operate independently and provide immediate leadership in a relatively lean regulatory affairs function.
• Excellent communication, influencing and stakeholder-management skills.

The Opportunity

This is a particularly unusual opportunity for an interim regulatory affairs leader to take on a genuinely strategic mandate rather than simply provide business-as-usual regulatory cover. You will have significant exposure to senior leadership and will be operating at the centre of a major period of regulatory and corporate change. The successful candidate will bring the depth of PRA expertise required to provide confidence to the business and ensure that its regulatory relationships remain strong throughout this transition.

Interested?