VocaLink, the infrastructure payments provider announced the appointment of Andrew Williams-Fry as Chief Regulatory Officer.  Andrew will lead the Regulatory and Corporate Affairs Division, which has been created in response to the changing UK payments landscape and the new Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) which formally came into existence on 1 April 2015.

Andrew joins VocaLink from the aviation industry where he was Chief Economist for Gatwick Airport, leading the response to the Civil Aviation Authority’s regulatory review; he was also responsible for the economic case for Gatwick’s second runway proposal.  Prior to this role, Andrew was Head of Regulation at NATS the leading provider of air traffic solutions.

With the introduction of the PSR and its initial focus on the provision of payments infrastructure, Andrew’s main responsibility will be to lead VocaLink’s engagement with the regulator and prepare for any future regulatory changes.

Commenting on the appointment, David Yates, Chief Executive Officer at VocaLink, said:

“We are extremely pleased to appoint Andrew and I am confident that he is the best person to lead our new Regulatory and Corporate Affairs Division. With the PSR’s review into the payments market underway, Andrew’s considerable experience and knowledge of regulatory initiatives will strengthen my management team as the payments landscape continues to evolve.”

Andrew Williams-Fry, Chief Regulatory Officer at VocaLink, commented: “I am looking forward to working for VocaLink which, for over 40 years, has been securely processing payments and making the UK economy more efficient.  This award-winning company has been trusted to deliver and operate mission-critical resilient payment services and has an exemplary track record in the payments industry. This is an exciting time to be joining VocaLink as the PSR commence their review with the objectives of increasing access, competition and innovation within the payment systems.”