Carole Begent
General Counsel and Head of Regulatory and Competition Enforcement, Payment Systems Regulator
Carole is the General Counsel and a Director of the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR). Carole has extensive knowledge and expertise in competition, regulatory law, public law in advisory, policy development and litigation contexts. In addition to her General Counsel role she sponsors work relating to Enforcement, Competition, Interchange Fee Regulation and Brexit.
Prior to joining the PSR, Carole was Senior Legal Director, Mergers, Markets and Regulatory Appeals at the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) where she reported to the General Counsel and to the CMA Board on legal issues arising in mergers, markets and regulation.
Between March 2000 and March 2014 Carole was Deputy Chief Legal Adviser and Head of International at the Competition Commission (CC). She led the successful defence of CC decisions, including appeals by BAA, Ryanair and BSkyB to Court of Appeal. Carole’s earlier experience includes secondment to the Department for Transport in 2009 as Head of Railway Infrastructure and Safety Legal Division; and legal and policy roles at OFWAT and ORR.