Ben Grouse
Head of Regulatory Strategy & Advocacy, Emea Global Product Solutions @BlackRock
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WORK HISTORY
Head of Regulatory Strategy & Advocacy, Emea Global Product Solutions @BlackRock
London, GB
Leading/managing cross-functional teams delivering regulatory change strategy, governance, risk & controls, policy/regulatory engagement and advocacy across EMEA products, services and asset classes• Directing reg. change programmes at scale, to grow and protect the business (~50 initiatives annually, including across ESG, product, market structure, consumer protection, digital assets and resilience• With ESG a strategic priority, led cross-functional projects (e.g. SFDR, EU Taxonomy), setting product strategy (~100 funds,~US$150bn AUM) capturing ~70% of industry flows during implementation and shaping market standards through client engagement and external partnerships. Drove innovative solutions (e.g. ‘SI’ dataset) and auditor-acclaimed ESG index oversight governance• Led Brexit readiness: Protected business operations/product distribution and save costs. Persuaded LSE to retain EU liquidity provider access—saving US$850k/protecting market quality for 70 ETFs—successfully lobbied UK Gov\'t to safeguard UCITS freedoms• Represented business at ExCo/board-level, founded/chaired OpCo and Reg. Change SteerCo (~5 years), introducing dashboards/MI to improve risk transparency, decision-making and advocacy coordination. Implemented \"best-in-class\" governance frameworks (per FCA)• Designed cross-listing framework allowing listing of ~20 UCITS ETFs in new distribution market through collaboration with regulators, exchange and market participants• Streamlined research consumption operating model, avoiding ~US$350k p.a. additional cost allocation• Led response to ESG Fund Naming Guidance, persuading ESMA to apply product exclusions more proportionately, supporting NZ transition & preventing wholesale divestment from energy stocks• Influenced industry/policy outcomes: Lifting FCA retail ban on Bitcoin ETPs, drop misleading T-cost disclosures, challenged ECB/ESRB ETF systemic-risk theories and secured inclusion of ETFs in IA Sectors, boosting wealth adoption
EDUCATION
Nottingham Law School
Legal Practice Course, Law
The University of Sheffield
LLB Hons (Law), Law
ABOUT BEN GROUSE
I’m a senior leader with a proven track record of driving regulatory change strategy and implementation, influencing policy, regulatory engagement and leading core COO functions across global financial services organisations. Legally qualified (England & Wales), I combine deep regulatory expertise with strong commercial insight and product experience.For over a decade, I have represented global firms in trade associations and industry coalitions, providing thought-leadership and building trusted relationships with industry peers, policymakers and regulators to shape more effective regulation that grows business and protects investors. I specialise in turning complex challenges into strategic, actionable outcomes that deliver real business impact.I have led cross-functional and cross-border teams to design and implement best-in-class risk, controls and governance frameworks. I chair senior forums (OpCos, SteerCos), represent business\' at ExCo and Board level and successfully navigate matrix organisations through transformational change with clarity, challenge and influence.Known for bringing clarity from complexity, I thrive at the intersection of regulation, strategy and risk management. While I have broad experience across financial services and markets, I have deep expertise in ETFs and indexing, ESG and transition finance and the evolving role of regulation in shaping financial products and markets.Please feel free to connect with me - I am open to discussing potential roles, advisory opportunities and speaking engagements.
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