The Financial Conduct Authority has made two permanent appointments to its executive team, naming Simon Walls as executive director of markets and Johan Sekora as chief operating officer. Walls has held the markets role on a temporary basis since 2024 and will continue the FCA’s work on wholesale markets, while Sekora will support the regulator’s strategy and operations. Walls joined the FCA in 2006 and has held senior roles across wholesale markets, including policy, asset management and banking supervision, with experience spanning the London Interbank Offered Rate transition and the UK’s exit from the European Union. Sekora joins from SEB, where he was global head of financial crime prevention, following earlier international roles at HSBC including global chief operating officer for regulatory compliance. The FCA highlighted his experience in industry collaboration and in using data and artificial intelligence to address financial crime and emerging risks. He is relocating from Stockholm and is due to take up the role at the start of June.