Ian Searle
Head of Department - Consumer Duty and Online Harms, Financial Conduct Authority
Ian Searle is the Head of Department responsible for the FCA’s work on the Consumer Duty and on Online Harms. Prior to this, he led the FCA’s work to support borrowers’ impact by the pandemic, as well as managing the Payments and Mortgages Teams. Prior to joining the FCA, he spent 3 years at the Bank of England and 6 years at HM Treasury.
Sir Hector Sants
Chair, Money and Pensions Service
Since retiring from full-time work Sir Hector Sants’ focus has been on working to help people manage their money as well as circumstances allow and promoting a fairer financial system which works for everyone. This reflects his belief that being able to manage money well is an essential skill for living a contented life. Sir Hector was appointed to be the first Chair of the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) in October 2018. Its mission statement is ‘to help people – particularly those most in need – improve their financial wellbeing and build a better, more confident future. Working collaboratively across the UK, MaPS makes sure customers can access high quality money and pensions guidance and debt advice throughout their lives, however and whenever they need it.’ MaPS seeks to deliver this mission through delivery of The UK’s first Financial Wellbeing Strategy, which was launched in January 2020.
Prior to his current role he was, from 2015, Chair of StepChange, the UK’s largest debt advice charity.
Other previously held non-executive roles include Vice Chairman of Oliver Wyman, a leading management consultancy, and Chair of the U.K. wealth manager Julius Baer International.
Between 1977 and 2014 his executive career was in financial services and regulation, which included serving as the CEO of the Financial Services Authority from 2007 to 2012, European CEO of Credit Suisse, Head of Compliance at Barclays, and a partner of stockbrokers Phillips & Drew.
Outside of financial services his work has included Chairing the Oxford University Saïd Business School and being an NHS non-executive director. He has a M.A. from Oxford University in Psychology and Philosophy.
Steven Cameron
Public Affairs Director, Aegon
Steven Cameron is Aegon UK’s Public Affairs Director, with responsibility for analysing and lobbying on proposed changes from the Government and regulators on pensions, savings, regulation and the provision of advice. He is frequently quoted in trade and consumer media. An actuary by profession, Steven has 35 years’ financial services experience across marketing, pensions and risk. His current areas of interest include the implications for savings and pensions as the Government seeks to address the nation’s finances post COVID and the raft of regulatory interventions impacting consumer engagement including advice and guidance.
Felicity Ewing
Partner, Dispute Resolution, Dentons
Felicity's advises on often complex, strategic or high-value disputes, often for financial services clients and involving regulatory issues, but also across other sectors including energy, transport and infrastructure.
Anne Fairweather
Head of Government Affairs & Public Policy, Hargreaves Lansdown
Anne Fairweather has been the Head of Government Affairs and Public Policy since March 2021. She has had a career in policy and public affairs work, focusing on financial policy issues over the last decade in the UK and the EU. Prior to Hargreaves Lansdown Anne has worked for Nationwide Building Society, Nest Pensions and the British Bankers’ Association.
Katharine Harle
Partner, Dispute Resolution, Dentons
Katharine advises on all aspects of financial markets and regulatory work. She previously spent nearly five years as an FCA lawyer including working in its Enforcement division.
Rebecca O'Connor
Head of Pensions and Savings, Interactive Investor
Becky is head of pensions and savings at interactive investor. A former award-winning financial journalist and consumer champion columnist for The Times, Becky founded ethical personal finance website Good With Money in 2015 and spent two years as personal finance specialist at mutual insurer, Royal London, before joining ii in 2020. She regularly comments in the press on pensions, investments and savings for a consumer audience, as well as producing thought leadership reports, articles and podcasts for ii. Becky also writes a monthly column on ethical money for the i paper and is publishing the ‘ESG Handbook’ for sustainability-minded investors in June 2022.
She is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, chair of the ethical advisory committee for Castlefield Investment Management and an adviser to the UK Mortgage Prisoners campaign group.
Tom Selby
Head of Retirement Policy, AJ Bell
Tom Selby is a multi-award-winning former financial journalist, specialising in pensions and retirement issues. He spent almost six years at a leading adviser trade magazine, initially as Pensions Reporter before becoming Head of News in 2014. Tom joined AJ Bell as Senior Analyst in April 2016. He has a degree in Economics from Newcastle University.
Lisa Laybourn
Head of Technical Policy, TISA
Lisa has over 25 years experience in financial services with a breadth of regulatory knowledge and particular expertise in CASS. She spent 5 years at Architas Multi Manager as CF10a, and deputised for the COO in leading a function which included Third Party Governance, Operations and IT, as well as CASS. Prior to this Lisa spent 10 years with IFDS in various senior roles including as a Lead Relationship Manager and Head of European Cash and Stock Reconciliations. Lisa also spent some time with a Big 4 firm as a CASS SME. Prior to this Lisa worked in various operational roles in the banking sector.