Oliver joins from the Bar Standards Board where he is currently Director of Regulatory Operations. He starts work at the PSR on 26 June 2023. Further biographical information can be found below.

This is a new role for the PSR and Oliver will lead the newly created Supervision and Compliance Monitoring division.

The division has been created to drive compliance with the PSR’s requirements, something that has become increasingly important as the regulator uses its powers to boost competition, increase choice and tackle payment fraud. The new division will improve outcomes for everybody that uses payment systems by deterring and challenging poor practise within firms.

Oliver’s appointment follows the recent announcement of Alex Olive as General Counsel and Natalie Golding as Chief Operating Officer.

The PSR’s full executive team, now complete, is as follows:

Chris Hemsley - Managing Director

Kate Fitzgerald - Head of Policy

Natalie Timan - Head of Strategy & Intelligence

Alex Olive - General Counsel (starts 12 June 2023)

Oliver Hanmer - Head of Supervision and Compliance Monitoring (starts 26 June 2023)

Natalie Golding - Chief Operating Officer (starts 3 July 2023)

Commenting on the appointment of Oliver Hanmer, Chris Hemsley said:

“I’m delighted to welcome Oliver to the PSR. Having led authorisation and supervision functions at the Bar Standards Board, Oliver has a proven track record of driving best practice in areas of public interest and delivering improvements when standards fall below what is expected.

“Oliver will lead our Supervision and Compliance Monitoring division - a new team that will build on our track record of taking enforcement action to make sure that all firms comply with our requirements and market rules. Payments are, after all, the one financial service that we all use and rely on every day - so it’s essential that we’re able to make sure they keep working well.”

Commenting on the growth and evolution of the PSR, Chris Hemsley added:

“We’re now covering larger and more complex pieces of work than ever before, and our work plays an important role in supporting key areas of society and the UK economy.

“With a new leadership team and organisational structure in place we’re now better placed to continue improving outcomes for the millions of people and businesses that rely on the UK’s payment systems each day - and in the future.”

Biographical information

Oliver is currently Director of Regulatory Operations at the Bar Standards Board, the independent regulator of the barrister’s profession. He has a broad remit covering regulatory compliance, risk-based supervision, and professional standards. In his time at the Bar Standards Board, he has led major programmes of regulatory reform including the introduction of a supervision regime for barristers and the opening of the legal services market to new business entities and training providers.

Oliver has a particular interest in ensuring that vulnerable members of the public have access to competent legal representation. He has led cross regulator initiatives to improve the quality of legal representation for young people within the criminal justice system and bereaved families involved in the Coronial Court.

Oliver brings extensive practical experience of organisational development, change management and the establishment of new regulatory functions and divisions.