CMA Panel Composition Overhauled as Cyrus Mehta Becomes Competition Panel Chair and 12 New Members Join
The Competition and Markets Authority has undergone a significant reshuffle of its Phase 2 panel, with Cyrus Mehta replacing Martin Coleman as Competition Panel Chair on 18 September 2026. Coleman was removed at the end of his term on 7 October 2026. The changes follow an earlier wave of departures: Susan Hankey and Keith Richards left on 23 September, Juliet Lazarus was removed on 9 September, and Richard Feasey departed as Inquiry Chair on 30 April 2026. In a counterbalancing move, 12 new independent members were added to the panel on 1 September 2026. As of 3 November 2026, the CMA updated Ashleye Gunn's biography and interests. Phase 2 decisions on markets investigations and merger inquiries are taken by independent groups drawn from this panel, meaning the composition of the panel directly determines who scrutinises the most consequential competition enforcement decisions in the UK. The scale of turnover, multiple inquiry chairs and panel members departing within months, represents the most significant refresh of the CMA's decision-making infrastructure in several years, coinciding with the CMA's expanded mandate to focus enforcement on issues directly affecting UK consumers.
Why this matters
Panel composition is not a housekeeping matter, the individuals sitting on Phase 2 groups determine whether major mergers are cleared, blocked or remedied, and whether market investigations result in structural interventions. A near-simultaneous change in the Panel Chair and the departure of multiple inquiry chairs introduces meaningful uncertainty about institutional continuity and the direction of CMA enforcement priorities. The overhaul lands as the CMA operates under a government instruction to sharpen its focus on UK consumer-facing markets, making the ideological and methodological leanings of incoming members commercially significant. Businesses and their advisers engaged in live Phase 2 reviews, or anticipating one, will need to reassess which panel members are likely to be assigned to their case.
On the Ground
Competition counsel advising clients in live CMA Phase 2 merger reviews or market investigations must immediately audit the updated panel roster to identify likely group compositions and any disclosed conflicts of interest. M&A lawyers structuring deals with realistic Phase 2 risk need to factor panel uncertainty into merger control strategy and timetabling. A trainee would be tasked with cross-referencing the updated disclosures of interest against client and counterparty names, flagging any potential conflicts, and preparing a summary of new members' backgrounds for the partner advising on the transaction.
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