Jacqueline MILLS

Jacqueline Mills is the Managing Director and Head of Advocacy at AFME, a leading trade association representing Europe’s financial markets, including major global and European banks. With over two decades of experience in EU financial services policy and advocacy, Mills plays a pivotal role in shaping and delivering AFME’s strategic advocacy efforts across the EU27 and the UK. She joined AFME in 2014, initially working in the Prudential Regulation Division, and later established AFME’s Frankfurt office in 2017 to strengthen relationships with key European supervisory authorities, notably the ECB Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM). Her background includes senior roles at Leaseurope and Deloitte, and academic credentials with a Masters in Finance and Accounting and a DEA from the Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management. Mills is recognized for her expertise in financial regulation, capital markets, and supervisory policy, and she currently serves on the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) Securities and Markets Stakeholder Group, further underscoring her influence in European financial regulation

Jacqueline Mills’ lobbying efforts through AFME are deeply focused on advocating for policies that support the integration and competitiveness of European capital markets, with a strong emphasis on maintaining and enhancing the UK’s role within these markets despite Brexit-related challenges. AFME represents banks underwriting a significant portion of European debt and equity issuances, and Mills’ work aims to ensure regulatory frameworks are conducive to efficient capital flows, risk management, and market liquidity that benefit both EU and UK financial sectors.

Her advocacy targets a broad spectrum of regulatory issues including prudential regulation (e.g., CRD5/CRR2), supervisory convergence, and market structure reforms. By fostering close relationships with EU institutions and supervisory bodies such as the ECB SSM, ESMA, and the European Commission, Mills seeks to influence regulatory developments to avoid fragmentation between the EU and UK markets. This includes working to align post-Brexit regulatory standards and supervisory practices to facilitate cross-border banking and capital market activities.

Mills’ lobbying also involves promoting the UK as a key financial hub within the global and European context, ensuring that UK-based financial institutions and markets remain attractive and competitive. This is achieved through detailed policy engagement, stakeholder consultations, and participation in advisory groups like ESMA’s SMSG, where she provides expert input on market developments and technical standards. Her role in these forums allows her to subtly shape policies that reflect the interests of UK financial institutions operating in Europe, ensuring that the UK’s regulatory environment remains integrated and supportive of international financial services

Jacqueline Mills’ lobbying activities are extensive and multifaceted, involving direct engagement with EU policymakers, supervisory authorities, and industry stakeholders to promote AFME’s agenda and, by extension, the interests of UK financial markets within Europe.

She has led AFME’s policy work on key regulatory files such as the Capital Requirements Directive V (CRD5) and Capital Requirements Regulation II (CRR2), which are critical for the capital adequacy and risk management of banks operating in both the EU and UK. Her establishment of AFME’s Frankfurt office in 2017 was a strategic move to deepen engagement with the ECB’s Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM), enabling more direct dialogue with supervisors responsible for major European banks, including UK-headquartered institutions with European subsidiaries.

Mills regularly participates in high-level meetings with EU Commissioners, members of the European Parliament, and senior officials at ESMA and the ECB. Through these interactions, she advocates for supervisory convergence and regulatory coherence, which are essential to prevent market fragmentation post-Brexit. For example, her role in running AFME’s SSM Supervisory Committee has facilitated ongoing discussions that influence supervisory practices affecting UK banks’ European operations.

Her appointment to ESMA’s Securities and Markets Stakeholder Group (SMSG) in 2024 further amplifies her influence, allowing her to contribute to ESMA’s guidance on policy matters and technical standards that impact wholesale financial markets. This position enables her to provide input that aligns with AFME’s and the UK’s interests, promoting a regulatory environment that supports cross-border capital market activities.

Mills’ advocacy also extends to participating in the European Parliamentary Financial Services Forum, where she engages with policymakers on legislative developments impacting financial services. These activities collectively demonstrate her role in shaping a regulatory landscape that supports the UK’s financial sector’s integration with European markets, ensuring that UK firms can continue to operate effectively across borders

Email: [email protected]
Mobile: +32 (0) 471 56 01 53
Direct Phone: +32 (0)2 883 55 47
LinkedIn: Jacqueline Mills – Head of Advocacy at AFME (accessible via LinkedIn platform)
AFME Website: www.afme.eu
Office Locations: Brussels, Belgium (AFME Headquarters); Frankfurt, Germany (AFME Office established by Mills)

This comprehensive profile reflects Jacqueline Mills’ significant role as a lobbyist advocating for the UK’s financial market interests within the European regulatory framework through her leadership at AFME.