Julian Adams will sit on the group executive committee and report to Tidjane Thiam, group chief executive.
Adams will oversee Prudential’s regulatory and compliance strategy.
The insurer said his appointment reflects the business’ focus on adapting to increasingly complex regulation.
Adams will oversee Prudential’s relations with regulators across Asia, the US and Africa as well as in the UK.
He has wide experience of supervision in financial services, having worked at both the Bank of England and the Financial Services Authority for many years.
As well as his position at the Prudential Regulation Authority within the Bank of England, Adams is a member of the executive committee of the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) and currently chairs its Financial Stability Committee.
He is also the UK’s board member of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA), sits on its management board and is a member of the mediation panel.
Thiam said: “The global regulatory landscape continues to evolve in the wake of the financial crisis and Julian’s experience – particularly internationally – will put us in a strong position to navigate these changes successfully.
“We take our relationship with regulators around the world and the quality of our engagement and dialogue with them extremely seriously.
“We believe that good products, good customer service and a strong capital position need to be matched by sound compliance and we have always been committed to ensuring we have the best people in this field.”
Adams added: “As a career regulator of long standing, I believe we have made great strides to construct a sensible framework for insurance supervision both in the UK and internationally.
“I believe it is now time for me to take a new challenge and make a contribution on the commercial side.”
Adams will join Prudential early in 2015 after an appropriate period of purdah, having left the Bank.
