Lorna O’Brien, the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) technical specialist in its mortgage sector team in supervision, is to speak at the Association of Short Term Lenders’ (ASTL) annual conference.

The event is taking place on 1 October at Painters’ Hall in the City of London.

Entitled “Bridging – Problems and Solutions” this year’s conference will look at the challenges for the bridging industry including the Eurozone issues, prevention of fraud, increasing levels of regulation and the implementation of the Mortgage Credit Directive.

The ASTL’s keynote speaker will be Vince Cable, the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills in the 2010-2015 coalition government, who predicted the last economic downturn as early as 2003 and who will be speaking about the current political environment and his predictions for the economy.

O’Brien will address the audience on the implications of the Mortgage Credit Directive, how it will affect the mortgage market as a whole and the implications of the MCD for bridging lenders and brokers.

Benson Hersch, chief executive of the ASTL, said: “Having someone from the FCA to speak at the conference will give conference attendees a unique insight into new developments in regulation, particularly with regard to the MCD. New legislation will play a huge role in changing the shape of the market as we know it, and Lorna O’Brien will present the problems and solutions from the perspective of the regulator and how it may affect everyone at the conference.

“The ASTL has had a number of productive meetings with Lorna and her colleagues, so we look forward to welcoming her once again so that lenders and brokers can hear directly her insight into the current regulation and how it will affect the bridging market.”

O’Brien added: “It is a pleasure to speak at the ASTL conference.  It is a very important part of what we do at the FCA to engage directly with both lenders and intermediaries.  Bridging is an important niche market that will be affected by the Mortgage Credit Directive, it will therefore be useful both to the FCA and to those present to discuss the new EU regulation from a bridging perspective.”