Advisers pitied Sants over 'impossible job'

clock

It will come as little surprise to readers of IFAonline.co.uk that most of your peers believe Hector Sants, the former chief executive of the Financial Services Authority (FSA) and now the highly-paid head of compliance at Barclays Bank, was misguided to believe his tenure at the regulator was a successful one.

But what may amaze some of you is that quite a few also believed his was an ‘impossible job' where success is difficult to gauge. According to the results of a poll on IFAonline.co.uk, which has been running for several months and which attracted more than 2,100 votes, a quarter of readers (546 people, or 25%) were sympathetic to the challenges Sants faced while at the helm of the FSA. Following his departure from the regulator, Sants, a former investment banker who joined the FSA in 2004, defended his tenure, arguing changes he made had left it "in good stead". "All the reports...

To continue reading this article...

Join Professional Adviser for free

  • Unlimited access to real-time news, industry insights and market intelligence
  • Stay ahead of the curve with spotlights on emerging trends and technologies
  • Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletters
  • Make smart business decisions with the latest developments in regulation, investing retirement and protection
  • Members-only access to the editor’s weekly Friday commentary
  • Be the first to hear about our events and awards programmes

Join

 

Already a Professional Adviser member?

Login

More on Regulation

DB transfer adviser hit with provisional FCA ban and £742,700 fine

DB transfer adviser hit with provisional FCA ban and £742,700 fine

Daniel Thomas advised 53 clients, including four British Steel scheme members

Sophia Panayi
clock 03 September 2026 • 2 min read
Proving good customer outcomes still a challenge for financial planners

Proving good customer outcomes still a challenge for financial planners

Firms face practical challenges in Consumer Duty board reporting

Sophia Panayi
clock 03 September 2026 • 2 min read
'Watershed moment' as FCA's non-financial misconduct rules come into force

'Watershed moment' as FCA's non-financial misconduct rules come into force

Enforcement ‘not a question of if, but when’

Michael Nelson
clock 02 September 2026 • 2 min read