Sarah Francesca Louise Cardell (born 7 November 1973) is the chief executive of Britain's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), a position she has held since December 2022.
Early life and education
Cardell was born on 7 November 1973. She was educated at James Allen's Girls' School in London. She studied philosophy, politics and economics at Exeter College, University of Oxford.
Career
Cardell began her career at the legal firm Slaughter and May, where she was made a partner in her early 30s. She later served as legal partner of the Markets Division at Ofgem, the UK energy regulator.
In September 2013, Cardell joined the Competition and Markets Authority as General Counsel, with executive leadership responsibility for the CMA's Legal Service, Policy and International and Digital Markets Unit functions. She was appointed interim chief executive of the CMA in July 2022, and was formally appointed as chief executive by then-Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng in December 2022, succeeding Andrea Coscelli.
As chief executive, Cardell has overseen the CMA's regulatory actions in digital markets, including the agency's scrutiny of major technology companies. In December 2022, she delivered the keynote speech at the British Institute of International and Comparative Law (BIICL) roundtable on competition in digital markets. In 2024, she was named to TIME's list of the 100 Most Influential People in AI.
Personal life
Cardell is married and has three daughters.
