Herjinder Dhesi, Financial Services Authority (FSA)

Herjinder Dhesi is an associate in the enforcement division of the Financial Services Authority (FSA). He has a BSc in physics from King's College, the University of London.

Why did you want to get a graduate job with the financial regulator (the FSA)?

I worked as a research scientist following university but decided after two years that it wasn’t for me. I knew that I had the right skills to enter the financial services sector so I applied to join the FSA because I thought that working in regulation would give me a broad overview of the industry as a whole. My employer regulates companies in the financial services industry, protecting consumers, raising public awareness of products and services, reducing financial crime and maintaining market confidence

'The first meeting I ever lead was difficult as the news I had for my client wasn't good, but I was proud when it ended in an amicable agreement.'

What does your day-to-day work involve?

My role is in the enforcement division, ensuring that companies comply with the relevant rules and regulations. On a day-to-day basis this means planning interviews with the senior management of a firm, deciding which documents we need to collect to prove that breaches have occurred, reviewing files to check for misconduct, drafting legal documents and determining financial penalties.

Tell us about the sort of meetings you have with clients

The first meeting I led was with a client who had flown over from Canada to meet me. Unfortunately the news I had for him wasn’t good but I knew my position and I also had the support of a colleague to back me up. It was a difficult first meeting to lead but I was proud when it ended in an amicable agreement and it was ultimately quite a rewarding experience.