The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is creating a High Street Firms Division that will be headed up by Sarah Wilson.
Wilson is currently head of mortgages and financial promotion in the conduct of business standards division at the FSA.
The new division will be responsible for delivering the FSA's new regulatory remit in respect of the insurance and mortgage sectors.
Managing director John Tiner said: "Introduction of mortgage and general insurance regulation involves the creation of two new regulatory regimes and the new division will have a pivotal role in delivering this.
"The challenge for the FSA is to provide an appropriate level of protection for consumers, which means that the regimes must be tailored to the risks and the wide variety of products in these markets.
"We also need to ensure that brokers and other firms benefit from the simplification in regulatory arrangements announced by the Treasury last December."
Tiner said he is delighted with Wilson's appointment due to her experience in the sector.
The new division will start operating on 2 April.
