The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (DBIST) has appointed 12 new independent members to the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) inquiry panel, officials announced on Friday. The additions increase the depth of expertise available to the panel, which currently numbers 22 members and plays a central role in phase 2 market investigations, merger inquiries and regulatory appeals.
Who has been appointed and when they start
The new appointees bring experience across accounting, economics, regulation, finance, technology and academia. Appointments will take effect in September and October 2026, and panel members can be appointed for terms of up to eight years.
| Start date | New appointees |
|---|---|
| 1 September 2026 | Shamshad Ali; Vicky Boiten-Lee; Martina Garcia; Patrick Bartlett; Aodhan O’Donnell; Professor Helen Simpson |
| 1 October 2026 | Michael Bender; Dr Sarah Deasley; Professor Ioannis Kokkoris; Stephen Unger (and others as listed) |
Among those joining from September are Shamshad Ali, a chartered accountant with board experience including the University of Reading and ICAEW; Vicky Boiten-Lee, an energy and retail executive with pricing, distribution and M&A expertise; Martina Garcia, a financial services economist with senior roles at the London Stock Exchange Group and HM Treasury; Patrick Bartlett, a chartered accountant with more than 35 years’ experience; Aodhan O’Donnell, a consumer protection and regulation expert; and Professor Helen Simpson of the University of Bristol, who specialises in productivity, innovation and place-based policies.
Appointments beginning on 1 October 2026 include Michael Bender, a global business consultant with management and technology experience; Dr Sarah Deasley, an economist with more than 35 years advising governments and regulators; Professor Ioannis Kokkoris, an academic in competition law and economics at Queen Mary University of London; and Stephen Unger, a former Ofcom executive board member with telecoms and technology credentials.
What this means for business, consumers and markets
The inquiry panel serves as independent decision makers for some of the CMA’s most consequential processes: in-depth market investigations, merger scrutiny and appeals against regulatory decisions. That makes the composition of the panel material to firms, investors and consumers.
- The mix of accounting and audit expertise could sharpen financial scrutiny of complex merger filings and market studies.
- Economic and productivity specialists may influence how the CMA assesses longer-run effects on competition, which matters for investment and regional economic strategy.
- Experts with experience in digital, telecoms and regulated sectors will be relevant as the CMA continues to grapple with platform markets and infrastructure regulation.
For businesses, tougher or more detailed inquiries can translate into longer timetables for deals and the prospect of conditions being imposed. For consumers, robust investigation can limit anti-competitive consolidation that might push up prices or reduce choice. For workers, the CMA’s stance on mergers may affect employment outcomes within merged firms, though any such effects depend on case-by-case findings rather than panel membership alone.
While the announcement highlights breadth of experience, the appointments do not by themselves signal a change in policy or enforcement strategy. The panel members act as independent adjudicators within the existing legal and procedural framework of the CMA.
Still, the appointments come at a time when competition authorities globally face heightened scrutiny over digital markets, energy resilience and supply-chain concentration — areas where several of the new members have demonstrable expertise. That background will be watched closely by corporate counsel and dealmakers preparing for the CMA’s next major inquiries.
DBIST said the appointments will take effect in September and October 2026. Members are appointed for up to eight years and will join a panel whose remit covers some of the most significant competition decisions affecting the UK economy.
