Why building better regulation starts with connection

One sentiment surfaced again and again throughout the Institute of Regulation’s recent Annual Conference – during panel sessions, as the mic moved around the room, and in conversations between sessions. It was the feeling of being seen, understood, and supported by peers who face similar pressures and challenges.

Many regulators spoke about the isolation that can come with the role, and how valuable it is to come together in a space where others truly understand what the job demands. As one speaker put it, simply but powerfully, “It reminded me that we’re part of something bigger. We’re not on our own”.

That sense of belonging – personal, understated, but profound – captures the Institute of Regulation’s (IoR) mission. It’s about community. It’s about good regulation, yes, but also about the regulators themselves: their daily challenges, their commitment to public service, and the power of bringing people together to face the future.

Gathering momentum and growing community

This year’s IoR conference, held in London in March, was a vivid reflection of that purpose. With over 270 attendees, it was the largest gathering yet – a mix of plenaries, panels, breakout sessions and chats over coffee that brought together regulators, policymakers, and sector leaders around the shared theme: how good regulation protects citizens, supports growth and builds trust.

Prominent voices throughout the day were Marcial Boo, IoR chair, and Michael Hanton, IoR Board member and conference advisory group chair. Their comments and insights reflected their passion for the UK regulatory community they have helped to build.

Michael Hanton, who also serves as deputy chief regulator at Ofqual, opened the day by describing the conference as a “gift of time”. In conversation later, his enthusiasm was infectious. He spoke about how the Institute began – as a conversation, a small idea he shared with Marcial Boo – and how it’s become a thriving network of more than 50 regulatory organisations and hundreds of professionals. What drives it is the simple belief that regulators need a space: a space to learn, to reflect, to collaborate, and most of all, to connect.

“If you want good regulation, you have to work at it. You need leadership, courage, and a community around you to get there.”

Marcial Boo

Institute of Regulation Chair

Shared ideas, shared challenges

That sense of connection was everywhere during the day – from the energising insights on the digital transformation journeys of UK regulators shared by Objective RegWorks’ Global VP of Regulatory Solutions Kirsty Dusting, to the breakout sessions on innovation, leadership, and trust.

The leadership session, in particular, stood out. Speakers reflected not just on skillsets or frameworks, but on the emotional weight of leadership: the balance between confidence and humility, between decisiveness and listening. And in each of the sessions, the same thread ran through: good regulation is upheld by people, and people need support.

In the afternoon, the conference returned to the plenary stage for the final keynote from Marcial Boo. Alongside his role as the Institute’s Chair, Boo is the current CEO of the Insolvency Practitioners Association. His talk, titled ‘A Vision for Good Regulation’, didn’t offer a manifesto or a checklist. Instead, it was an invitation to reflect, to reimagine, and to act.

He called on regulators to think about vision – not just strategic plans or statutory remits, but real vision. What do we want regulation to be in the UK? What role should it play in a changing society? How do we articulate that, not just internally, but to the public we serve?

“If you want good regulation,” Boo said, “you have to work at it. You need leadership, courage, and a community around you to get there.”

He talked about the tools that help – principles, frameworks, policies – but made clear that the real engine of it all is people. Vision, in his view, isn’t something you draft in a vacuum. It’s something you build, piece by piece, with others. The IoR is that space to do the building.

That sense of possibility – that together regulators can shape something better – was echoed throughout the day. In Justin Madders MP’s keynote, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Employment Rights, Competition and Markets reminded delegates that regulation isn’t just a bureaucratic tool. It’s a lever for protecting the vulnerable, encouraging innovation, and strengthening trust.

And in the innovation panel, practical examples from across sectors brought this to life – from digital change initiatives to cross-regulator collaboration. The conversations were grounded, generous, and open. No silver bullets. No abstract theory. Just honest dialogue about what’s working, what’s not, and what we need to try next.

What comes next

This is where the Institute of Regulation finds its power. It’s not about prescribing a single model of regulation. It’s about building a professional home: a space for the people behind the regulations to grow, to lead, and to learn from one another.

At the end of the day, as people filtered out of the hall and back to the business of regulating – citizens, markets, health systems, food safety, financial practices, and all the other areas regulation touches us – I kept thinking about that comment that surfaced time and again: The reminder that we’re not on our own. In a world where regulators are under pressure to deliver more, faster, with fewer resources, that sense of solidarity might just be the most powerful resource of all.

The Institute of Regulation exists for that reason. And if the energy at this year’s conference is any indication, it’s only just getting started.

Interested in learning more about digital transformation in regulation? Download Objective’s new Digital Change in Regulation report or get in touch with our team.