Ofgem appoints Director of the Consumers and Markets

Ofgem has appointed Mary Starks as executive director of the Consumers and Markets directorate. Starks will oversee Ofgem’s work to protect consumers’ interests in the retail and wholesale energy markets, including putting in place a price cap for all those on poor value defaults deals.

Starks is currently the director of competition and chief economist at the Financial Conduct Authority where in a joint role she has led the organisation in meeting its new statutory objective to promote competition in the interests of consumers. She has over two decades’ experience working for a variety of organisations across the regulatory and public policy environment.

Before joining the FCA, she was senior director at the Office of Fair Trading where she oversaw the watchdog’s portfolio of markets and enforcement casework across financial services, legal and professional services, health, education and infrastructure.

Rob Salter-Church has been interim Executive Director of Consumers and Markets since Rachel Fletcher left Ofgem to become chief executive of Ofwat, the water regulator, in January. He will continue in this role until Mary joins in September when he will take up his permanent role as director for retail systems transformation.

Dermot Nolan, Chief Executive, said: “I am pleased to announce Mary’s appointment. She has a wealth of experience in regulation and public policy and an impressive track record of protecting consumers. I would also like to thank Rob Salter-Church for his excellent leadership of the Consumers and Markets directorate in the interim.”