ESMA appoints Marie-Anne Barbat-Layani and Christopher P. Buttigieg as the new members of its Management Board and renews Armi Taipale’s mandate
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the European Union’s financial markets regulator and supervisor, has appointed Marie-Anne Barbat- Layani of Autorité Des Marchés Financiers (AMF), France and Christopher P. Buttigieg of Financial Services Authority (MFSA) Malta, as the new members of its Management Board. The Board of Supervisors has reappointed Armi Taipale of Finanssivalvonta (FIN-FSA) Finland, for a second mandate.
The new members are replacing Vasiliki Lazarakou of Ελληνική Επιτροπή Κεφαλαιαγοράς (HCMC) Greece, and Jos Heuvelman of Autoriteit Financiële Markten (AFM), the Netherlands whose mandates are ending on 31 December 2025.
The election took place at the Board of Supervisors meeting on 10 December 2025.
From 1 January 2026, the Management Board will consist of:
- Verena Ross, European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA);
- Ante Žigman, Hrvatska agencija za nadzor financijskih usluga (HANFA), Croatia
- Armi Taipale, Finanssivalvonta (FIN-FSA), Finland
- Marie-Anne Barbat- Layani, Autorité Des Marchés Financiers (AMF), France
- Thorsten Pötzsch, Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht (BaFin), Germany
- Carlo Comporti, Commissione Nazionale per le Società e la Borsa (CONSOB), Italy
- Christopher P. Buttigieg Financial Services Authority (MFSA), Malta
- Natasha Cazenave, ESMA Executive Director (non-voting member)
- Vojtěch Belling, ESMA Vice-Chair (observer)
- European Commission representative (non-voting member).
The Management Board, chaired by Verena Ross, Chair of ESMA, is responsible for ensuring that the Authority carries out its mission and performs the tasks assigned to it under its founding Regulation.
Further information:
Solveig Kleiveland
Team Leader - Communications
press@esma.europa.eu