Profile: Anthony Belchambers – CEO, FOA

Derivatives regulation needs to better recognise that sustainable economic growth is risk dependent, says Anthony Belchambers, chief executive of the Futures and Options Association. A disproportionate regulatory response with unrealistic goals will suppress market functionality, increase costs and undermine the economics of investment and risk management, he tells Rebecca Hampson

On a web page to raise funds for a charity walk he undertook recently, Anthony Belchambers, founder and chief executive of the Futures and Options Association (FOA), received the following message from a supporter: "Think of the walk like dealing with Brussels - a long, painful haul with no guarantee of success. You can do it!"

It rather succinctly sums up the tenacity Belchambers has long demonstrated in his role as a heavyweight representative of the derivatives industry, advising and lobbying