In a significant step to strengthen global cooperation and enable cross-border financial services, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced that it will establish its first overseas offices in the United States and Asia-Pacific (APAC) regions. The step is part of the FCA’s ongoing approach to develop the UK’s position as a worldwide financial center and enable expansion of international financial firms seeking access to the UK market.
A strategic move towards global interaction
The FCA’s new presence in Washington, D.C. and Australia is a forward-looking move to promote regulatory cooperation, ease market access, and bring inward investment to the UK. The move will also allow global financial institutions to gain a better understanding of the UK regulatory environment and be in a position to support UK companies wanting to expand overseas.
Tash Miah has been tasked with leading the FCA’s work in the United States from the British Embassy in Washington, D.C. Miah will work closely with the Department for Business and Trade to shape UK-US financial services policy, foster regulatory cooperation, and provide on-the-ground support to US-headquartered companies accessing UK regulation. Having a background that includes Morgan Stanley and leading the international division of the FCA, Miah has a strong mix of regulatory and market experience.
Camille Blackburn will assume her new role as FCA’s Director – Asia-Pacific in July 2025, working regionally from Australia.
Blackburn, the FCA’s current Director of Wholesale Buyside, brings 25 years of senior and regulatory experience from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), Central Bank of Ireland, and in international financial institutions. Her new position will be to assist APAC-based companies seeking to enter the UK market or raise capital, and to assist UK companies growing across the region.
Promoting growth and investment
Sarah Pritchard, Executive Director of Supervision, Policy, Competition and International at the FCA, said of the expansion:
“The UK is a global hub for financial services. We are committed to continuing to build our global network and international reputation. These appointments will help us deliver on our mission to support growth through the export of UK financial services and attracting more inward investment to our shores.”
The announcement follows the FCA’s recent letter to the Prime Minister, where it identified the improvement of exports and inward investment as a key growth commitment. By placing senior regulatory figures in key financial markets, the FCA aims to ensure that major international investors and firms have easier access to UK regulatory support and insight.
