Regulatory upheaval drives surge in strategic communications turnover across Financial Services

Financial Services employers are experiencing the highest risk of strategic communications turnover of any sector in the UK, as the pressure around regulatory changes and increased scrutiny causes a talent exodus. 

This is according to the latest Strategic Communications Report from Murray McIntosh.

The study revealed 62% of communications professionals in Financial Services plan to change roles within the next six months and 69% have already interviewed for a new pos
ition. This level of instability is emerging as UK Financial Services regulation enters a particularly active period.

According to Bloomberg’s UK Regulatory Outlook, 2026 is a pivotal year, with authorities advancing reforms across digital finance, trading and markets, risk and financial stability, and sustainable finance, as regulators push to modernise market infrastructure while maintaining competitiveness and investor confidence.

Skills requirements changing

According to Murray McIntosh, the exodus of talent isn't the only challenge facing Financial Services businesses, as the need for top communications talent grows. Skills expectations are also shifting. Alongside core policy knowledge and stakeholder management, the firm’s report revealed that demand is rising for technical capabilities such as AI literacy and data science.

For employers, this combination of high anticipated movement, fast‑moving regulatory change, and evolving skills requirements raises the stakes for retaining and developing strategic communications capability. Continuity of insight and consistent messaging can be difficult to maintain when teams are in flux, yet they become more important as regulatory reform accelerates and expectations around transparency and resilience rise.

Lauren Maddocks, Associate Director, Policy and Public Affairs at Murray McIntosh, told That's Business: “The scale of change facing Financial Services this year cannot be overstated. Major reforms across digital finance, market structure and reporting standards are reshaping expectations at pace, and this creates a premium on communications professionals who can navigate complexity with accuracy and authority.

"At the same time, rising mobility means employers risk losing the very people who interpret, translate and contextualise regulatory change for internal and external stakeholders. 

"Stability of insight and messaging is not a luxury in this environment. It is a strategic requirement, and those who invest in developing and retaining this capability will be better prepared to manage the demands of an increasingly scrutinised sector.”

That's Business is sharing the full report here:- https://www.murraymcintosh.com/downloadable-content/strategic-communications-salary-labour-report

Rhotic Media named in Top 100 UK “elite” SMEs

Rhotic Media, a specialist marketing agency for financial services brands, has been named as one of the UK’s top 100 SMEs in 2026.

To be featured in the Elite Business 100 list (EB100), companies are independently judged to be among the top-performing SMEs in the country in terms of commercial growth, outlook and performance.

Founded in the city of Chelmsford, the county town of Essex, back in 2018, Rhotic Media helps finance firms bring clarity to their positioning and confidence to their communications. 

Its services span strategic advisory, customer media, and customer events, combining sector expertise with creativity and measurable results.

From hundreds of entries across diverse sectors, Rhotic Media was judged to be worthy of inclusion, highlighting its excellence in innovation, growth, and community engagement.

The UK’s top companies making the shortlist will attend the prestigious awards evening on 11 March 2026 in the City of London and will be featured in the EB100 digital guide and online directory, reaching over half a million viewers.

The EB100 rankings cover categories including community engagement, innovation, and growth. These businesses are recognised as exemplars of excellence within the SME community and celebrated for their contributions to a thriving entrepreneurial Britain.

Joe McGrath, founder and CEO of Rhotic Media, told That's Business: "This achievement is a testament to the entire Rhotic team. Building a growing, profitable SME takes relentless focus, constant refinement and a clear vision of where you’re going.

“After nearly eight years, we’ve proven we know what it takes to scale with discipline and ambition. I’m immensely proud of every person who has helped us reach this point, and I’m looking forward to delivering the next stage of our growth together."

This is the fourth year of the competition, with a significantly increased number of applicants.

Judges noted the impressive sales and growth figures, community spirit and engagement, and overall high standard of entries this year.

For more information about Rhotic Media, visit https://rhoticmedia.com.

Staff want financial education from employers, but few have access

The vast majority of employees believe that they'd benefit from financial education and guidance from their employers, but only a third have access to it, according to new data released by CloudPay.

The data, sourced by the global employee pay company, revealed 91% of employees believe they or colleagues would benefit from employer-led financial education, support and advice, however, only 34% currently have access to it.

CloudPay’s data also showed that the number of people using Earned Wage Access (EWA) to pay for household bills grew between January and July 2023, highlighting the ongoing challenges that many are facing due to the cost-of-living crisis and other inflationary pressures. Employers are being encouraged to modernise pay and payroll processes in order to better support their staff in light of the challenges many are facing in the current economic climate.

Judith Lamb, who is VP of Global HR at CloudPay, said: "There's no secret many people are facing significant difficulties managing their finances, especially in the challenging conditions we’re currently experiencing. 

"But it’s also clear staff are seeking out additional financial education from their employers to help them navigate this tough period. There’s very little resources for education around money management in the UK school system and the onus is falling on employers to provide information that can help professionals to tackle conditions that they have never faced before.”

She went on to say: “Providing this sort of education isn’t only just the right thing to do, it can also prevent staff attrition levels from increasing as employees move to source better paid jobs.

"Few organisations can afford to continue offering higher salaries at present, but providing education around how employees can better manage their available resources can help salaries go further. The onus is on employers to lead this charge as there’s currently a major gap in the market for this sort of expertise."

She concluded: "Being able to access earned wages as and when they are needed can obviously provide a huge helping hand, however, there’s clearly a demand for greater degrees of financial education on top of this.”

https://www.cloudpay.com

(Image courtesy of Gerd Altmann from Pixabay)

Financial literacy essential for future business leaders

The Financial Skills Partnership is encouraged by the recommendations of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Financial Education for Young People report ‘Financial Education and the Curriculum’.

The report, published today, recommends the Government promote the provision of high quality financial education in schools in England by making personal finance a compulsory part of the National Curriculum and schools utilising resources and visits from outside sources.

Liz Field, CEO of the Financial Skills Partnership, said, “High quality financial education to promote competent personal finance is an important first step. But these skills, taught alongside further maths and the PSHE syllabus, must be the solid foundation for young people to better their career prospects.

“Our young people are the business leaders of the future. The more they are equipped with the skills and confidence to use finance, the more young people can apply these skills to run, build and grow successful British enterprises of the future.”