Alan Lakey has been gainfully occupied in the industry since 1978. He's been a financial adviser since 1986 and started the acclaimed CIExpert system in 2012. He is an ex-Director of Adviser Alliance and an ex-Council member of APFA. He also spent eight unhappy years working for an assortment of insurers and distributors and is the winner of 20 awards for advisory excellence. He is the author of Growing Old Disgracefully, a biography of seminal ‘60s rock band The Pretty Things and recently wrote ‘Idiocy in Commercial Life: Practical Ways to Navigate Through Nonsense'.

Ali Crossley is the Managing Director, Distribution of Legal & General’s newly formed Retail division. She reports to its CEO, Bernie Hickman.

Legal & General, Retail brings our protection, retirement income, savings, lending and advice, fintech and mortgage businesses under one umbrella. It has over 5.5 million UK life insurance policyholders, over 1.8 million people in group protection schemes and almost 1.3 million US term-life insurance policyholders.

Ali is responsible for leading the integration of all our distribution activity, which includes intermediary, banks, affinity and our aggregator channels. She also oversees Legal & General’s surveying business LGSS, and our mortgage-related businesses Mortgage Club and Smartr365.

Before joining Legal & General in 2019, Ali was the Managing Director of BGL’s affinity business, Junction. She was promoted from Customer Director after leading the acquisition of Sun Life and Virgin Money. She was also responsible for BGL’s 3000-strong customer services team and introduced a number of digital innovations, including webchat, a self-service centre and robotic technology.

Her other financial service roles include Chief Operating Officer at Saga Financial Services and Marketing Director and Director, Retirement Income at Prudential plc. She’s also a non-executive director of Age UK Enterprises.

Christine is the Managing Director of RedArc, a specialist company providing personalised, long-term help and support to employees, individuals and families suffering from serious illness, disability or bereavement, through its team of highly qualified, registered nurses.

Claire Ginnelly has been in the private medical insurance industry since 1991, starting her PMI career with Norwich Union Healthcare when they launched into the market. She then joined WPA before moving to Standard Life Healthcare for 12 years where she became Head of Intermediary Sales. She moved to Groupama Healthcare in 2007 as Head of Distribution.

In June 2013, Claire moved to the intermediary side and joined Premier Choice Group as Head of Healthcare and became Managing Director in June 2015. Premier Choice was acquired by GRP in 2020 and Claire stayed to oversee the transition before leaving in February 2022.

Claire remains active in the PMI industry doing consultancy work, continuing to be an industry spokesperson and is Vice Chair of the Association of Medical Insurers and Intermediaries (AMII).

Based in London, with a longstanding career in underwriting Claire has recently added Claims accountability to her remit and is currently at Swiss Re as Head of UW & Claims for UK & Ireland. With over 20 years domestic and international experience across both insurance and reinsurance, Claire is passionate about the value of insurance and sees the role of underwriting and claims as key to ensuring our products are affordable, accessible and sustainable for as many people as possible.

Debbie has been CEO at LifeSearch since November 2021. She leads the largest specialist protection adviser firm in the UK, following a career as a strategic and global financial services executive.

Prior to joining LifeSearch, Debbie was MD for Protection at Liverpool Victoria Life Insurance. She has a wealth of experience in the life insurance industry and joined LV= in July 2019 from MLC Life Insurance, based in Melbourne, Australia where she was General Manager New Business & Change and was previously Chief Underwriting Officer. Debbie played a pivotal role as Group Head of Protection Strategy with Royal London. She was responsible for the successful rebrand and launch of Royal London Intermediary Protection in 2014.

Debbie has held a number of senior management positions at Direct Offices, Reinsurers and BPOs including Swiss Re, AXA and Capita. Her focus has been on creating innovative solutions for the Protection market. From first to market predictive underwriting solutions, to the creation of a condition specific product for customers with diabetes and those requiring mental health support. Debbie has a keen interest in the power of digital and data science, to make propositions relevant and engaging for today’s customers as well as customers of the future.

Emma is Head of Protection & GI Propositions at Sesame Bankhall Group and has worked in the protection market for over 20 years. She has both provider and distributor experience as well as a strong reputation for campaigning for better consumer outcomes and is using that expertise to further strengthen SBG’s focus on helping more consumers access protection cover across both its Sesame and PMS brands. After being diagnosed with breast cancer and becoming a claimant herself in 2019, she’s become even more committed to helping consumers benefit from protection insurance. Emma has been an active member of various industry groups for many years, including the Income Protection Task Force and is a board member of the Protection Distributors Group. She’s also founder and Chair of the Women in Protection Network, an organisation established to support women working within the industry, to encourage more female consumers become more financially resilient and to help ensure our profession is more representative of the society it serves. I'm

Emma Vaughan has worked in the financial services industry for over 16 years, beginning at L&G as an admin assistant before progressing to work directly with intermediaries in range of protection roles and supported various regions, networks and brokers. She joined British Friendly in 2016 as a National Account Manager for the North East, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as holding the strategic relationships for some the major networks. Emma has more recently been involved in the strategic development of propositions designed to bridge the gap for customers who previously may not have had access to insurance. Emma's role as a Head of Protection Services is to develop the protection proposition for SimplyBiz and Compliance First advisers by working closely with all the product and software providers, adding efficiencies and enhancing the support within all the services available to intermediaries. Emma is passionate about educating customers and delivering better customer outcomes.

Fran is Managing Director of Protection at Aviva, responsible for distribution, pricing, propositions and underwriting philosophy across Group and Individual protection. Fran sits on the Aviva UK Life Executive team and is also a NED on the Aviva L&P Ireland Board.

Fran started her career with Deloitte and is a qualified Chartered Accountant and Chartered Tax Adviser. Fran joined Aviva in the Finance function in 2003 and has held many roles across Investments, With-profits and technical accounting, and finally leading the FP&A function through the Friends Life integration.

Other recent roles at Aviva include responsibility for the business strategy and execution plan in Aviva’s UK Savings & Retirement business and Managing Director of Existing Customer Management leading the substantial existing customer business, relationship management of Life Outsource suppliers and our Customer Engagement team.

Isobel joined The Exeter as Chief Executive in 2021 and has over 30 years of insurance industry experience.

She is passionate about delivering excellent customer service and the role that protection and health insurance plays in helping people become more financially resilient when faced with life's most difficult challenges.

Before joining The Exeter, she was Chief Executive of Royal London's Intermediary Division, leading the protection and pensions business through a period of significant success.

Jaskeet Briah is a reporter at COVER Magazine, having previously worked as a journalist for the wider financial services industry, covering economic, political and general news for financial professionals across the UK and globally.

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.

Jo Miller has been a part of IPTF since 2013 working on the Seven Families campaign and providing operational support to members eventually becoming Co-Chair in 2021. Outside of the IPTF, Jo has worked for Protection Review since 2010, latterly as Director of Operations overseeing the running of digital and face to face events and also provides operational support to the Protection Distributors Group. Jo previously worked as an Operations and Account Manager for the Financial Services practice at EY and before that for an international events company.

John Brazier is an experienced and award winning B2B journalist and editor. He has been editor of COVER since February 2021 and has chaired several protection industry conferences and events.

John was previously editor of The Trade, a buy-side publication for a readership of global asset managers, hedge funds and traders. Prior to this, John spent three years with WatersTechnology, a fintech publication with a global audience, where he held roles of European staff writer and then deputy editor, working across the buy- and sell-side brands of the title.

He has also written for a number of energy, personal finance and technology brands, and has personal interests in literature, technology and environmental issues.

Katharine Moxham is spokesperson for the group risk industry body, Group Risk Development (GRiD). Katharine works to generate a wider awareness and understanding of group risk products (employer-sponsored life assurance, income protection and critical illness) and their advantages for employers and employees.

Katharine regularly contributes to industry and business publications and debate and her 40 years’ broad-based industry expertise within the employee benefits arena means she is ideally placed for her role as industry commentator.

Katharine also sits on the Steering Group of the cross-industry Access to Insurance Working Group and BIBA’s Access to Insurance Committee.

Kathryn is a specialist insurance adviser working within the personal, business and group life insurance, critical illness cover and income protection sector. She offers advice within the UK and internationally. Kathryn is known for her ability to humanise protection conversations, bringing empathy to conversations with clients, where sensitive matters are being discussed. She also produces videos and a podcast that are used within the insurance sector, by charities and the general public, as a way to educate about ways to access insurance and to challenge mindsets. She also works as a consultant training advisers in protection insurance and offering support in building client recommendations.

Katya is part of the founding team who launched Guardian into the market in 2018. Guardian launched with a single ambition: for every family to have protection that they truly believe in. They challenge the ‘typical’ way, providing clear, comprehensive insurance policies that pay out quickly when you’d expect them to. Before joining Guardian, Katya was an Actuary with 20 years’ experience in life insurance, including running Protection at Scottish Widows and setting up Swiss Re’s direct insurance carrier, iptiQ.

Originally a pharmacist, Marcia has 30 years of experience in health and wellbeing, working within organisations including Bupa, SimplyHealth, Lorica and as a service improvement consultant within the NHS.

Marcia was Managing Director of the Health and Protection Division with the independent intermediary Stackhouse Poland, prior to their acquisition by Gallagher in 2019. Last year she revitalised her consultancy and led a business transformation project with an intermediary organisation. She is currently non executive director with Sherwood Healthcare and building her executive coaching practice. Additionally, Marcia served on the executive committee of AMII for three years. She is a Prince 2 practitioner, Change Management Practitioner, a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and serves on the Policy Voice Group at the Institute of Directors, keeping her finger on the pulse with market developments.

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.

Paul is one of the Directors and Co-Founders of protection Specialist firm Vita. He’s worked within Financial Services for over 20 years, and specifically within the Protection space for over 13 years. A passionate advocate of Claims and Customer Outcomes, Paul and business partner Barry Pappin are relentless in ensuring their business is built around the customer being at the heart of all that Vita do.

Peter has a background in Marketing, and has responsibility for Zurich’s engagement in Life industry issues. He is involved in consumer and regulatory developments in the protection and broader financial services market, and chairs the ABI's Retail Protection committee and the ABI’s Long Term Care Working party.

He sits on BIBA’s Access to insurance committee, and in July 2021 was appointed Disability and Access Ambassador for the Insurance industry, a post that reports through to the Disability Unit in the Cabinet Office.

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 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.

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

Rupinder Bahra is a highly experienced, multi-award-winning trainer and sales professional with over 23 years of sales and management experience within the Financial Services and Insurance industry.

Rupinder has worked at MetLife for over 10 years. She is currently a consultant working within MetLife’s Global Learning and Development Team and looks after 7 countries within the EMEA region consulting on and managing projects across Agency, Independent Brokers, Direct to Consumer & Bancassurance channels.

She is a key ambassador for Women in Sales and is part of the leadership team for MetLife’s Global Women’s Business Network and more recently WISe (Women in Sales EMEA) connecting women across EMEA and supporting them in their career journey.

Rupinder has regularly and consistently been recognised for her professional achievements, from being named Best Salesperson at the Prudential at the start of her career to winning the Best Women in Field Sales for Europe at The Women in Sales Awards 2016. More recently she picked up two awards at the Cover Women in Protection and Health Awards for Best Business Development Manager and Women of the Year, Intermediary Support.

Setul has close to 20 years of financial services experience, in Strategy, Distribution, Operations, Governance and Development. Spanning across Protection, Mortgages, Wealth Management, GI, FinTech, Asset Management and the value chain within.

Along with his role within The Openwork Partnership focusing on distribution growth, Setul is a Steering Group member for the IPTF, part of The Access to Insurance Working Group and Protection Practionner Group Member for iLAG.

Alongside financial services, he supports the education sector as a Board Trustee within a growing Multi-Academy Trust and an interim school standards board member at a 45 cluster school.

Zanele Sibanda is Head of Internal Markets at Towergate Health & Protection. Zanele is a respected industry leader with 20 years’ experience in the insurance industry, specialising in business protection and employee benefits. A recipient of both the Mentor of the Year and Inspirational Leader of the Year awards, Zanele lends a valued and regular contribution to industry forums and judging panels with an eye for detail. Her role in Towergate sees her responsible for delivering commercial partnerships across the Group. Towergate is the UK’s leading independent insurance broking platform and forms part of The Ardonagh Group, an international network of over 220 offices and 10,000 people which incorporates leading brands in both Lloyd’s of London and global markets. Zanele is also a Diploma qualified member of the Chartered Insurance Institute and a member of the Personal Finance Society and the Society of Mortgage Professionals.