About Us
Our History
The Institution of Regulation was established as a membership organisation in 2021.
Today, we’re a thriving sector‑wide regulatory professional and expert community with:
Over 1,500 regulatory experts in our membership network
Over 80 Regulator and Affiliate Members based in the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Falkland Islands
Over 100 individual members, experts and professionals in regulation
The Institute of Regulation grew from an informal network of 35 non-financial regulators, who began meeting in 2019.
We are a charitable not-for-profit company, registered with Companies House (13628098) and are currently applying to the Charity Commission for charitable status.
Our Objectives
To promote and provide education and training in the theory and practice of regulation.
To research, develop and promote good practice in regulation.
Our Mission
We believe that good regulation holds the key to public organisational effectiveness and social and economic prosperity. We aim to bring sector-specific knowledge sharing for best practices and improved value, and provide a framework for policy innovation, collaboration and improved public services.
The Role of Regulation
Regulation is the management of complex systems (such as financial services, utility markets, trading standards, education and health), according to clear rules and the law.
Regulators apply rules fairly and consistently to balance two goals: to protect consumers and users of services, and to support business innovation and public service improvement
Our Values
Openness & collaboration
We actively and generously engage with all those that have an interest in regulation, whatever their background or their organisation.
Independence
We give a voice to the value of regulation and the community of regulators, with authority, candour, and free from political influence.
Integrity
We uphold the highest standards of conduct, recognising the impact of regulation across all dimensions of society, government and the economy.
Professionalism
We promote and advance excellence, learning and creativity in the field of regulation.
Meet the Team
The Institute is overseen by a Trustee Board of senior executives and regulatory practitioners and supported by an Executive Team including a Director, General Manager and Membership & Events Officers.
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Matthew Coffey is Ofsted’s former Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Chief Inspector. Matthew joined Ofsted in 2007, following ten months as Lead Officer in the ‘Creating New Ofsted’ programme for workforce and organisational structure. Other appointments have included Regional Divisional Manager, Regional Director and National Director of Learning & Skills. Prior to Ofsted, Matthew’s experience included teaching and managing quality assurance of vocational education and employment skills training for young people and adults.
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Victoria is Deputy Director of Strategy at the Care Quality Commission and has worked in regulation and oversight for over 20 years. She led the development of CQC’s latest corporate strategy, setting the future direction for health and social care regulation in England. Her portfolio includes strategic assurance, horizon scanning, regulatory reform and strategic engagement. Victoria is part of the faculty that developed and teaches the international course on “Strategic thinking and development for health and care regulators” at Erasmus University. She is passionate about value driven regulation which goes beyond compliance and uses all the levers available to drive improvement.
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Miles Bake is a lawyer and former Head of Legal at the Bank of England, and has worked in banking and financial services regulation for 20 years. He was previously the Director of Governance & Ethics Officer at the Financial Conduct Authority and held a number of other senior leadership roles at the Bank of England, including Head of Enforcement & Litigation, and Head of Compliance. More recently Miles has been advising on Sir Jon Cunliffe's Independent Review of regulation of the Water sector in England & Wales, which reported in July 2025.
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Naomi Nicholson is an experienced education and healthcare regulator, currently working in regulatory consultancy. She is also a primary school governor, girls' mentor and mother of three. Naomi's regulatory roles include directorships at Ofqual and the Health and Care Professions Council. Naomi is delighted to be supporting equality professionals in regulation, as chair of the Institute of Regulation's Special Interest Group on Equality, Diversity & Inclusion. Her early career was in the third sector, with a focus on gender equality and human rights and she was later gender equality duty lead at Government Equalities Office. Naomi is interested in compassionate, evidence-based regulation that creates insights to inspire and drive real improvement for the public and service users.
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With extensive experience in healthcare leadership, Becky has held senior roles driving regulatory, operational, and strategic initiatives across health and social care. Currently serving as Chief Inspector at the Jersey Care Commission, she oversees significant regulatory reforms and professional regulation, ensuring compliance with governance and risk management frameworks.
Her leadership has included managing large-scale public health programs, coordinating with high-level stakeholders, and navigating complex political and operational landscapes. In her previous role as Associate Chief Nurse, Becky led sizable teams through important periods of change, providing strategic direction and advising senior leaders and decision-makers on healthcare policy and best practices. Additionally, Becky has considerable experience working across the UK and the Channel Islands, enhancing her understanding of how to effect positive change in diverse political and healthcare settings.
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Mark is the Assistant Director for the Standards and Ethics team at the GMC. This team is responsible for our core guidance for the doctors: Good Medical Practice (GMP), and other guidance which builds on the principles in GMP. We produce learning materials and give advice on standards and ethics through our enquiry service.Prior to joining the GMC in 2018, Mark worked in the civil service, latterly as Head of Strategic Reform and Priorities at the Department for International Development. Prior to that he held a number of policy, operational and private office roles at the Department for Work and Pensions.
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Marcial has been Chief Executive of four regulators in four different sectors. He led the MPs’ spending watchdog IPSA for six years after the expenses scandal, and the equality regulator EHRC during what some called a 'culture war' around identity; he regulated public health workers through the Covid pandemic, and now regulates the financial services provided by insolvency professionals. He was a director at both the National Audit Office and Audit Commission, and a former senior civil servant at the Home Office and Department of Education where he led work on counter-terrorism, crime reduction and adult skills. For two years, he was an advisor to Tony Blair's Delivery Unit in Downing St. He has published work on public service integrity ('The Integrity Mismatch'), on the regulation of democracy ('The Rules of Democracy'), and on public sector management ('The Public Sector Fox'). With others, he founded the Institute of Regulation in 2021.
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Michael Hanton is Deputy Chief Regulator at Ofqual, where he’s worked for the past eight years. Michael leads Ofqual’s work on regulatory strategy, innovation, its approach to market regulation and risk management, as well as the Chief Regulators Office. Prior to working in regulation, Michael worked in local government leading transformation to improve local service delivery in areas including adult social care and neighbourhood management.
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Dr Matthew Gill is a programme director at the Institute of Government, leading their work on public bodies and regulation.
He was policy director at the British Business Bank for over five year, including during the EU exit and the pandemic. He previously helped establish the bank while leading on enterprise policy at HM Treasury. Before that, he worked in prudential policy at the Financial services Authority and the Bank of England following the financial crisis.
Matthew began his career at PwC, where he became a chartered accountant. He then completed a PhD in sociology and spent two years in the USA as an interdisciplinary Andrew W. Mellon postdoctoral fellow. He is the author of Accountants' Truth: Knowledge and Ethics in the Financial World (Oxford, 2009).
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Alan Clamp is the Chief Executive of the Professional Standards Authority. The role of the Authority is one of public protection and it oversees the work of the ten regulators in health and social care. Formerly, posts include the Chief Executive of the Security Industry Authority (SIA) and Chief Executive at the Human Tissue Authority (HTA). Alan has worked for almost 20 years in regulation and served as a regulatory adviser to the Bar Standards Board and Ofqual. He is also a Non-Executive Director of the Parole Board of England and Wales.
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Dr Russell Richardson is an experienced competition and regulatory lawyer, with specific expertise in Oil & Gas, Internet and Media/Communications sectors. He has managed various dispute resolutions and multi-discipline litigation before the UK, EU and Grand Cayman courts. Russell is currently the General Counsel and Company Secretary for the UK Oil & Gas Authority. Previously, he was General Counsel and Deputy Director Industry Affairs for the Information and Communications Technology Authority in the Cayman Islands. Prior to that, he was a Principal Lawyer at the UK Office of Communications.
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Pauline is Chief Executive and Registrar of the General Teaching Council for Scotland. GTC Scotland is the independent regulator for teachers in Scotland with a key focus on ensuring teaching standards. Prior to joining GTC Scotland Pauline worked in local government for over twenty years in posts including Director of Schools and Learning and Principal Psychologist. Pauline is a registered teacher and began her career in education as a primary teacher.
We have links with other networks of regulators, including UKRN and the Ombudsmen Association in the UK, and international networks including the New Zealand Government Regulatory Practice Initiative (G-REG); the US Council on Licensure, Enforcement and Regulation (CLEAR); the Forum of Indian Regulators (FIOR); the National Regulators Community of Practice at the Australia and New Zealand School of Government (ANZOG); and the Community of Federal Regulators of Canada (CFR).