Sarah Cardell has been appointed as the interim Chief Executive
of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) by Business
Secretary today (Friday 17 June).
Sarah Cardell is currently the General Counsel of the
CMA and
will take over on an interim basis from current CEO Andrea Coscelli when he
leaves at the end of his term in office in July.
The CMA is
a non-ministerial department responsible for enforcing
competition and consumer law and carrying out investigations into
mergers and markets. It has recently taken on new functions
including the Office for the Internal Market (OIM).
The Chief Executive provides visible and dynamic leadership to
the CMA
and its 900 staff across the UK and is an advocate for
competition and consumers setting a clear brand and vision for
the CMA
across the UK and globally.
Today, the government also launches the recruitment process for a
new permanent CEO.
Business Secretary said:
Sarah’s experience and expertise provides a strong foundation for
the CMAat
a time when their work to help people make the most of their
money is critically important to consumers across the country.
I thank Andrea for his achievements at the CMA. These include
securing hundreds of millions of pounds for consumers following
cancelled events and holidays during the pandemic, helping
patients and the NHS by tackling unfair price increases for
lifesaving medicines, and establishing the CMA as a global leader
in the regulation of digital markets.
Sarah Cardell was appointed as General Counsel at the
CMA in
September 2013. She heads the CMA’s Legal Service
and Policy and International Directorates which provide legal and
policy advice across the CMA’s functions. She
also has executive leadership responsibility for the
establishment of the CMA’s Digital Markets
Unit. Sarah is a member of the CMA’s senior executive
team and is the legal advisor to the CMA’s Board.
Sarah Cardell said:
I’m delighted to have been appointed Interim CEO of the CMA. The work of the
CMA to
promote competition has never been more important, ensuring that
prices remain as low as possible and supporting growth and
innovation in our economy.
Under Andrea’s leadership the CMA has become a
world-leading competition authority, bringing real benefits to
consumers and businesses across the UK. I’m committed to
continue that progress, working with our dedicated and talented
teams across the UK as we take on important new responsibilities
and tackle a range of issues from ensuring effective competition
in digital markets to mitigating the impact of rising cost of
living pressures.
