The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has announced the appointment of 12 new independent panel members by the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (DBIST). These appointments will increase the CMA's panel to 34 members.
The new members are appointed for up to eight years and will serve as independent decision-makers for various CMA activities, including phase 2 market investigations, merger inquiries, and regulatory appeals. Their expertise spans business, academia, economics, finance, and technology.
Six of the new appointments, including Shamshad Ali, Vicky Boiten-Lee, Martina Garcia, Patrick Bartlett, Aodhan O’Donnell, and Professor Helen Simpson, will begin their roles on 1 September 2026. The remaining six, Michael Bender, Dr Sarah Deasley, Professor Ioannis Kokkoris, Stephen Unger, Frances Warburton, and Patricia Treacy, are scheduled to start on 1 October 2026.