Organisational structure

The OFT works under a structure arranged by markets, rather than legislation. This enables us to look more easily at whole markets and to use all the tools available to us to improve them if they are not operating effectively. We use consumer and competition enforcement, market studies and references, education and communication in whatever combination is appropriate.

Current OFT organisation chart

Download the OFT organisation chart (pdf 21kb)

 

Transparency data - organisation and staff information

For information on senior salaries, full time staff reporting to each senior civil servant, and the total costs of teams, visit the Transparency data - organisation and staff information page. We expect to update this data every six months.

 

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Board members

Chairman: Philip Collins

Chief Executive: Clive Maxwell

Executive Directors: Vivienne Dews and Sonya Branch 

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Goods and Consumer

Senior Director: Cavendish Elithorn

Directors: Nigel Cates, Jason Freeman, Chris Walters, Gordon Ashworth, Geoff Steadman, Andrew Groves

The Goods and Consumer Group has a wide remit but generally covers markets such as food, drink, clothing, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, metals, electrical appliances and recreational goods. It also focuses on internet based enforcement. The Group investigates potential breaches of competition law and reviews competition undertakings. It handles super-complaints and conducts market studies, and can also refer markets to the Competition Commission for further investigation. It enforces various pieces of consumer protection legislation, including CPRs, and specifically the Estate Agents Act 1979.  It also administers the Consumer Codes Approval Scheme and provides consumer policy advice, guidance and support internally and to co-enforcers (including local authority Trading Standards services).

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Cartels and Criminal Enforcement

Director: Stephen Blake

The Cartels and Criminal Enforcement group investigates potential cartel activity using both civil and criminal law powers. Where appropriate, it issues decisions and imposes penalties under the Competition Act 1998 and conducts criminal prosecutions under the Enterprise Act 2002. In addition, the group works in partnership with the OFT's Goods and Consumer group to investigate and, where appropriate, prosecute breaches of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008.

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Services, Infrastructure and Public Markets

Senior Directors: Ann Pope, Mary Starks

Directors: Nisha Arora, Tony Donaldson, Claire Hart, Deb Jones, Peter Lukacs, Ed Smith, Nelson Jung 

The Services, Infrastructure and Public Markets group has a wide remit. It investigates potential breaches of competition law, reviews competition undertakings, enforces consumer protection legislation, handles super-complaints and performs market studies in areas such as transport, construction, property, the creative industries, professional and financial services and public markets where government can act as a buyer, seller and market maker. The group can refer markets to the Competition Commission for the investigation of particular features of a market that may raise competition issues. The group works with government departments to help ensure that competition concerns are considered in the drafting of new legislation, and more generally in the work of government. The group also leads on review of impact assessments across government, and in evaluating the work of the OFT.

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Mergers

Director: Sheldon Mills

The role of the Mergers group is to carry out the OFT's functions and duties with regard to merger activity in the UK and the EU. The group obtains and reviews information relating to merger situations and decides whether or not they raise competition concerns that are incapable of being resolved through the acceptance of remedies and therefore warrant in-depth inquiry by the Competition Commission.

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Pipeline and Performance

Senior Director: Cavendish Elithorn

Director: Erik Wilson

The  Pipeline and Performance Group enhances the OFT's ability to identify, prioritise and resource actions needed to address market issues, be they competition or consumer focused. In addition, the group's work enhances the OFT's ability to monitor consistently the performance of project teams delivering those actions.

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Consumer Credit and Anti-Money Laundering

Senior Director: David Fisher

Director: Simon Brindley

The Consumer Credit Group is responsible for administering the Consumer Credit Act 2006. This includes all aspects of the credit licensing regime, casework and other initiatives to achieve compliance with the Act and to ensure consumers are not harmed. This also includes credit policy issues.

The Anti-Money laundering team supervises estate agents and non-FSA authorised consumer credit lenders under the Money Laundering Regulations 2007. The team is responsible for the design and implementation of OFT's full supervisory regime.

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Finance and Enquiries

Director: Kate Ivers

Finance supports the OFT in the delivery of its strategic objectives through the provision of financial analysis, and advice. Finance is responsible for financial and business planning, financial reporting, performance management and risk management. OFT's Enquiries centre handles calls and written enquiries from consumers and businesses.

Sourcing and Supplier Relations runs high-value procurement activities across the organisation and develops organisational procurement policies and procedures. The team also provides advice, training and support on national and EU-level procurement legislation.

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Human Resources

Director: Carmel Flatley

Human Resources support the OFT's strategic objective to develop the OFT as an organisation by building capability, capacity and the engagement of staff.

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Business Services

Director: Mario Tsavellas

Business Services comprises Information Technology (IT) which provides information systems and services that help OFT deliver its business objectives and Facilities Management (FM) which provides facilities and workplace support services, including health and safety, business continuity and security.

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General Counsel's Office

General Counsel: Frances Barr

Directors: Louis Christofides, Paul Gurowich, Erik Wilson

The General Counsel's Office includes advisory lawyers, a know-how team, the litigation unit and the adjudication unit. Advice is given on matters including general public law, competition law, super-complaints, market investigation references, reviews of undertakings and orders, market studies, consumer policy and legislation and freedom of information. The litigation unit conducts most of the litigation carried out by the OFT in the Competition Appeal Tribunal, the High Court, the Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court and other courts. The adjudication unit is an independent in-house decision making unit on Consumer Credit Act and Estates Agent Act fitness cases. The General Counsel's office also provides advice on issues relating to corporate governance such as conflicts of interest and statutory authorisations.

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Communications

Director: Paul Latham

Communications has a strategic function across the OFT's work. Subdivided into three main areas: press office, which has responsibility for media relations; corporate communications, which has responsibility for stakeholder relations and internal comms; and marketing and campaigns, which is responsible for business and consumer campaigns, consumer education, marketing, ecomms and events.

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Office of the Chief Economist

Chief Economist and Senior Director: Chris Walters 

The Office of the Chief Economist  is tasked with ensuring that the economic, statistical and financial analysis work carried out by the OFT is of high quality, represents state-of-the-art thinking, and plays a key role in ensuring that our activities have maximum impact in making markets work well for consumers.

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Competition Policy

Senior Director: Jackie Holland

Dirctor: Gordon Ashworth

This group provides competition policy advice, providing specialist competition expertise to the case and project work of the OFT, and working with government departments to help ensure that competition concerns are considered in the drafting of new legislation, and more generally in the work of government.

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Executive Office

Directors: Erik Wilson (Executive Office), Ed Smith (International), Kyla Brand (OFT Scotland, Wales and N Ireland)

The Executive Office supports the Chairman and Chief Executive in decision-making, monitors compliance with corporate governance standards, manages the work of the Board and its sub-committees, is responsible for strategy and organisational development, manages the work of any executive committees chaired by the Chief Executive, monitors and ensures delivery of the OFT's responsibilities, high-level stakeholder relationships, international relationships, the OFT office in Scotland, risk management, and acts as the channel of communication for Ministers, Parliament and other government departments.

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Procedural Adjudication

Procedural Adjudicator: Jackie Holland

On 21 March 2011 the OFT launched a one year trial of its procedural Adjudicator role. The OFT since has decided to extend the Procedural Adjudicator Trial until 21 March 2013. The Procedural Adjudicator during the extended trial remains Jackie Holland, Director of Competition Policy.

The purpose of the trial is to provide a swift, efficient and cost-effective mechanism for resolving disputes between parties and.the case teams in Competition Act 1998 investigations. View more information on the trial and how to apply to the Procedural Adjudicator for a review of a decision.

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