I have been in the industry since February 1978 and a whole of market financial advisers since January 1986. I have been the beneficiary of 20 excellence awards over the years, including two from Cover. As an adviser I specialise in protection and equity release. I also launched CIExpert in 2012, the first and still the best critical illness comparison site

After originally joining financial services as a web programmer, Alan was quickly tempted by the dark side of financial services and became a protection adviser. Alan now runs Cura, a multi award-winning protection intermediary, specialising in hard-to-place protection cases, such as people with health conditions. Alan is also the current Chair of the Protection Distributors Group (PDG), member of the Executive team at the Income Protection Taskforce (IPTF) and member of the Access to Insurance Working Party.

Andrew became a consultant back in 2015 after 15 years in underwriting and product teams at reinsurers and insurers. He has enjoyed working with many insurers, advisers and tech companies to improve their processes and propositions to make it easier for all to buy insurance. He has been chair of the Underwriting Trust and Transparency workstream that produced an Explaining Underwriting Decisions guide signed up to by 22 insurers so far. This year he has become a co-chair of the IPTF and is committed to improving and increasing the take up of this vital product.

Anna founded Umbrella Protect, a specialist protection advisory firm, in 2015 with the mission to make insurance advice easy and accessible for as many people as possible.

She comes from Poland moving to London to study translation and linguistics. At just 21, she started her career in financial advice, working as an insurance adviser. Few years later, she passed her CeMAP and DipFA exams.

It was while working as a mortgage and protection adviser that she saw how few people received good protection advice, some receiving none at all. This inspired her to set up Umbrella Protect with a passion to help fill in the protection gap in the UK.

Anna wants every self-employed person and every mortgage-owner to have access to free specialist protection advice including those who may not usually have access.

Her motto is “write it or refer it”. She works actively with mortgage brokers on protection referral partnerships, about which she is passionate.

Six years later, Umbrella Protect is an award-winning specialist protection firm with 20 advisers, spread across the country, from Southampton to Northern Ireland.

Anna regularly appears as an industry expert, writing articles, and speaking at conferences.

Brian Walters is managing director of specialist PMI broker Regency Health and a former vice-chair of the Association of Medical Insurers and Intermediaries (AMII). He is a regular commentator to the national press on health insurance matters and has written a number of articles for COVER and other trade publications. Brian knows what it takes to win on the night, having won many awards himself as well as judging COVER's Recognising Healthcare Innovation Awards earlier this year.

Claire Ginnelly has been in the private medical insurance industry since 1991. Before joining Premier Choice Group in June 2013, all her experience was gained working for large insurance companies and always working on the intermediary distribution. She has held senior positions within Standard Life Healthcare, as Head of Intermediary Sales, and Groupama Healthcare, as Head of Distribution. Claire started her career in Healthcare with Norwich Union Healthcare (now Aviva) and then moved to WPA before joining Standard Life Healthcare.

In June 2013, Claire joined Premier Choice Group as Head of Healthcare and became Managing Director in June 2015. Premier Choice is an intermediary specialising in Healthcare and Risk products.

Dave was appointed Executive Chairman of AMII on 22nd April and also has roles as Executive Director of Benefits Advisory Services (BAS) and Consultant at Radiant Corporate Benefits.

Dave was previously CEO of Employment Benefit Consultancy, Portus, until the sale to Aon in 2017 and following the successfully sale integrated both clients and colleagues into Aon. During his time at Portus he sat on the committees of both GRiD and AMII, the former as Chair of the ‘Raising the Profile’ committee and during GRiD Chairmanship helped developed the GRiD training academy which is still going strong.

In addition, Dave is a Trustee of Charities Smile for Joel and Sporting Minds UK as well as being Chairman of Governors at a local Primary school and Chair of the Birmingham and District Cricket League cricket committee.

Jiten has been in Financial Services since October 2000. Starting in a Call Centre for a Fund Supermarket, he quickly worked his way up to become a Financial Adviser for one of the larger UK Banks. Following redundancy, he has worked as an Independent Financial, Mortgage and Protection Adviser since February 2013.

By understanding the role that Financial Planning plays in the daily life of a client, Jiten strives to deliver Simple, Smart Advice in plain and clear English. His advice is tailored to the unique needs of each client, and when required will implement solutions to help ensure they can achieve their personal and financial goals.

Amongst his many qualifications, he holds the Chartered Insurance Institute’s Certificate in Advance Mortgage Advice and has featured in the top 250 UK IFA’s in The Sunday Times.

Jiten brings with him experience in Mortgage Planning together with a speciality in providing bespoke Lifestyle Protection Planning.

John Brazier is an experienced B2B journalist and editor. He took on the position of editor for COVER in February 2021.

John has spent over a decade working across various B2B editorial roles and markets, most recently in a freelance capacity reporting on gas and renewable energy, electric vehicles and power materials.

He was previously editor of The Trade, a buy-side publication for a readership of global asset managers, hedge funds and traders, a position he held for two years.

Prior to this, John spent three years with WatersTechnology, a fintech publication with a global audience, where he served as a European staff writer, before stepping up the role of deputy editor, working across the buy- and sell-side brands of the title.

He has also worked on a number of personal finance, retail IT and technology brands, and has personal interests in literature, technology and environmental issues.

Johnny Timpson is Scottish Widows’ and Lloyd’s Banking Groups financial resilience and protection specialist with over 40 years’ experience working in a variety of business development, technical and distribution roles. He is currently the Cabinet Office Disability & Access Champion for the Insurance Industry and Profession and chairs the Access to Insurance Working Group. In addition, he is a founder and current member of the Building Resilient Households Group and Resilient Households Taskforce plus a member of the Income Protection Task Force and sits on its Welfare Working Group. Johnny is also a member of the CII’s Insuring Women’s Futures Programme Expert Advisory Panel; the BIBA Access To Insurance Committee: the Insurance Institute of London Diversity & Inclusion Committee; the Insurance Disability, Ability & Wellbeing Network Steering Group; the Inclusion Scotland Leaders Group; the Group for Autism, Insurance and Neurodiversity Steering Group, the British Standards Institute Disability Committee and an Expert Friend of the Vocational Rehabilitation Association UK.

Louise has worked in the financial services sector for over 33 years operating at executive level in a variety of disciplines. She currently leads the Zurich Retail Protection business having joined from Aviva in December 2020. She is known for her straight talk on all matters protection. Given her passion for the customer and all things protection she has won numerous industry accolades for her work. Louise holds a Master of Arts degree in Strategic Marketing Management and is an Associate Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation.

Melissa Collett is Professional Standards Director at the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII), leading its professional standards, ethics and conduct activity as a united profession across insurance and financial planning. She is also responsible for the professional body’s legal affairs, risk management, disciplinary matters and governance. She is keen to raise awareness of best practice and drive ethical behaviour through engagement with the profession and external stakeholders.

Melissa has an extensive background in consumer insurance and legal issues. She spent over a decade at the Financial Ombudsman Service, was a Director at Fairer Finance and sits as a Tribunal Judge. She is also qualified solicitor, and specialised in insurance law at Hogan Lovells. She is a frequent speaker at insurance conference and events, sits on judging panels, and is the author of numerous articles and publications on consumer insurance law subjects.

Monica Garcia is a health and wellbeing consultant, working in the Life & Health Insurance industry. She offers expert advice on the introduction of evidence based health initiatives to improve customers’ wellness and satisfaction. Monica is passionate about outcome focused rehabilitation initiatives. She brings in a combination of clinical, vocational, and insurance experience to promote best practice. Monica also supports industry initiatives to encourage access to insurance.

At Swiss Re, Monica led pioneering award winning research, evaluating the role of psychosocial factors in return to work at claims and underwriting level. She’s been invited to share her expertise and research at international conferences in the UK and overseas. She also developed many claims management initiatives, including: training, portfolio management, and the design and implementation of large scale return to work rehabilitation programmes for the Income Protection market.

Naomi started her career working in the corporate space of the Life Assurance sector in 2002, helping advisers understand the products available in the UK market whilst giving training and development on the benefits of personal and business products. In 2014 Naomi founded specialist brokerage Heath Protection Solutions, which offers Private Clients and Businesses whole of market advice on a full range of insurance solutions. In addition to running her own business Naomi has brought her deep understanding of the UK life assurance market to LDNfinance as Protection Director, where she supports the development of their protection advice to mortgage clients. Naomi has become an Ambassador for the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII), working to raise awareness of the importance of protection products for women. She speaks at events in London on the education and guidance of young women and the importance of protecting their futures regularly appearing at events such as ‘She’s on the Money’. Recently awarded the Woman of the year in Protection Advice Award at the Women in Financial Awards 2019, Naomi looks to continue raising the awareness of the need for Protection Advice by supporting the education of both brokers and clients.

A senior manager with over 33 years experience in a variety of roles in financial services with Legal & General. A proven track record in the life protection market in sales, marketing development, presenting, training, and strategic developments to grow business for advisers and for various business channels.

Richard has built up a reputation over the years of being an excellent public speaker and trainer in the life, critical illness and income protection markets in both individual and business markets. He is passionate about advisers having the right sales skills to talk more powerfully with their clients and has developed workshops seminars and webinars in this area.

Now retired or “rewired” as he likes to call it. Where he is combining time with his family and pursuing new passions, while still sharing his passion for protection by working with the likes of the Income Protection task force, LIBF and advisers to keep protection front and centre in discussions with clients as a freelance protection enthusiast.

Ron Wheatcroft is Technical Manager for Swiss Re's UK Life and Health Business. He works with life and health insurers, looking at market trends and the likely impact of legislation and regulation on firms, advisers and customers.

He is the principal author of Swiss Re's annual market reports covering both retail and commercial long-term business and a regular commentator in the media.

He is Joint Chair of the Cabinet Office Champion Access to Insurance Workplace Protection Group and a member of the Steering Group.

He is also a member of the Steering Groups of GRiD and the Building Resilient Households Group. He was a Board member of the Investment and Life Assurance Group until stepping down in 2019 and chaired the Group for two years.

Rose joined Lloyds Banking Group in March 2021 as a Protection Director responsible for leading LBGs protection business across the intermediary, retail & digital channels.

Rose has over 20 years’ experience in the financial services industry in a diverse range of roles, her background as a financial advisor for 10 years has given her real customer insight, and by working with Asset Managers, Intermediaries, Brokers and Insurers, Rose has great knowledge of the insurance value chain.

Rose is a leading figure in the UK protection market and is recognised for her inclusive approach to customer delivery, winning several industry awards and being instrumental in the setting up and launching of the Women in Protection Network.

Roy is an IFA at Cavendish Ware and has been an adviser for 30 years.

He is a passionate advocate of protection in both the individual and group markets as well as advising on corporate and wealth management areas. He is the co-chairman of the income protection task force where he was a founding member and integral in the seven families campaign. On this subject he has toured the UK talking to audiences of advisers, insurers, reinsurers and HR professionals on the impact that 7F has made.

He regularly trains advisers on all protection subjects. He is consulted by insurers on product development and is a regular contributor in the press. He is also a founder member of the PDG and sits on the FTRC forums.

He was also the first person to advocate employer sick pay statements and integral in the call for mandatory annual protection statements.

He is also the adviser representative on the resilient households’ group.

Steve has over thirty years’ experience working in the life insurance market in the UK, Europe and the Far East. A Chartered Insurer, he has been responsible for some of the more innovative developments within the protection market specifically wrapping around the customer. Originally trained as an underwriter, Steve has extensive experience of working in product development, distribution management and risk assessment. He is the current Chairman of ILAG and a Advisory Board member for LegaCare.