Matthew Elderfield

Matthew Elderfield (born 12 January 1966) was Deputy Governor and Head of Financial Regulation at the Central Bank of Ireland, a position sometimes referred to colloquial in Ireland as the Financial Regulator between January 2010 and October 2013. He is also the former chief executive of the Bermuda Monetary Authority (BMA).

Matthew Elderfield
Born(1966-01-12)12 January 1966
NationalityBritish
OccupationHead of Financial Regulation, Central Bank of Ireland.
Known forFinancial Regulation

Education

Elderfield graduated from Cambridge University in 1988 with a master's degree in International relations, and earned a bachelor's degree in foreign service, cum laude, from the School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University in 1987.[1]

He was at asked at a parliamentary committee "In regard to baseline qualifications, if your staff is regulating the financial sector, should it not be the case where they should have the bare minimum required in the market as well, a qualified financial adviser status, or they've gone through certain industry exams. It's obviously important to have." But Mr Elderfield disagreed: "I don't agree with that. But I think I'm conflicted because I've never taken a professional exam in my life."[2]

Career

Elderfield was chief executive of the Bermuda Monetary Authority (BMA, the financial services sector in Bermuda) from July 2007. During his two years as head of the financial regulator in Bermuda, Elderfield introduced reforms to strengthen the island's reputation for international insurance, banking and fund management. He strengthened regulation in Bermuda by significantly increasing staff numbers, expanding the BMA's learning and development programme, and introducing a scoring system for management.[3]

Prior to joining the BMA, Elderfield spent eight years at the UK Financial Services Authority (FSA) as a head of a number of departments responsible for exchange and clearing-house supervision of secondary markets, listing policy and for banking supervision. He was the official responsible for supervising Northern Rock in the months before the collapsed bank applied for its first bailout.[4] He represented the FSA on the Basel Accord Implementation Group and chaired the FSA panel responsible for economic capital model review.[1]

Before joining the FSA, Elderfield established the European operation of the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) and held position at the London Investment Banking Association, the British Bankers Association and a Washington DC-based consultancy firm, the Institute for Strategy Development.[1]

Elderfield earned an annual salary of €340,000 a year at the Central Bank of Ireland compared to a salary of $730,000 (€533,000) in Bermuda[5] and was said to be at his desk from 7.30am to 7pm on weekdays while working a half-day on Sundays.[6]

Appointment as financial regulator in Ireland

Elderfield was appointed in October 2009 by the Governor of the Central Bank, Patrick Honohan. He succeeded Patrick Neary, who retired early over the handling of the regulator's investigation into the €87 million in secret directors' loans at Anglo Irish Bank.[7] Minister for Finance, Brian Lenihan welcomed his appointment, saying: "The appointment of Mr Elderfield, particularly given his extensive international regulatory experience, is a key step in the restructuring of financial services regulation in Ireland."[8] He took up his position in January 2010.[9] He has been tasked with the rebuilding of the financial regulators function and restoring its reputation, overseeing the recapitalisation of the banks, helping to wean them off the funding support of Government guarantees, match Ireland's regulatory changes with the raft of measures coming internationally, and strike a measured balance in his approach to maintain a competitive position for the Irish financial services sector at a global level. Mr Elderfield said he intended to pursue a policy of 'assertive' regulation, backed up by the credible threat of enforcement.[10] An Irish Times poll suggests that he is meeting success in restoring credibility to the Financial Regulators office with 68% responding positively.[11] In April 2010 he said that there was "critical absence of intellectual firepower within his staff[12]

Capital requirements for banks

Following the transfer of loans to NAMA at the end of March 2010, the regulator's office announced under the Government's guarantee scheme must now meet a core equity ratio of 8 per cent by the end of 2010. This is to ensure that they can withstand future losses.[13]

Appointment of administrator to Quinn Insurance

On 30 March 2010, following an application by the Financial Regulator's office, the High Court appointed joint provisional administrators to Quinn Insurance Limited, part of the Quinn Group of companies.[14] According to the Irish Independent, eight subsidiaries of Quinn Insurance provided guarantees of €1.2bn to cover Quinn Group's debts, prompting the regulator to seek the appointment of provisional administrators in the High Court.[15] The Quinn Group took action to counter the moves by the Financial Regulator, mobilising its employees into street protests, financial discussions with its creditors, in an effort to seek a resolution to the uncertainty created by the appointment of provisional administrators to Quinn Insurance.[16] On 15 April 2010, the Irish Times reported that Quinn Insurance decided not to fight the appointment of a permanent administrator.[17] This was following a direct challenge by Elderfield to the groups owner, Irelands former richest man, Sean Quinn, to "Show me the money" that would have solved the financial difficulties.[18]

Personal

He is a British citizen and is married. His interests are cycling, Leeds United, music and lives in Sandymount, Dublin.[19]

References
  1. "Appointments:Matthew Elderfield, Central Bank". businessandleadership.com. 20 October 2009. Archived from the original on 18 April 2010. Retrieved 19 April 2010.
  2. Quinlan, Ronald (16 May 2010). "Financial watchdog reveals his lack of a specialist qualification". Irish Independent.
  3. Simon Carswell (24 October 2009). "Financial watchdog's impeccable pedigree". The Irish Times. Retrieved 19 April 2010.
  4. Noonan, Laura (8 June 2010). "Regulator helped supervise Northern Rock before bailout". Irish Independent.
  5. Simon Carswell (19 March 2010). "Unenviable task in taming the banks". The Irish Times. Retrieved 19 April 2010.
  6. http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/old-practices-at-central-bank-are-holding-back-new-ireland-2634785.html>
  7. "Neary to retire as Regulator". RTÉ. 9 January 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2010.
  8. Charlie Weston (20 October 2009). "Central Bank appoints Englishman to top job". Irish Independent. Retrieved 21 October 2010.
  9. "New Chief Executive". Financial Regulator. 4 January 2010. Archived from the original on 1 January 2011. Retrieved 19 April 2010.
  10. "Bank watchdog pledges tough approach". RTÉ. 11 March 2010. Retrieved 19 April 2010.
  11. "Has Matthew Elderfield restored the credibility of the Financial Regulator's office?". The Irish Times. Retrieved 19 April 2010.
  12. "Regulator lacking top-level graduates". Irish Independent. 18 April 2010.
  13. Eoin Burke-Kennedy (30 March 2010). "Irish banks may require up to €32 billion to cover losses". The Irish Times. Retrieved 19 April 2010.
  14. "Statement on Quinn Insurance". Financial Regulator. 30 March 2010. Archived from the original on 18 June 2012. Retrieved 19 April 2010.
  15. Maeve Sheehan (4 April 2010). "Industry captain's ill-fated voyage on the sinking ship". Irish Independent. Retrieved 19 April 2010.
  16. "Statement from QUINN-group – adjournment of hearing". Quinn Group. 12 April 2010. Archived from the original on 19 September 2010. Retrieved 19 April 2010.
  17. Ciara O'Brien (15 April 2010). "Quinn to 'accept administration'". The Irish Times. Retrieved 19 April 2010.
  18. Emmet Oliver (15 April 2010). "Watchdog tells Quinn: Show me the money". Irish Independent. Retrieved 19 April 2010.
  19. "Profile". Irish Independent. 6 January 2011.

See also
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