We Interview Chris Hamilton, Head of External Affairs and AI Adoption at the FCA

Having hired comms professionals for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the team at The Works Search knows exactly how challenging a role Chris Hamilton has. Which is why we wanted to interview him.

As the Head of External Affairs and AI Adoption, Chris sits at the intersection of two of the most demanding disciplines in the business - regulating one of the world's most scrutinised financial markets and preparing an entire organisation for the AI era. We spoke to Chris about his role, crisis communications, building trust as a regulator, and, after all that, why the best advice he's ever received is to put down the AI and pick up the phone.

1. Can you give us a brief overview of your career so far and what inspired you to pursue a career in communications?

“I’ve spent my career in communications because I’ve always loved making complex things feel clear and human. I started out in financial PR at Bell Pottinger, then moved to the FCA where I’ve grown through a whole series of roles - crisis work, head of media, head of internal comms and external affairs, strategic and planning to name a few - and now I’m leading on AI adoption. What’s kept me in comms for more than 20 years is the same thing that drew me to it in the first place: the mix of fast‑moving issues, public impact, and helping leaders find the right words when it really matters.”

2. The FCA plays a central role in maintaining trust in the financial services market. That can’t be easy – tell us how you go about this?

“For me, maintaining trust starts with being open about what we’re doing and why. The FCA deals with tough, fast‑moving issues, so my job is to bring clarity - making sure we explain decisions in a way people can actually understand and being upfront when things are complicated or uncomfortable. I focus on joining the dots internally too, so our messages are consistent and grounded in the reality of what teams are seeing. Trust isn’t built in big moments - it’s built in the everyday discipline of being clear, honest and steady, especially when the pressure’s on.”

3. We know that you’re crisis king. Can you walk me through your approach when a major crisis breaks at the FCA? What are the first steps you take to coordinate the response?

“Well, it’s fair to say I have had lots of practice, so these things have become second nature! When a major issue breaks, my first step is to anchor everything in our central crisis framework. It’s well‑practised across the FCA, so it gives us immediate structure and clarity. I bring the core operational, policy, legal and comms leads together quickly to establish verified facts, likely impacts, and what decisions are needed in the first hour. From there, I focus on clear ownership, disciplined communication, and making sure senior leaders have concise, actionable updates. The framework keeps us aligned, reduces noise, and allows us to move at pace while still being confident in the decisions we’re taking.”

4. How do you balance the need for transparency with regulatory and legal constraints when managing sensitive communications around issues like firm insolvencies or financial crime?

“It’s always a tricky balance - the instinct to be open and honest, and the very real legal constraints we operate under. My approach is to get absolute clarity early by working closely with Legal, Enforcement and Supervision on what can and can’t be shared. From there, I focus on being as transparent as possible within those boundaries, and I’m upfront about the limits. Explaining the ‘why’ behind those limits builds trust while still protecting sensitive processes. Close relationships with journalists and stakeholders really matter here - when you can’t disclose everything, trust and credibility become the bridge that keeps them confident in the process.”

5. What's your process for preparing the CEO or Chair for high-stakes situations like Select Committee appearances or meetings with Ministers under intense political pressure?

“We take accountability extremely seriously - it’s fundamental to maintaining trust in our decisions and in the system as a whole. We’re the most‑scrutinised regulator in the country, with 13 appearances before five separate Select Committees last year alone. I’ve personally advised on well over a hundred of them. My approach is grounded in disciplined preparation and practice: ensuring the CEO or Chair is fully across the core lines, evidence and likely challenges, and then running focused rehearsals to build confidence under real pressure. Strong relationships with committee members and clerks also matter; they help ensure hearings are fair, predictable and genuinely focused on scrutiny and accountability.

6.Where do you see AI adding the most value to comms teams in the next couple of years?

“Having spent the last year researching and developing an AI adoption roadmap for the FCA in my new role as Head of AI Adoption, I've genuinely shifted my perspective on this. I started out sceptical - I'd seen plenty of overhyped technology promises before - but I now believe AI will be transformative for communications teams.

I see the greatest value emerging in three areas over the next year:

First, efficiency in content production. AI can dramatically accelerate first drafts, repurposing, and adapting content for different channels and audiences. This isn't about replacing communicators - it's about freeing them from the repetitive work so they can focus on strategy, judgement, and stakeholder relationships.

Second, insight and analysis. AI can process large volumes of media coverage, social listening data, and stakeholder feedback far faster than any team could manually. This means we can be more responsive, spot emerging issues earlier, and make better-informed decisions about where to focus effort.

Third, accessibility and personalisation. AI tools are making it easier to produce communications in multiple formats and adapt messaging for different audience needs - whether that's simplifying language, generating transcripts, or tailoring content for specific segments.

But here's what concerns me: there's still significant reluctance across the profession. Some of that caution is healthy - we need to think carefully about accuracy, ethics, and maintaining authentic voice. But communicators who don't engage with these tools now risk being left behind. The technology is moving fast, and those who wait will find themselves playing catch-up while others have already embedded AI into their workflows and are demonstrating real value.

The teams that will thrive are those that start experimenting now, build their understanding of what works, and develop the judgement to use AI responsibly and effectively.

This all points to a clear shift in what the future comms professional will be. The strongest communicators will pair traditional skills - judgement, storytelling, stakeholder insight - with a real fluency in data and AI‑enabled workflows. They won’t need to be technologists, but they will be confident using AI to surface insight quickly, test ideas, and deliver smarter, faster communications. The real edge will come from those who can combine AI‑driven efficiency with human intuition and emotional intelligence.”

7. You’ve worked across government, media, global corporates, and now regulation. What are the most useful skills you have honed over the years?

“Moving between government, media, global corporates, and now regulation has taught me that the fundamentals of good communications are remarkably consistent - but the context changes everything. The skills I've found most valuable are the ones that translate across those different environments.

Translating complexity into clarity. Every sector I've worked in has experts who are deeply knowledgeable but struggle to communicate beyond their specialism. Whether it's policy officials, journalists working a technical brief, corporate lawyers, or now regulatory specialists, the ability to take complex material and make it accessible - without losing accuracy - is probably the skill I use most often.

Reading rooms and organisations. Each sector has its own culture, incentive structures, and unwritten rules. In government, understanding ministerial priorities and the machinery around decision-making matters. In corporates, it's about navigating commercial pressures and internal politics. In regulation, it's balancing independence with the need to engage constructively with the industries and public we serve. The skill is learning quickly how decisions actually get made, and positioning communications to support that.

Building trust across different stakeholder groups. Communications professionals are often the bridge between groups who don't naturally understand each other - whether that's media and regulators, the board and frontline staff, or regulated firms and consumer advocates. I've learned that trust comes from being honest about constraints, following through on commitments, and not overpromising what communications can deliver.

Staying calm under pressure. Every sector has its version of a crisis. Having worked through enough of them, I've developed the ability to think clearly when things are moving fast, prioritise what actually matters, and help others stay focused rather than reactive.

Adaptability. Honestly, the willingness to keep learning and not assume that what worked in one context will work in another. Moving sectors and roles keeps you humble - you're constantly the new person who doesn't know the jargon or the history, and that's actually useful. It forces you to ask basic questions that people on the inside have stopped asking.”

8. Who has had the most positive impact on your career?

“My first boss at Bell Pottinger. He'd be described as old school these days - and I mean that as a compliment.

He used to sit behind me while I rang journalists to pitch stories, then critique my approach afterwards. It was uncomfortable at the time, but it taught me how to sell a story, handle rejection, and adapt my style to different people.

More importantly, he taught me that relationships are everything. Get to know people. Understand what they need. Build trust before you need to call in a favour.

It's something I worry about with the modern workforce. I see too much reliance on email and messaging to pitch stories or rebut allegations. It's easier, but it's not as effective. When something difficult happens, you want a journalist to pick up the phone because they know you - not ignore another message in their inbox.”

9. What’s the best professional advice you’ve been given along the way, and from who?

“My answer here would be the same as above - my first boss at Bell Pottinger. His advice was simple: pick up the phone and get to know people. It's stayed with me throughout my career.”

10. If you hadn’t ended up working in comms, what was your Plan B?

“Honestly, Plan B would probably have taken me deeper into the City. I studied economics and started out in investor relations, so I always had one foot in the financial world. If I hadn’t moved into comms, I imagine I’d have followed that path - something investment‑focused or markets‑facing. I’ve always enjoyed the mix of data, decision‑making and storytelling that sits at the heart of IR, so a finance career would’ve been the natural alternative.”

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