Karen Baxter is currently Commander for Economic Crime for City of London Police, (The National Lead Force for Economic Crime), the National Coordinator for Fraud investigations and the National Lead for Cyber Protect across UK Policing. Joining UK Finance in October Karen will head up UK Finance’s Intelligence Strategy working closely alongside Katy Worobec, Managing Director, Economic Crime, to lead the development and implementation of a coherent and comprehensive strategy for intelligence sharing across economic and cyber enabled crime in UK Finance.

With almost 30 years law enforcement experience, Karen has led the policing response nationally to fraud and financial crime for the last two years, focusing on the role of information and intelligence in the fight against economic crime, with a key understanding of the importance of working in partnership across the public and private sectors. In addition to leading on the fight against economic crime, Karen also has extensive investigative experience of serious & organised crime, terrorism, safeguarding, covert policing, cyber, murder and major crime. Karen will report to UK Finance’s Chief Executive and the Chair of the Economic Crime Product and Service Board.

Jana Mackintosh joins UK Finance from FIS (and Worldpay from FIS), a leading Fintech, where she is currently Director, Government Relations and Public Policy, responsible for its global strategic policy programme. In her newly created role at UK Finance, Jana will be responsible for leading the trade body’s payments and innovation policy and programme development. Jana will join the organisation in September this year, reporting to UK Finance’s Chief Executive and the Chair of its Payments Products and Services Board. Jana will join UK Finance in September.

Jana’s background and experience are in competition and regulatory policy. In 2014 she joined the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to deliver on its newly formed competition mandate, which subsequently led to the creation of the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR). She went on to establish the PSR and develop its initial regulatory and policy strategy, delivering its first market review and implementing key pieces of regulation including the second Payment Services Directive. Prior to this, Jana worked for a number of leading consultancies, including KPMG.

Jana developed strong industry and regulatory relationships by serving on various Boards and Committees including the Bank of England’s RTGS External Advisory Board, the PSR Panel, the European Payment Council Board, the Pay.UK Participant Advisory Council as well as UK Finance’s Payments Product and Service Board.

Representing more than 250 firms, UK Finance is the collective voice for the banking and finance industry acting to enhance competitiveness, support customers and facilitate innovation. It offers research, policy expertise and advocacy as well as operational and project implementation to enhance members’ own services where collective activity across the industry is appropriate. The Board, which is led by UK Finance Chair Bob Wigley, has been developed to ensure senior and fair representation across the industry.

Bob Wigley, Chair at UK Finance said: “With significant experience in their specialist areas, spanning commercial operations, law enforcement, regulation, policy and the public sector, Karen and Jana both bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise which I know will prove to be significant assets to the UK Finance team and invaluable to all our members in this sphere. We are very much looking forward to their both joining us in these key roles.”

Karen Baxter said: “The challenges to tackling economic crime are both diverse and growing and it’s vital that the public and private sectors play their parts in helping prevent this scourge on our society. Intelligence sharing of criminal activity is key in achieving this and I look forward to working with UK Finance’s team, members and partners in helping the industry tackle economic and cyber enabled crime.”

Jana Mackintosh said: “Having worked closely with UK Finance since its formation, I am very much looking forward to joining the team and supporting our members as they face a series of ‘in-flight’ mandatory change programmes while also navigating the challenges and opportunities presented by innovation and digital technologies.”