FMA Head Challenges Suspension | Auckland News

Auckland News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Aug 20, 2026 · 1m

Samantha Barrass, head of New Zealand’s Financial Markets Authority, is set to fight for her job in court next month after being suspended amid “cultural concerns” — a move she claims is unjustified. As the FMA faces its own Ministry-led probe and an independent inquiry led by Paul Wicks KC, Barrass’s legal team vows to present her side at the September hearing. Her departure comes after years of top-tier financial regulation experience abroad, including leading Gibraltar’s regulator, and has sparked alarm from investors over systemic workplace issues eroding confidence in the agency — all…