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OFT announces new Executive Director

158/06    13 November 2006

The OFT has announced the appointment of Jonathan May to the post of Executive Director of Policy and Strategy. He has also been appointed by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to the OFT Board.

Jonathan May joined the OFT at the end of 2001 as Director of Markets and Policies Initiatives following over two years as Director of UK Competition Policy at the DTI, where he was responsible for developing strategy on competition policy. Before this he worked at the Treasury with responsibility for its input into competition, utility regulation and energy issues.

As Executive Director, Jonathan will lead the OFT's strategy and policy across its consumer and competition functions. He will be responsible for developing long term strategy, ensuring greater focus and impact of the OFT's work, improved quality and consistency in decisions, and national and international leadership in both competition and consumer policy.

John Fingleton, OFT Chief Executive said:

'I am very pleased that Jonathan will lead OFT's policy and strategy moving forward following our significant restructuring. Jonathan has enormous experience of consumer and competition policy, and a track record of leading successful teams doing new and innovative work. Jonathan has played a key role in developing and delivering the OFT's market studies and other work in recent years. I look forward to continuing to work with him to ensure OFT makes markets work better for all consumers in the UK.'

Following the announcement of his appointment Jonathan May said:

'I look forward to building the OFT's capacity to deliver, and to working with John Fingleton, Philip Collins and other colleagues in leading the OFT's strategy and policy as it integrates its consumer and competition functions and develops a more flexible approach to prioritization around high impact work.'

NOTES

1. The OFT earlier this year created two new Executive Director posts. Both will join the CEO on the Board of the OFT.

2. The other Executive Director is currently being recruited and an appointment will be made next year.

3. A high-level reorganisation of the OFT has just been implemented. The objective is to make the OFT a centre for excellence in consumer and competition policy and consumer protection - linking international best practice and national economic policy with national and local delivery, and engaging in critical self-examination and improvement of how the OFT works. Also, to become a centre of intelligence using economic data and feedback from Consumer Direct, partners, and stakeholders to identify markets that are not working well, and undertake high-impact work that has significant benefits for consumers and the economy.

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