In recognition of their considerable success in Oxera’s Financial Services, Energy, and Efficiency practices, Oxera has promoted four of its Senior Consultants to the Principal grade: Helen Ralston, John Raven, Sahar Shamsi and Srini Parthasarathy.
Helen Ralston first joined Oxera in 2007. After taking some time out to do a masters in Economics, she returned to Oxera and has worked across a broad range of competition and regulatory matters in financial services, including some high-profile stock exchange mergers, and several market investigations and antitrust cases. Her recent work involved advising on antitrust and regulatory investigations into market manipulation and information sharing.
Reinder van Dijk, Partner, stated:
‘We welcome Helen to her new role as Principal. Helen has built strong relations with some of our clients and law firms, and will continue to play a key role in delivering top-quality advice. I am very pleased for her, and welcome her as a senior member of Oxera’s Financial Services team.’
Helen noted: ‘I am very excited to take on this new role and look forward to seeing what can be achieved in the next 10 years at Oxera.’
An expert in the economics of the financial services sector and the application of economic modelling techniques, John Raven has worked with leading banks, insurers, consumer credit companies, asset managers, associations and regulators. He has advised clients on a wide range of issues including consumer behaviour, conduct regulation, competitive dynamics, optimal pricing, taxation and economic impact. John has experience of market investigations, commercial due diligence, regulatory investigations, investment appraisal, and modelling business strategy.
Reinder van Dijk, Partner, stated:
‘When John joined Oxera in 2011, he brought with him a wealth of experience, having worked for two of the Big Four accountancy firms and the UK Government Economic Service. At Oxera, John has made an important contribution to growing our offering in the financial services sector, in particular in working with our clients to develop new economic frameworks to inform pricing decisions and manage conduct risk. I look forward to continuing working with him in this exciting area and advancing economics in business.’
John commented: ‘I look forward to expanding the impact of Oxera in helping our clients to meet the challenges they face in the financial services sector.’
CFA charterholder, Sahar Shamsi, specialises in finance and regulation, and will be focusing on leading work in Oxera’s Energy practice as a senior economist in the team. She has given expert testimony in relation to energy regulation in the UK and internationally, and has an extensive track record of advising companies and regulators across the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Australasia. She leads the delivery of finance modules at Oxera’s Utility Finance and Utility Regulation courses, and regularly speaks about regulation and finance issues at conferences. She has been seconded to the UK Competition and Markets Authority as a lead economic adviser in a price control redetermination.
Jostein Kristensen, Partner, stated:
‘I am delighted to welcome Sahar as the Deputy Head of the Energy team. She is recognised as an expert in regulatory finance and energy network regulation. Sahar is held in high regard by her clients, who describe her as having ‘a combination of skills that is hard to find’ in combining excellent communication and technical skills. As a senior economist in the team, she will be leading work in regulation as well as extending Oxera’s expertise in energy markets and policy.’
Sahar noted: ‘I am looking forward to leading work in our Energy practice, in the UK, Europe and internationally. Network regulation and finance in the Energy sector is where Oxera began, and is at the heart of our legacy. I’m honoured to be entrusted with safeguarding our legacy, while growing our expertise in new jurisdictions, and in the application of economics to energy regulation and policy.’
Dr Srini Parthasarathy joined Oxera’s Efficiency team in autumn 2010. Since then, he has led on expert reports and testimony, and provided efficiency advice and analysis during several price control reviews and price appeal and merger inquiries. He has advised a wide variety of organisations, companies and regulators in almost all regulated sectors in the UK and Europe.
Alan Horncastle, Partner, stated:
‘I am delighted that Srini has progressed to this senior role in the team, and congratulate him on this promotion. As a regular speaker at pan-European efficiency benchmarking events, Srini is bringing his expertise to a wider audience, showing how measurement tools can make a real difference to how companies perform, identifying the gaps and providing effective ways to address them.’
Srini commented: ‘I’m thrilled with the recognition. Worldwide, regulators and corporates are tending towards international best practice, multidisciplinary integration, innovative solutions, and state-of-the-art techniques. This brings with it a breadth of new challenges—especially given the rapidly evolving technology landscape—as well as opportunities to gain valuable insight on issues and to support robust decision-making. Oxera’s Efficiency practice has been at the forefront of these developments for decades, and I look forward to shaping efficiency applications in regulatory and non-regulatory contexts, pushing the frontier further.’