In a recent LinkedIn post, Francisco Gaffney highlights the significant new powers granted to the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) under the 2024 Act, emphasizing the increased compliance risks for businesses. Gaffney’s post serves as a crucial alert to senior management regarding the stringent penalties and new enforcement mechanisms now in place.
Understanding the CMA’s Enhanced Authority
Francisco Gaffney draws attention to the substantial financial implications of non-compliance, noting that the CMA can now impose fines reaching up to 10% of a company’s global turnover. This represents a considerable escalation in potential penalties, underscoring the need for robust compliance strategies.
“Fines can reach 10% of global turnover, with daily penalties possible.”
As Gaffney points out, the scope of these penalties is designed to ensure serious adherence to competition law. The introduction of daily penalties further incentivizes swift action and continuous compliance, rather than one-off efforts.
Accountability for Senior Management
A key concern raised by Francisco Gaffney is the increased personal accountability for senior leadership. The traditional defense of ignorance is no longer sufficient under the new legislation.
“‘We didn’t know’ is no longer a defense; senior management faces disqualification for offenses.”
This statement from Gaffney’s post signals a shift towards holding individuals within leadership positions directly responsible for their company’s compliance failures. The threat of disqualification adds a personal risk factor that was previously less pronounced, compelling leaders to be more proactive in overseeing their organization’s adherence to regulations.
A Proactive Approach to Compliance
Beyond highlighting the risks, Francisco Gaffney also advocates for a more streamlined and effective approach to compliance. He suggests that businesses can navigate these new regulatory landscapes more easily with the right tools and processes.
“There’s a cleaner way. All in one place. Continuous gap analysis. Clear view of what’s done, what’s missing, and who owns the fix before assurance or audit.”
According to Gaffney, the solution lies in adopting a continuous, integrated method for managing compliance. This involves maintaining a constant awareness of existing gaps, identifying missing elements, and clearly assigning responsibility for rectifying issues. This proactive stance, as outlined by Gaffney, aims to prevent problems before they escalate into costly breaches or require extensive auditing.
The Importance of Doing it Right
Gaffney concludes his post by emphasizing the value of thorough and correct implementation of compliance measures from the outset.
“Do it once. Do it properly. Move on.”
In Francisco Gaffney’s view, this philosophy not only ensures adherence to the CMA’s new powers but also allows businesses to operate with greater confidence and efficiency, freeing them to focus on their core activities without the looming threat of regulatory penalties. He directs interested parties to a waiting list for a solution named pAIperTrail.
📝 About This Content
This article is based on insights shared by Francisco Gaffney on LinkedIn.
📅 Originally posted on November 28, 2025 | View original post on LinkedIn →