Edward Bowles has been Chairman of ESF’s Policy Committee since January 2012.

Edward works for Standard Chartered Bank and is Regional Head of Public Affairs, EMEA and Americas.  Edward manages the Bank’s public affairs team for the West, and has a particular focus on relations with governments, regulatory issues and free trade negotiations. In addition to his role on the European Services Forum Policy Committee, which dates from 2007, he represents the Bank on other industry associations and committees in London and Brussels. As a member of the ESF PC, he was Rapporteur on the EU-India FTA, and has travelled to Geneva as a member of the ESF delegation.

Edward joined Standard Chartered Bank in 2007, initially with the Group Compliance & Assurance team, where he had responsibility for the Bank’s relationships with regulators, as well as the UK Government’s regulatory reform agenda. He managed the global regulatory filings for the acquisition of American Express Bank, and had extensive dealings with host regulators in Standard Chartered’s markets, notably in Asia, as well as the UK’s Financial Services Authority.

Prior to joining the Bank, Edward worked for 5 years at the UK Ministry of Justice, including as Head of Human Rights policy, Chief of Staff to two Government Ministers and, latterly, the Permanent Secretary (Head of Department).  He was accompanied his Minister on bilateral trade delegations to India and Brazil, negotiating market access for UK law firms. Edward also advised on regulatory reform concerning the legal professions, and worked with Baroness Cathy Ashton, now the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, for a number of years when she was a UK Government Minister in the Ministry of Justice.

Edward qualified as a Barrister in 1993, spending eight years as a Prosecutor, and also holds an MBA from Imperial College, London. He is married, has two children and lives in London and Leuven (Belgium).