ESMA names Carlo Comporti as next chair from November 2026

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ESMA names Carlo Comporti chair

Highlights

Carlo Comporti was confirmed by the Council of the European Union to succeed as ESMA chair on 1 November 2026.
Comporti currently serves as CONSOB commissioner, sits on ESMA’s Board of Supervisors, and chairs ESMA’s Digital Finance Standing Committee.
ESMA's leadership transition emphasizes regulatory continuity as it oversees policy on European market integration, investor protection, and capital markets development.

Leadership transition confirmed in Brussels

As announced by the European Securities and Markets Authority, the Council of the European Union confirmed Comporti's appointment at its meeting in Brussels, formally clearing the way for him to take over as chair on 1 November 2026.

Verena Ross says Comporti brings decades of experience in European financial markets regulation and strong knowledge of ESMA, adding that she looks forward to seeing the authority continue to develop under his leadership. Ross also says it has been an honour to lead ESMA for the past five years and thanks staff and the Board of Supervisors for their support and collaboration.

Comporti says he takes on the role at a time when ESMA is central to discussions about the future of European financial markets. He also says the regulator plays a critical role in helping European markets develop further and integrate in ways that support companies, investors and citizens.

Regulatory background and market relevance

Before the appointment, Comporti serves as a commissioner at Italy's CONSOB from February 2022 and also sits on ESMA's Board of Supervisors and Management Board. He chairs ESMA's Digital Finance Standing Committee and is a member of the IOSCO Board, where he chairs the Audit and Finance Committee.

Earlier in his career, Comporti serves as chief executive of Promontory Italy and chief operating officer of Promontory Europe, a business unit of IBM Consulting, from 2011 to 2022, after holding the role of directeur general of Promontory France. He also serves as secretary general of the Committee of European Securities Regulators from 2008 and plays a key role in the transition from CESR to ESMA in 2010 and 2011.

The appointment matters for the European financial sector because ESMA oversees market regulation and supervision across the EU, putting its leadership at the center of policy work on market integration, investor protection and the development of the region's capital markets.

In our earlier coverage of the EU’s post-pandemic recovery fund, we explained how the Recovery and Resilience Facility channels €573 billion in staged grants and loans to member states, with payouts tied to reform milestones and measurable targets. We noted that roughly €440 billion had been disbursed by the end of August, with the remaining payments scheduled by year-end, and framed the program as a significant—if limited—precedent for deeper fiscal coordination in the bloc.

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