The FSA has appointed Sue Slipman OBE as the next chairman of the board of the Financial Ombudsman Service.
Slipman will take control of the complaints body, which runs the FSA's ombudsman scheme to deal with complaints against the financial services sector.
FSA chairman Howard Davies said: "I am very pleased that Sue Slipman is to succeed Andreas Whittam Smith as Chairman of the FOS. Andreas has led the smooth transition from eight former complaint schemes into a single body, a significant and valuable achievement for financial services consumers and firms.
I have every confidence that Ms Slipman will take forward the work of the service in meeting its obligations in the face of changing markets."
Slipman said: "The financial services industry touches on the lives and well-being of nearly every individual and household in the country. In such a fast-moving competitive market, it is important for both individuals and industry to have confidence in the mechanism to resolve disputes.
"The FOS has successfully established itself as a one-stop shop for consumer complaints and I am delighted to be joining it at a time when the need for individuals to make adequate provision for their financial security is becoming increasingly important."