Consumer Duty Forum

Lauren is a senior Ombudsman and senior operational leader at the Financial Ombudsman Service with 12 years’ experience across all things complaints and customer service in the financial services sector. Lauren currently leads on cross cutting casework policy for the Service, which includes oversight of its approach to complaints involving vulnerability, equality, redress and the Consumer Duty.

Tom is a partner in Burges Salmon's financial services team and heads the firm's funds and financial regulation team. He specialises in investment funds and financial services regulatory work, with particular expertise in relation to the structuring, establishment, operation and winding up of UK regulated investment funds such as OEICs, AUTs and ACSs. He acts for fund operators and other product providers, administrators, investment managers, advisers, platforms, custodians and, on the buy side, for institutional investors such as pension funds. He is co-author of the chapter on regulated collective investment schemes in ‘Financial Advice and Financial Products – Law and Liability’ published by the Oxford University Press. Tom has spent time on secondment at both The Royal Bank of Scotland and the BNP Paribas group.

Matt is a Director in Baringa’s Finance, Risk and Compliance practice and has nearly 20 years’ experience helping financial services institutions to evolve their risk and control frameworks. He has deep expertise in advising and leading firms through programmes of regulatory change and over the past 24 months has worked extensively to support Baringa's clients in establishing and executing their response to FCA / PRA requirements on operational resilience.

Caroline is Director of Customer & Product Management for Aviva’s Wealth & Advice business, she is responsible for ensuring that Aviva’s Wealth products deliver good customer outcomes. As part of this role Caroline is leading on the implementation of Consumer Duty across the Wealth business. Caroline is also the company member of the With Profits Committee. Caroline has over 15 years’ experience working in financial services, prior to joining Aviva she worked in EY’s banking consulting business.

James is an experienced employment lawyer who advises national and international business on all aspects of employment law. He has particular experience and expertise in advising employers in the financial services sector. James also advises on employment aspects of corporate and commercial transactions and the impact of TUPE, including dealing with TUPE disputes. James regularly provides training for clients and is an active member of Employment Lawyers Association.

Robert has over 15 years’ experience in Pensions and Investments, having worked in business and investment consulting, market intelligence, and regulatory strategy. He started his career in investment consultancy before moving into more industry-focused consultancy roles for life company and asset management clients in areas such as business & product strategy, market entry, institutional client servicing and market intelligence services. Prior to joining Altus, Robert was Head of Strategy & Insight for the Pensions Regulator, where he led the development and launch of the organisation’s first corporate strategy designed to ‘put the saver at the heart of pension regulation’, and Sector Strategy Lead for the Pensions & Retirement Income and Retail Investments sectors at the Financial Conduct Authority. Over the past two years, he has worked on a range of Consumer Duty issues in the pensions and life company space, most recently exploring the role that Consumer Duty is playing in shaping the FCA's approach to solving the advice gap through their Advice Guidance Boundary proposals. He also currently chairs PASA's Consumer Duty Working Group.

In the high-paced corporate arena, Anisha Padam shines as an Executive Assistant par excellence. Known for her impeccable board logistics, intricate diary management, and adept travel planning, Anisha remains the backbone of executive efficiency.

As Director of Risk and Technical Policy at TISA, Lisa has emerged as one of the leading voices in Consumer Duty, having brought together the industry to produce a comprehensive Best Practice Guide, and currently working to bring about a standardised framework for data sharing across the distribution chain. Lisa also leads TISA work on vulnerability, an area which she is particularly passionate about, having had lived experience. Lisa is an experienced outsourcing, risk and CASS specialist with over 25 years’ experience in financial services, with a particular focus on client protection. She has held senior roles encompassing oversight of outsourced delivery of services within the asset management sector to both retail and professional clients, and held the role of CF10a, an FCA approved role responsible for compliance to Client Asset Protection. Prior to this she held senior roles in a large outsourcing service provider, including as a Lead Client Relationship Manager responsible for delivering services appropriate for a regulated firm, and leading large operational finance teams based in the UK and India. She has significant experience in implementing oversight and risk management frameworks to effectively identify and manage the risks associated with outsourcing and offshoring regulated activities. During her time as a CF10a, she took a key role in a joint client/service provider remediation programme, gaining valuable experience and insight into meeting the regulators expectation in relation to service providers performance, and regulated firms oversight of its outsourcing arrangements. She has a breadth of regulatory knowledge, in particular with a deep understanding of SYSC; CASS; COBs; COLL; MiFID; and MiFID II and is accomplished in assisting senior managers to Board level in understanding regulatory obligations.

With 40+ years in the City and a marked tenure at M&G, Jeffrey Mushens has continually innovated – from launching M&G’s Direct to Customer business to spearheading TISA projects. As a chartered accountant, thought leader, and pioneer, Jeffrey’s legacy in the financial realm remains unassailable.