Press

Isabelle Buscke begins as Secretary General of Finance Watch

13 January 2026 - 10:08 h

Press Release

Finance Watch begins the new year under new leadership, with Isabelle Buscke taking up her role as Secretary General.

Buscke brings more than 15 years of experience at the heart of EU policymaking. In 2012, she established the Brussels office of the Federation of German Consumer Organisations (Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband, vzbv), one of Europe’s largest consumer organisations, and has since represented consumer interests to European institutions.

She has served for 13 years on the executive board of the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC), including as Treasurer since 2025, and was EU Co-Chair of the Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue. Buscke has also been closely connected to Finance Watch since its early years, having represented vzbv within Finance Watch’s membership and governance structures since 2012.

For more than a decade in Brussels, she has worked on major legislative files and witnessed first-hand how EU policy priorities shift over time. Buscke has a track record of defending the public interest, working to ensure that regulation serves people, not only narrow profit interests.

I am delighted to take over the leadership of the organisation and work with a fantastic team at Finance Watch. I witnessed the impact of the last financial crisis on consumers first-hand and how financial rules shape people’s lives. Finance Watch’s mission is as relevant as it was back then. As systemic risks increase and post-crisis reforms are reassessed, Europe faces a choice about the kind of financial system it wants.

In an increasingly unstable geopolitical environment, finance in the public interest is a source of strength and autonomy. Clear and reliable rules help channel investment towards Europe’s priorities, limit excessive risk-taking and protect people from the costs of future crises. Initiatives such as the Savings and Investments Union are an opportunity to reorient finance towards long-term resilience.

Isabelle Buscke, Secretary General of Finance Watch

As Secretary General, Buscke is responsible for Finance Watch’s overall strategy, high-level representation, day-to-day management and fundraising.

Journalists interested in speaking with Isabelle Buscke or Finance Watch’s research team are invited to get in touch.

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