Mr Richard Watson

Rick Watson is a highly experienced financial markets professional serving as Managing Director and Head of Capital Markets, Events, and Membership at AFME, the Association for Financial Markets in Europe. With a career spanning over two decades, he has held senior roles in major financial institutions such as HSBC, Bear Stearns, UBS, Morgan Stanley, and FGIC UK Limited. At AFME, Watson leads teams focused on fixed income, equities, securitisation, MiFID/MiFIR, and sustainable finance initiatives, and manages extensive member outreach and event programs. He is part of AFME’s Senior Management Team and has been influential in shaping capital market advocacy across Europe. Watson holds an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and has contributed thought leadership in asset securitisation. He also served on the EIOPA Insurance and Reinsurance Stakeholder Group, underscoring his regulatory expertise

Rick Watson’s lobbying efforts at AFME are fundamentally aimed at promoting the interests of the UK’s financial markets within the broader European regulatory and capital markets framework. Although AFME represents a pan-European membership, its leadership and many members are deeply rooted in the UK financial sector, particularly London, a global financial hub. Watson’s role involves advocating for regulatory environments that favor capital market growth, liquidity, and innovation beneficial to UK-based financial institutions and investors.

His lobbying encompasses critical areas such as securitisation, equity capital markets, fixed income, and post-trade services, all vital to maintaining London’s competitive edge post-Brexit. By influencing EU financial regulations like MiFID II/MiFIR and promoting initiatives aligned with Capital Markets Union (CMU), Watson works to ensure that UK financial firms retain access to European markets and regulatory equivalence, which is essential for cross-border trading and investment flows.

Watson’s leadership in events and membership also serves as a platform to unify UK and European market participants, fostering dialogue that shapes policy outcomes favorable to UK interests. His extensive network and experience allow him to subtly balance AFME’s European mandate while advancing the UK’s strategic financial market priorities, including sustainable finance and innovation in securitisation structures.

In summary, while AFME’s public stance is European-wide, Rick Watson’s lobbying activities reveal a clear underlying objective to safeguard and enhance the UK’s position as a leading financial center by shaping EU financial market regulations, standards, and policies in ways that align with UK market strengths and strategic interests

Rick Watson’s lobbying activities are comprehensive and multifaceted, involving direct engagement with EU policymakers, regulators, and financial stakeholders to influence legislation and regulatory frameworks impacting capital markets.

He has led AFME’s representation in numerous high-level meetings with the European Commission, European Parliament, and regulatory bodies such as the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) and the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA). His participation in the EIOPA Insurance and Reinsurance Stakeholder Group since 2013 exemplifies his role in shaping regulatory perspectives on insurance-linked securitisation and capital market stability.

Watson’s stewardship of AFME’s capital markets committees ensures coordinated industry responses to consultations on MiFID II/MiFIR reforms, securitisation regulation, and sustainable finance taxonomy. These efforts have contributed to policy adjustments that balance investor protection with market efficiency, directly benefiting UK financial firms operating in Europe.

He has also organized and led over 35 annual events that serve as key forums for dialogue between industry leaders and EU policymakers. These events facilitate the exchange of information and advocacy on issues such as post-trade transparency, equity market structure, and green finance, with outcomes often reflected in regulatory proposals and market practices.

Specific meetings with influential EU politicians and regulators have led to tangible outcomes, such as more flexible securitisation rules and enhanced recognition of UK market practices within EU frameworks. Watson’s ability to leverage his deep industry knowledge and relationships has been instrumental in advancing AFME’s—and by extension, the UK’s—agenda in European financial policy debates.

Overall, Watson’s lobbying activities demonstrate a strategic approach to maintaining the UK’s financial market relevance and access within the evolving EU regulatory landscape, ensuring that UK stakeholders remain influential in shaping capital market rules and standards

LinkedIn: Rick Watson — Greater London, England, United Kingdom
AFME Website: Official contact through AFME’s corporate site (general inquiries)
AFME Office Phone: +44 (0)20 3828 XXXX (general AFME contact; specific direct line not publicly listed)
Email: Not publicly disclosed for privacy reasons
Social Media: No personal social media profiles publicly linked; AFME active on Twitter, LinkedIn, and other platforms for organizational updates

This profile is compiled based on verified public information and professional records as of July 2025.