Belfast 1^st March 2022

First Derivative has today announced the appointment of Chris Owers as Global Head of its Regulatory practice. In the role, Chris will lead an international team helping clients with their regulatory commitments and technology needs, developing the processes and applications required to investigate, control and implement regulatory programmes with confidence.

Chris is a strong advocate for the role that technology can and should play in helping clients solve both their immediate and future regulatory challenges, and his appointment comes at a time of an increasingly complex and crowded regulatory landscape.

“It’s an incredibly busy period for regulatory reporting,” says Owers. “The challenges and opportunities facing the financial services industry are considerable. Technology holds the key to both taming the reporting tiger and enabling firms to future-proof their reporting needs using emerging tech such big data tools and AI. This understanding of the transformative role of technology, when married with people and data services, led to me joining First Derivative. We are incredibly well positioned to help our clients navigate the here and now while positioning themselves for future growth.”

Chris brings a wealth of experience to the role, having spent 16 years in banking, primarily at leading investment banks including Goldman Sachs and UBS, the last nine of which have been in senior regulatory roles. With a specific focus on people management and team development, Chris has led international teams on a range of regulatory programmes such as MiFIR, SFTR and EMIR reporting, including developing a strong Delegated Service.

Commenting on the appointment, David Collins, Managing Director, First Derivative, said:

“Regulatory solutions bring a unique set of challenges that require a significant amount of focus and expertise to deliver the best outcomes for client. With Chris leading our team of experts, First Derivative will further strengthen its risk management practice centred around our understanding of how to implement technology that is genuinely transformative in the regulatory space.”

Chris will be based out of the company’s Belfast office.