Senior Managers Regime to put bankers in the dock: Financial Conduct Authority unveils new accountability rules
Is that an echo? The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has unveiled its heavily-trailed rules to make bankers more accountable when things go wrong – and, as expected, senior managers are likely to bear the brunt of misbehaviour.
The new rules, which "embed personal accountability into the culture of The City", are divided into three points, the most notable of which is the Senior Managers Regime, which forces those holding certain senior roles at financial services firms to be legally accountable for their company's actions.
Managers must "allocate and map out responsibilities and prepare Statements of Responsibilities", while firms will be "legally required to ensure that they have procedures in place to assess their fitness and propriety before applying for approval and at least annually afterwards".
Other measures include the Certification Regime, which forces firms to put in place procedures for assessing the "fitness and propriety" of staff, such as traders, who "could pose a risk of significant harm to the firm or any of its customers".
Meanwhile, new Conduct Rules set out a basic standard for behaviour that those covered by the new regimes will be expected to meet, including ensuring staff are aware of the new rules.
The new rules will "add further momentum to improving standards across the industry", said Martin Wheatley, the FCA's chief executive.