Tom Hegarty (Chair) – CEO, SimplyBiz 

Tom Hegarty was appointed as the CEO of SimplyBiz in March 2025. Prior to this role, he served as Managing Director at M&G Wealth Advice where he was instrumental in establishing The Advice Partnership and launched the M&G Wealth Advice Academy in 2021.

Before his tenure at M&G, he was the Managing Director of the New Model Business Academy, a not-for-profit subsidiary of Fintel (formerly the SimplyBiz Group), where he developed one of the UK’s first apprenticeship programmes in financial advice.

His career in financial services now spans three decades, during which time he has gathered experience across the entire sector with perspectives of adviser, provider, network, and training academy. As well as his role as Chair of the New Talent Alliance, he also chairs the Apprenticeship Trailblazer Group for the financial advice profession, therefore focusing on initiatives to attract new talent into the sector.

Rob Atherton - Chartered Financial Planner

Rob Atherton has been a prominent figure in the financial planning profession for over two decades. As one of the first Chartered Financial Planners, he established Atherton Associates in 2008, a pioneering Chartered Financial Planning practice, and later founded RWA Financial Planning. His expertise lies in developing and mentoring the next generation of financial advisers, including guiding individuals from back-office roles to front office and becoming Chartered Financial Planners.

After successfully orchestrating management buy-ins for his businesses, Rob has dedicated the past few years to pro bono work, assisting emerging talents in the profession. Passionate about continuous learning, he recently completed CISI exams to complement his CII qualifications.

His extensive skill set includes client advising, business development, acquisition, recruitment, training and development, HR, legal, IT, and ensuring compliance, all while maintaining exceptional client outcomes.

Julie-Anne Atkinson, Academy Proposition and Relations Manager, Quilter

Julie-Anne Atkinson heads up Proposition and Relationship at the Quilter Academy, a new role that is aimed at shaping the Academy’s vision and structure. With over 25 years’ experience in the financial services sector, Julie-Anne began her career in retail banking with Royal Bank of Scotland before moving on to St. James’s Place, where she held various positions.

Throughout her career, Julie-Anne has developed a passion for nurturing and promoting new talent within the financial services industry, with a particular focus on attracting women into the sector.

Outside of work Julie-Anne is a mum to five grown-up children, she enjoys travelling with her husband and particularly enjoys spending time in Mallorca enjoying a glass of cava. A recent convert to the gym and an avid lover of books, she also enjoys long walks in the Cheshire countryside having grown up in Dublin City.

Lewis Byford - Co-Founder, The Financial Planning Club and Antony George

Lewis Byford has been a business owner since the age of 19, most recently co-founding The Financial Planning Club and Antony George, the UK's first subscription-based recruitment agency focused exclusively on the financial planning sector.

Lewis loves fostering long-term relationships to support firms' development and growth alongside enhancing the corporate culture and business strategies of companies.

Outside work Lewis enjoys yoga, cycling, journalling and spending time with his family.

Eleanor Milligan, Executive Manager Academy Development at St. James’s Place

Eleanor Milligan leads a team of Development Managers dedicated to supporting new Advisers and Partners through the formative stages of their careers as Financial Advisers. With 25 years of experience in the financial services profession, Eleanor has built a career centred on developing people, strengthening professional capability, and enabling long‑term success across the advice sector.

Deeply passionate about advancing and championing financial advice as a fulfilling career pathway, Eleanor is committed to promoting the profession, broadening access, and nurturing the next generation of trusted financial advisers.

Natalie Dawes - Candidate Support, Trainer & Business Development Adviser

Natalie Dawes wears a few hats at Bespoke Training Solutions (BTS) albeit her main focus is supporting learners through the CII exams, wherever they are within their studies. Natalie also supports businesses to better enable their teams when it comes to their professional development.

She’s a part of a team of committed individuals who all strive to make a difference within our sector and the issues that we face. They do this via their well-known arm of support for exams, but also helping individuals in their financial services career steps via the BTS Careers Zone.

BTS speak with individuals everyday who are looking for a route into the financial advice profession. Natalie and the rest of the team are on a mission to create more opportunities and as a result, increase the number of people coming into the sector.

Natalie says “Many of us who already work within the sector got here by accident and that’s something we need to change moving forwards. However, for that to happen, we need to create some change and then some opportunity.”

Jennifer Dugdale - Chief Operating Officer, Brand Financial Training

Jennifer Dugdale is Chief Operating Officer at Brand Financial training, a company which provides exam resources for thousands of candidates studying towards CII financial advice exams, each year.

Previous roles include Head of Training and Head of Academy at financial advice and training businesses, providing training for advisers and financial advice apprentices, as well as roles within business development, compliance and training.

Jen holds a Master’s degree in Business Management and Administration.

Sarah Elson - Co-founder, Berry & Oak

Sarah Elson is the co-founder of Berry & Oak, an award winning Chartered and Accredited Financial Planning Firm based in Boston Spa, Yorkshire.

She has over 30 years’ financial services experience, Chartered and Certified Financial Planner status, and is also a Fellow of both the Chartered Insurance for Securities and Investment and the Personal Finance Society (PFS).

Sarah is passionate about helping young people receive access to a financial education; regularly delivering financial education workshops across Yorkshire schools. She also worked with the PFS to launch the financial education module as part of the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze award, an achievement that she’s extremely proud of. 

Outside work, Sarah loves traveling the world and exploring new places, photography and watching her 19-year-old son, Connor, play basketball.

Amanda Ford - Co-Founder, The Financial Planning Club

Amanda Ford has over 20 years’ experience in financial services. Specialising in Events, Recruitment, Operations and an executive role as Managing Director for two national appointed representative firms. Amanda is a key figure in The Financial Planning Club, providing IFA business owners with valuable insights, coaching, and a supportive community.

Passionate about fostering long-term relationships, wellbeing and individuals loving their life both personally and professionally, Amanda enjoys working closely with firms to enhance their culture, improve operational efficiencies and create sustainable success.

Amanda is a mum of one and lives in Harrogate. She has a passion for personal development (always has a book to recommend), spending time with family and friends… with a taste for a gorgeous, crisp glass of rose!

Najma Ibrahim - CRM and Learning Specialist, Chartered Institute of Securities and Investment

Najma Ibrahim is the Client Relationship Manager and Learning Specialist at the Chartered Institute of Securities and Investment (CISI). She focuses on building and maintaining strong relationships with schools, universities, and other organisations to inspire and support the next generation of finance professionals.

Her journey into finance began unexpectedly at NatWest Group, where she gained experience across various roles before discovering a passion for education and outreach. Now, she is dedicated to making a meaningful impact on young people’s lives by promoting financial services as an accessible and inclusive career path.

Najma is particularly passionate about improving diversity in finance and ensuring that all young people, regardless of their background, feel empowered to explore opportunities within the sector.

Alex Langhorn – Head of Growth, Davies Learning Solutions

Alex Langhorn leads the Growth team at Davies Learning Solutions, supporting businesses of all shapes and sizes to deliver professional qualifications and develop solutions for succession planning in financial services.

Alex takes a ‘real-world’ approach to professional qualification support, believing it is the diversity of human experience that makes financial services such an interesting sector to work in.

Alex holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Education, specialising in lifelong learning and a Postgraduate Diploma in Careers Education so you could say that L&D, professional qualifications and careers support is a passion!

Helen Longland - Principal Director, The Openwork Partnership Business School

Helen Longland is a Chartered Financial Planner with 30 years’ experience. She has worked in financial services across a whole host of different roles. She is passionate about working in collaboration with others to help support firms in providing fantastic homes for the new talent needed for our profession to thrive into the future.

Helping people to be the best they can be through professional and personal learning and development has been a key theme throughout her life and career and she is currently Principal Director of The Openwork Partnership Business School. This supports the learning and development of those within advice careers as well as those in associated support roles.

Outside of work, Helen is a mum to two teenagers so is seeing first-hand the fantastic change in energy the next generation is bringing. She believes there is a big, bright future ahead for financial services, if we can work together to help shape workplaces large and small to embrace the next generation.  

Scott Millar - Founder, Finova Money

Scott Millar is the founder and chartered financial planner of Finova Money. His motivation day to day is to empower clients to live their lives free from financial stress and anxiety, helping them focus on what really matters most to them and help create a life they love.

One of Scott's overriding aims is to build a profession where the next generation actively choose this rewarding career. We’re passionate about giving back which means giving the next generation of advisers and paraplanners the platform to learn, grow their skills and make this a conscious career choice to help more people.

Hayley Rabbets - Head of The Verve Foundation

Hayley Rabbets followed the classic story of 'falling into finance' back in 2007 and has worked in a wide variety of roles from reception through to senior management. With experience in these areas, Hayley is able to understand the challenges financial services faces and is well positioned to provide support and guidance to those looking to enter the profession.

Passionate about changing the stereotypes within finance and breaking down barriers to both advice and entry, Hayley heads up The Verve Foundation; a not-for-profit developing initiatives to attract more new people to finance, and support early-stage advisory firms in the early days.

John Somerville - Director of Financial Services, LIBF

John Somerville has over three decades of experience in Regulated Financial Services and has held various roles, including Financial Adviser, Regional Manager, and Business Development Manager at renowned companies such as Aviva, AXA, and Legal and General.

Prior to joining The London Institute of Banking & Finance (LIBF), John served as the Regulated Learning and Development Manager at Nationwide Building Society and as a Regulated Learning and Development Consultant at Intrinsic Financial Services, now Quilter.

For the past five years, John has been dedicated to nurturing the next generation of Mortgage and Financial Advice Professionals at LIBF. He takes immense pride in helping individuals achieve their qualification ambitions, thus playing a vital role in shaping the future of the UK Financial Services Profession.

Laura Wharfe - Career & Talent Lead, Chartered Insurance Institute 

Laura Wharfe is the Career and Talent Lead at the Chartered Insurance Institute, leading initiatives to inspire young people and career changers to explore careers in personal finance and insurance. She manages various programmes aimed at attracting, recruiting and developing a skilled workforce, with a focus on building a diverse and inclusive talent pipeline for employers.

From school outreach initiatives, virtual work experience programmes and promoting apprenticeships, she is passionate about changing the perception of careers within the financial planning and insurance sectors, breaking down barriers to entry and supporting young people to achieve their full potential, regardless of their socio-economic background.

Having worked in the insurance sector since leaving school (including eight years in Gibraltar) and studying towards the Advanced Diploma in Insurance and becoming Chartered, Laura took an extended career break to care for her four children before pursuing a new professional direction when joining the CII in 2022.

Ben Wright (Chair) - Chief Innovation Officer, Melo

Ben is Chair of the Succession Alliance and Chief Innovation Officer at Melo, bringing over 20 years of experience across the financial advice profession. He began his career as a financial adviser and has since worked extensively across sales, marketing, compliance, reg-tech, learning and development, events, and fund management, giving him a well-rounded perspective on the challenges and opportunities within the profession.

As co-founder of Melo, Ben has helped build one of the UK’s leading sell-side brokers for financial planning firms, supporting advisers through some of the most important transitions in their business lifecycle. His work at Melo has given him direct insight into the realities of succession, from best-in-class planning to the consequences of poor preparation.

Ben is deeply passionate about the financial advice profession and believes strongly in giving back. Through his work at Melo, he’s seen first-hand the impact that succession, done well or badly, can have on advisers, clients, and firms alike. Ben created the Succession Alliance to raise standards, improve outcomes, and help firm owners approach succession, whether internal or external, with greater clarity and confidence.

Ben is a Fellow of the Personal Finance Society and holds a Master’s Degree in Financial Planning and Business Management.

Debbie Dry – Acquisitions Director, Loyal North

Debbie has over 25 years’ experience in financial planning and wealth management, with a particular specialism in mergers and acquisitions. She has held senior acquisition and operational roles across multiple firms, including Integration Director at national consolidator Succession Wealth, where she oversaw the acquisition and integration of 57 advisory businesses with more than £8bn in combined assets under management.

As Head of Business Development at JustFA, Debbie draws on her extensive M&A and operational experience to work with advisory firms on sustainable growth strategies. She focuses on how technology can improve efficiency, client segmentation and profitability - helping firms build stronger, more scalable businesses and ultimately enhance long-term exit value.

As Group Acquisition Director at Loyal North, Debbie works with business owners to manage all aspects of the acquisition and integration process.

Steve Gazard – Chief Distribution Officer, Quilter

Steve is a versatile, persistent, focused and people orientated business leader. Succeeds by building great teams, cultivating talent and driving companies to deliver long-term sustainable models and become relentlessly client-focussed.

A financial planner by training with subsequent broad background in financial advice, operations, recruitment, sales management, marketing, governance, change & crisis management, restructure, merger, acquisition and sale.

Steve has experience in owner managed, AIM listed, provider owned and FTSE 100 / 250 trading environments delivering both growth and corporate restructures. He’s also a self confessed gadget geek with a clear focus on technology as a true enabler of better outcomes.

Morven Grierson – Compliance Director, MKC Wealth

Morven Grierson is a senior leader in the UK wealth management and financial advice sector with 22 years’ experience, specialising in scaling regulated businesses through disciplined growth, acquisition and integration. She is a Fellow of the International Compliance Association (FICA), holds Senior Management Functions under SM&CR, and acts as MLRO, with direct accountability for governance, risk, compliance and financial crime oversight within FCA-authorised firms.

As Compliance Director, she supports business growth by embedding robust, sustainable control frameworks that enable expansion in a controlled and defensible manner. Her remit includes oversight of change-in-control processes, SMF transitions, regulatory permissions, capital adequacy considerations and the alignment of group propositions with Consumer Duty requirements.

Her expertise centres on strengthening enterprise risk management, clarifying first and second line accountability and enhancing operational resilience. She builds proportionate, data-led compliance infrastructure that enables firms to scale without compromising regulatory integrity, financial crime controls or client outcomes

Eugene Onwuka – Corporate & Strategy Development Director, 7IM

Eugene has spent more than 17 years helping organisations navigate change with clarity and purpose. His career across financial services has seen him lead major transformation programmes in M&A integrations, risk, and technology, working with teams at Lloyds Banking Group, Benchmark Capital (part of Schroders), and now at 7IM.

In his role as Corporate & Strategy Development Director at 7IM, Eugene leads core M&A integrations playing a central role in shaping the firm’s long term strategyand ongoing transformation. Colleagues value his ability to bring people together, simplify complexity, and ensuring clients and employees remain central to critical decisions.

Eugene’s leadership style is thoughtful, collaborative, and grounded in integrity. He is passionate about building resilient organisations, strengthening governance, and ensuring teams feel supported and empowered through periods of change. His broad experience -spanning transformation, risk, technology, and cultural integration - allows him to bring balanced, practical insight to even the most challenging situations.

Keith Richards – CEO, Consumer Duty Alliance 

A recognised leader within the financial services sector, with over 35 years’ experience operating at executive level across manufacturing, distribution, financial planning and regulation. He previously led the successful evolution of the largest professional membership body for personal finance in the UK and internationally, the Personal Finance Society (PFS).