Finance
China regulatory chief’s appointment indicates tightening, reforms on cards
The Chinese securities watchdog’s new head, “Broker butcher” Wu Qing, has lost no time in tackling the turmoil that has rocked the country’s stock markets, after it hit five-year lows this month, unveiling a slew of proposals aimed at reviving market confidence.
The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) said late on Monday that its newly-appointed chairman Wu Qing led a host of meetings immediately after the Lunar New Year holiday to discuss topics around regulating and preventing risks in the country’s capital markets, as well as promoting their “high-quality growth”.
Wu Qing, a veteran official with experiences across regulators and exchanges, earned his moniker after he cracked down on brokers for regulation breaches during his time as director of risk management office at CSRC in 2005-2009.
He then handled asset management companies’ illegal trading cases as director of the fund department. His background contrasts with that of previous CSRC chairmen who were mostly SOE banking veterans.
The post-holiday meeting was attended by a wide range of participants including academics, officials from listed companies, privately-owned companies that are preparing to go public, brokerage firms, private equity firms, financial and legal advisory firms and foreign-owned companies.
The meeting proposed tightening the vetting process for IPOs, greater regulatory scrutiny of listed companies, and stricter weeding out of unqualified candidates. This will help to “fundamentally improve” the quality of public companies and generate better investment returns, a post-meeting statement said. The healthy development of China’s capital markets is of crucial importance to investors, it said, reflecting the issue of investor confidence.
China IPO volume dives after regulator engineers offering drought to boost markets
China IPO volume dives after regulator engineers offering drought to boost markets
The watchdog also vowed to standardise transactions in various asset classes, in a bid to improve the fairness of the trading system. It also proposed to develop the country’s investment institutions and inject more medium and long-term capital into the stock markets.
“The capital market has wide implications, and the more complex and severe the situation is, the more open we should heed advice and pool wisdom,” the CSRC said in the statement.
“The CSRC will treat all feedback, suggestions and criticism with seriousness, and make sure to execute anything that has proven to be feasible. For those that cannot be executed right away, we will make sure to communicate and respond to the market concerns in time. We will join forces to foster the healthy development of the capital markets.”
Wu, a banking and regulatory veteran with a PhD in economics, was appointed the chairman and party chief of the CSRC on February 7, replacing Yi Huiman after he failed to end a rout in the country’s US$8 trillion stock market. The carnage saw around US$5 trillion in market value being wiped off from its peak in 2021, with piecemeal support measures providing little relief.
Before his elevation as CSRC head, Wu ran the Shanghai Stock Exchange and served as the deputy party chief of the financial centre of Shanghai. His earlier stint at CSRC saw him take charge of fund and institutional supervision, as well as risk disposal for securities companies.
“Wu is likely to continue to enhance regulatory tightening in capital markets and the securities industry, considering his experience as well as the key tone of the Central Financial Conference in November 2023,” said Jefferies analysts in a note.
Wu has already indicated he means business. Two days after his appointment, the CSRC imposed a 4 million yuan (US$555,748) fine on S2C Ltd, a Shanghai-based semiconductor company, for inflating its earnings in its listing application. On the same day, the securities watchdog also fined employees at China Merchant Securities a total of 81.2 million yuan for illegal stock trading.
“We think this new appointment suggests China intends to strengthen supervision and crackdown on illegal activities in the capital markets,” said Everbright Securities in a note. “This aligns with CSRC’s 2024 work conference, which prioritised investor-oriented principles and risk prevention. Moreover, we expect Wu to be tasked with further financial reforms and opening up in Shanghai as well as financial support for sci-tech innovation, where the Star Market will continue to be the place for pilot measures.”
Finance
Plano-Based Finance of America Announces $2.5B Partnership with Funds Managed by Blue Owl to Expand FOA’s Home Equity Lending
Graham Fleming, CEO of Finance of America [Composite image; source: Finance of America/DI Studio]
Finance of America Companies, a leading provider of home equity-based financing solutions for a modern retirement, and funds managed by Blue Owl Capital, a leading alternative asset manager, announced an enhanced $2.5 billion strategic partnership to accelerate product innovation and distribution for the nation’s fast-growing retirement demographic.
With more than 10,000 Americans entering retirement age every day, the market for home equity access continues to expand. FOA said its collaboration with New York City-based Blue Owl positions it to capture significant share in this rapidly evolving sector.
“This is a pivotal moment not just for Finance of America, but for the senior finance market as a whole,” Graham Fleming, CEO of Finance of America, said in a statement. “By aligning with Blue Owl, we are creating a platform of scale and innovation to better serve one of the fastest-growing demographics in the United States.”
The enhanced partnership includes, per FOA:
- $2.5 billion commitment for new product innovation, providing scale and liquidity to support origination growth across multiple asset classes
- $50 million equity investment in Finance of America, enhancing long-term alignment between the companies and supporting FOA’s continued growth initiatives
- Joint innovation and product-development initiative focused on the continuous rollout of new, differentiated financial products tailored for people looking to maximize freedom, security, and opportunity throughout their retirement
This product expansion will complement FOA’s existing industry-leading reverse mortgage product suite while strengthening the company’s commitment to innovation and its role as a leader in delivering powerful financial solutions for retirees.
FOA said it continues to empower retirees with responsible, flexible access to capital to support aging in place, healthcare expenses, and lifestyle goals.
The partnership reinforces Finance of America’s mission to provide comprehensive, retirement-focused financial solutions, with the goal of expanding beyond reverse mortgages to become the nation’s leading, full-spectrum home equity lending platform, the company said.
“We believe Finance of America is uniquely positioned to redefine how financial products are delivered to retirees,” said David Aidi, senior managing director and co-head of Asset Based Finance at Blue Owl.
“This partnership provides the capital, the strategic alignment, and the innovation engine to build category-defining products at scale,” added Ray Chan, senior managing director and co-head of Asset Based Finance at Blue Owl.
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Finance
Bérangère Michel announced as BBC Group Chief Financial Officer
The BBC has announced that Bérangère Michel has been appointed to the role of Group Chief Financial Officer.
Bérangère brings extensive experience from her 16-year career at the John Lewis Partnership, where she held senior roles including Chief Financial Officer, Customer Service Executive Director, Operations Director and Finance & Strategy Director.
Prior to joining the John Lewis Partnership, Bérangère spent 11 years at the Royal Mail Group in a number of finance, change and strategy roles, including as Finance Director of the property division.
In an expanded role as BBC Group Chief Financial Officer, Bérangère will be responsible for the overall BBC Group financial strategy, with a remit across BBC Public Service, BBC Studios and the BBC’s commercial subsidiaries. She will play a leadership role and will sit on both the Executive Committee and, for the first time, the Board.
This position will strengthen the BBC’s financial leadership, support its transformation, and make the best use of the licence fee and commercial opportunities. Bérangère will report to the Director-General and will take up the role in early January.
Director-General Tim Davie says: “Bérangère brings a wealth of experience from her time at the John Lewis Partnership and will play a critical role in shaping our new financial strategy. I’m pleased to welcome her to the BBC, and to both the Executive Committee and Board.
“Bérangère’s appointment to this expanded role comes at an important time for the BBC, as we look ahead to Charter renewal and continue to accelerate our transformation to deliver outstanding value for our audiences.”
BBC Chair Samir Shah says: “The role of Group Chief Financial Officer will be hugely important as we build a BBC for the future, and I look forward to welcoming Bérangère to the Board.”
Bérangère Michel says: “I am delighted to be joining the BBC, an institution whose purpose and mission I have always admired. It’s a privilege to be part of shaping its exciting future at such a crucial moment and I cannot wait to get started.”
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Finance
ATI Promotes Longtime Leader to CFO and SVP of Finance
Rob Foster, incoming CFO of ATI Inc., effective Jan. 1, 2026 [Photo: ATI}
ATI Inc., a Dallas-based manufacturer of high-performance materials for the aerospace and defense industries, announced that James Robert “Rob” Foster will be promoted to senior vice president of finance and chief financial officer, effective January 1, 2026.
Foster succeeds Don Newman, who will serve as strategic advisor to the CEO beginning January 1. As previously announced, Newman will retire on March 1, 2026, and serve in an advisory capacity in that time to allow for a smooth transition.
“Rob is a proven P&L leader with enterprise-wide experience in the areas that matter most to ATI’s continued growth,” Kim Fields, president and CEO, said in a statement. “He brings deep expertise not only in finance but also as an operational leader. Rob played a pivotal role in the successful Specialty Rolled Products transformation, consistently helping ATI to deliver strong returns and shareholder value. I look forward to partnering with him as we enter our next phase of profitable growth.”
Foster, a longtime ATI leader, brings both operational expertise and financial discipline to the CFO role, the company said. He most recently served as president of ATI’s specialty alloys & components business, where he improved efficiency, grew capacity, and advanced the company’s role as a global leader in exotic alloys. Foster previously served as vice president of Finance, Supply Chain, and Capital Projects, overseeing ATI’s global finance organization, capital deployment processes, and enterprise supply chain performance. Earlier in his career, he led Finance for both ATI operating segments and the Forged Products business.
“I’m honored to become ATI’s next CFO,” said Foster. “ATI is well-positioned with a strong balance sheet, focused strategy, and significant opportunities ahead. I look forward to working with our team to drive disciplined investment, operational excellence, and long-term value creation for our shareholders.”
Newman added, “Rob is an exceptional leader who understands ATI’s strategy, operations, and financial drivers. He has delivered transformative results across the organization. I look forward to supporting a seamless transition as we pursue this next step in our succession planning.”
Before joining ATI in 2012, Foster held senior finance roles at API Technologies Corp. and Spectrum Control Inc., where he led ERP implementations, acquisition integrations, and internal control enhancements. He began his career as an auditor at Ernst & Young (EY).
ATI produces high-performance materials and solutions for the global aerospace and defense markets, and critical applications in electronics, medical, and specialty energy.
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