The British Mortgage & Protection Senate is an exclusive gathering of the most important and influential firms in the UK intermediated mortgage and protection market. The main objective of the event is for all parties of the distribution chain to discuss, learn, collaborate, and effectively manage the changing dynamics of the market. The Senate is an event for the entire intermediary channel to facilitate a consensus and drive possibilities for the future health of the mortgage and protection market.
Attendees are deliberately from those organisations that are the cornerstone of the industry, namely the institutions that are responsible for the largest volumes of mortgage & protection transactions in the country and therefore the holders of the greatest share of voice in the shaping of the current and future market.
This event is held under the Chatham House Rule. When a meeting, or part thereof, is held under the Chatham House Rule, participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed.
The British Mortgage & Protection Senate is strictly by invitation.
Mike Allison initially developed and now runs the protection and general insurance proposition within Paradigm Mortgage services.
he has over 40 years of experience within the financial services industry working for both manufacturers of life and pensions products and distributors, developing and running both networks and club propositions.
He has been in his current role for over 15 years.
Clare Beardmore has held various positions during her five-year tenure at L&G, including head of broker and propositions and head of mortgage transformation. She is currently the director of the L&G Mortgage Club, a key business area within the company’s mortgage services team.
L&G Mortgage Club is the largest and longest-running mortgage club in the UK and is involved in nearly one in five of all mortgages in the UK and nearly one in three of all intermediated mortgages. It is a part of L&G Retail, which covers the savings, protection, mortgage, and retirement needs of 12 million retail policyholders and workplace members.
Clare is committed to driving the digitalisation of the mortgage market and is also a prominent advocate for gender parity in the industry. She regularly uses her platform to raise awareness about issues affecting brokers, particularly those at smaller firms.
Zara is the director for the mortgage and protection network at Quilter Financial Planning. She brings over 22 years of experience in the financial services industry and has a real passion to deliver high-quality advice to customers, through the intermediary sector.
Zara leads the strategy, proposition and relationship team at QFP, focusing on the growth of its mortgage and protection business.
Paul was born in Manchester and started his career with the then Halifax Building Society.
He joined the BSA and set up its mortgage team in November 2008.
Paul regularly works with government, politicians and regulators. He is also a frequent media commentator and conference speaker on matters relating to mortgages and housing in the UK. He is a member of the government’s Commonhold Council and the Consumer Policy Working Group of the European Association of Co-operative Banks.
Paul lives in Crick, Northamptonshire and enjoys spending his weekends watching his sons play sport and following Northampton Town up and down the country.
Michelle is the managing director and the founder of Brook Financial Services, operating under Mortgage Advice Bureau, and has worked in the industry since 1985.
After many years as an adviser, she became sales director for a large estate agency, then sales director for the Mortgage Talk network, before becoming regional sales director for Mortgage Advice Bureau. This invaluable experience made Michelle keen to start a business of her own, and in 2010, Brook Financial Services was born.
Michelle developed and grew the business over seven years before the business was acquired by Belvoir. The acquisition led to massive opportunities and, under Michelle’s management, Brook has now grown to over 300 advisers throughout the UK. This then led to the merger of Belvoir and The Property Franchise Group, and Michelle holds an executive director position on the TPFG board.
Her ethos is to run a tight ship with a family feel, providing excellent customer service.
Matt has spent the last two decades working in financial services, joining the intermediated market in 2017. Working firstly in distribution at Personal Touch Financial Services, he subsequently joined the provider space as a national account manager for eConveyancer.
Matt rejoined distribution in 2021, spending three years at PRIMIS mortgage network as head of proposition and in 2024 he moved to HL Partnership as propositions director.
Matt takes responsibility for the proposition in its entirety and leads on all lender and provider relationship management for the network.
Before his time in the intermediated market, Matt spent 14 years at NatWest, working through the ranks in branch banking and the mortgage channel of the bank. He held a number of leadership roles at area, regional and national level.
Matt is well known for devoting his energy in the market to build strong relationships that drive good customer outcomes, help brokers to help their clients and grow their income.
Stephanie joined the Association of Mortgage Intermediaries (AMI) as chief executive in February 2025, having held previous roles within key distributors spanning 27 years.
Most recently, she was group partnerships & propositions director at Sesame Bankhall Group and previously director of mortgages at specialist distributor Positive Lending, and head of mortgages & insurance at Mortgage Intelligence.
Throughout her career working across the intermediary sector, Stephanie has been a passionate promoter of the need for, and value of, advice.
Claire recently joined Sesame Bankhall Group as distribution director for PMS and Bankhall, a role that now also sees her leading propositions for lenders and providers, as well as driving strategic partnerships across the business.
Previously, Claire spent over two decades at Lloyds Banking Group, rising through the ranks from a fresh-faced accountant to a tech-savvy innovator. Whether running the current account business or shaping strategic technology collaborations, Claire has always been someone who rolls up her sleeves and gets things done.
Her passion? Making a difference through technology, whether it’s transforming the housing market or supporting breakthroughs in medical research. Claire is also a mentor many aspire to have, championing diversity and openly sharing her experiences as a female aeronautical engineer.
Graham is group mortgage development director for Connells Group, the largest UK estate agency networks in the UK.
Connells Group has a branch network of over 1,200 offices trading under a number of brand names, as well as The New Homes Group, which offers specialist mortgage services to the new homes market.
Connells Group acquired Countrywide in March 2021 (including NEXT Intelligence and Dynamo) which means the Group now sell 10% of all properties within the UK and submit over £40 billion in mortgage applications a year.
After graduating from Birmingham University, Graham spent 23 years with Abbey National/Santander, holding various senior roles within marketing and retail banking before joining Connells Group in November 2016.
Dave has been in and around the mortgage and protection industry for over 30 years, with the most recent focus being on the implementation of consumer duty regulations and sales processes in to high volume businesses. For the last 4 years Dave has worked within the AR firm Mortgage 1st, helping to build the ‘Protection 1st’ brand and to support their advisers to protect their clients with quality protection portfolios, as well as how best to build new processes to ultimately make the end consumer’s experience as seamless as possible. Prior to his current role, Dave has worked with PRIMIS mortgage network, and has acted as a consultant to various other mortgage and protection businesses to help them develop and improve their protection conversion and business quality, again with the end client as the driving focus of his work.
Phil Daffern has more than 20 years’ experience across lending, intermediary support, technology, and business development.
Having worked in roles spanning mortgage advice, underwriting, operations, proposition development, and corporate partnerships, he brings a unique end-to-end perspective to the mortgage market. At SimplyBiz Mortgages, Phil works closely with lenders and providers to deliver strategic initiatives that support member firms and improve customer outcomes.
He also works with universities, challenging students’ perceptions of the mortgage industry and encouraging the next generation of talent to explore careers within financial services.
Stephanie has worked at Alexander Hall since 2012. Her role as director of partnerships involves managing all partnerships to strive toward better customer outcomes.
She provides technical product and criteria development advice to lenders and supports how they bring new or expand existing propositions to the intermediary market.
Stephanie is an experienced mortgage adviser and team leader, passionate about developing long-term rewarding relationships with business partners.
She is also co-founder of Inspire50, an internal women’s diversity and inclusion initiative and is an active supporter of all DE&I groups.
Tom’s career in financial services began in 2005 at Alexander Hall, where he progressed from trainee adviser to managing director during his tenure.
In early 2024, he moved to LRG, one of the UKs fastest-growing property services groups, to lead its financial services arm, Mortgage Scout.
Passionate about developing and empowering others to fulfil their potential, Tom works with various mentorship schemes both in and out of LRG.
John Doughty began his career in the world of television, where he developed a passion for communication and presenting skills that continue to shine through in his professional life today.
He later transitioned into estate agency, where his drive and dedication quickly became evident. In 2010, John joined Just Mortgages as a Mortgage Broker covering the Weston-super-Mare and Taunton areas. Over the years, his commitment to excellence and consistent performance saw him rise through the ranks.
Now operating as a chapter managing director, John oversees the new build and shared ownership divisions of Just Mortgages, alongside leading half of the company’s estate agency-based mortgage business.
Known for his energetic approach and strong leadership, John has also become a recognisable face through his much-loved video series In Talks with JD, where he explores key industry topics and insights. His deep industry knowledge, coupled with a love for presenting, makes him a respected and influential figure within the business.
With 20 years of experience in the financial services sector, including roles at Santander and Countrywide, Rachel joined Mortgage Advice Bureau 13 years ago and has managed her own brokerage for the last 10 years. She has extensive expertise in helping customers who require more specialist support and providing in-depth training to brokers in niche areas of lending.
As strategic lender relationships director, Rachel works closely alongside MAB’s lender partners to identify additional opportunities for innovation. A champion for customer support and education, Rachel works closely with AR firms and brokers, providing the resources and training they need to boost lead generation, expand their expertise, and ensure the best possible customer outcomes.
Giuliano Grazioli is director of lender relationships at L&C Mortgages, where he is responsible for developing strategic partnerships, and strengthening relationships across the mortgage and property sectors.
He has spent over 15 years in the financial services industry, building extensive experience in sales, business development, and strategic relationship management. Before joining L&C, he specialised in the conveyancing sector, working closely with lenders, brokers, law firms, and technology partners to help drive innovation and improve customer journeys.
Giuliano has built a reputation for developing high-performing relationships, driving commercial growth, and delivering outstanding customer outcomes. He began his career in professional football, enjoying a successful 15-year playing and managerial career that instilled the discipline, resilience, teamwork, and leadership qualities that have underpinned his professional journey ever since.
Craig Hall is director of strategic partnerships at LSL Financial Services, part of the LSL Property Services Group. Craig is responsible for the relationship management of lenders, protection and general insurance (G.I) providers and all associated New Homes partners.
Craig has 30 years’ experience in financial services, spending the first 11 years in the retail banking followed by almost 16 years at L&G in intermediary mortgage and insurance distribution, prior to joining LSL in September 2021 originally as director of new homes financial services.
Mark was appointed chief executive officer of L&C in April 2024 and has over 20 years’ experience in the business, having started his career as a mortgage and protection adviser in 2003. In the interim he has built a detailed knowledge of all aspects of L&C’s market leading proposition, working across a wide range of roles including estate agency and new build in addition to the core mortgage and protection offering.
Mark became mortgage and protection advice director in 2019 before more recently taking up the position of chief operating officer, playing a key role in shaping the direction and strategy of L&C overseeing the move to a hybrid working model.
Mark is determined to develop L&C’s customer journey further to provide the very best customer experience whilst maintaining top quality advice with no broker fee charged to customers. He’s also passionate about developing an inclusive and equitable culture for L&C colleagues and to make working at L&C a career not just a job.
Maria is chair of the Open Property Data Association which she launched after chairing the Home Buying & Selling Council technology group for two years.
OPDA was set up in June 2023 to improve the homebuying experience through digitisation, trust, and interoperability of smart property data.
It is responsible for the development and adoption of open property data standards across industry and government stakeholders.
Representing OPDA’s member firms on the Smart Data Council, Digital Property Market Steering Group and other working groups, Maria promotes a customer-centric, mission-led drive for progress and fosters collaboration.
Maria also provides mortgage transformation services to lenders and tech firms through her consultancy, Digital Cat, as well as being a board adviser to FinTech North and Plotify.
Richard joined Sesame Bankhall Group (SBG) as chief executive officer in January 2024.
Bringing more than 20 years’ financial services leadership experience, Richard has established a strong track record for helping businesses evolve and grow, by delivering clear strategies and creating successful partnerships.
Richard joined SBG from Wesleyan Assurance Society, where he held the position of chief distribution officer, prior to which he had led different businesses in HSBC, NatWest and Skipton Building Society.
Emma’s background, in both network and lender mortgage distribution, and her reputation in the UK mortgage market is invaluable in developing Primis’ propositions for brokers and their borrowers. Her expertise and experience of the industry, including her knowledge of technology and data, enables the network to develop new propositions that will keep the financial services division at the forefront of broker innovation.
Emma’s role is a key part of Primis’ continuing business transformation. She drives forward the front-end of its business including recruitment, broker development, marketing and propositions.
Richard has worked in the intermediary market for over 30 years, holding sales management roles with Scottish Mutual and Scottish Provident and national key account roles with James Hay, Cater Allen and Santander for Intermediaries.
As managing director of mortgages at Paradigm, Richard helps to develop their Lender proposition by managing the relationships with Paradigms Lender panel – including Specialist Lenders and Equity Release providers. He is also responsible for areas such as product innovation, criteria, and technology, as well as working closely with Paradigms third-party providers and key firms.
Rupi has over 30 years’ experience in financial services. Back in 2008 he founded Censeo Financial, a company that has grown into an award-winning, retail financial services company based in London. From its inception, Censeo has been a wholly customer-centric business and Rupi has continually looked at ways both to simplify and improve the customer journey.
He has also worked tirelessly to champion shared ownership in the UK. As well as developing long-term relationships with key housing associations, he has lobbied the leading banks and building societies to offer the products to first-time buyers.
Rory and Seb founded JLM in 2002. More than two decades on, the business has evolved into the Charlie Puffin Group, one of the UK’s fastest-growing financial services groups, encompassing JLM Mortgage Network, JLM Wealth, Modina Accountancy, wills and estate planning, with a full-service law firm and commercial and general insurance launching soon.
The Group’s unique proposition is its ability to compound lifetime client value through a single trusted relationship, while also providing succession and retirement buy-out solutions for mortgage and wealth advisers.
Today, the mortgage network comprises more than 110 advisers across 25 AR firms, is on target to originate £4bn of lending annually, and added over £100m of assets under management in 2025, with a further £100m targeted in 2026.
Rory sits on industry, regulatory and lender working groups and is a regular media contributor, promoting financial education through television, radio, podcasts and industry events.
David is the operations & technology director of Lifetime Connect, a financial services provider that supports mortgage, protection and financial planning businesses across the UK.
He has worked within the financial services sector for over 25 years, including roles with intermediaries and lenders, successfully leading and implementing major FCA regulatory change and digital/IT transformation projects, including implementing CRMs, website building and cyber security upgrades.
Dan is managing director at The Finance Planning Group, where he oversees adviser recruitment, business development and the strategic management of introducer relationships.
As a member of the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) and a board director at the Association of Mortgage Intermediaries (AMI), he actively supports professional development in the industry and promotes the vital role of mortgage intermediaries.
Dan takes pride in being a coach and mentor to advisers and colleagues alike, with a leadership style focused on culture, innovation, profitability and sustainable growth.
Nick Mendes is a mortgage expert and marketing leader with over 15 years of experience in residential mortgages, specialist lending and financial planning.
Since joining John Charcol in 2019, he has progressed through a range of roles – from senior specialist adviser to mortgage technical manager – and now serves as head of marketing.
In his current position, Nick leads the company’s marketing strategy, overseeing brand development, campaign execution, and media engagement.
Drawing on his background in both mortgage broking and PR, he focuses on delivering clear and impactful content and resources that give clients the tools to make informed decisions and feel confident throughout their property journey.
Nick is a respected industry commentator and serves as the resident mortgage expert for The i Paper, where he provides weekly advice through the “Ask the Mortgage Expert” column and other mortgage-related topics.
His insights are regularly featured in leading publications such as The Times, Financial Times, Daily Mail, and others – reinforcing his reputation as a trusted voice in the mortgage and property market.
Richard Merrett is managing director of Alexander Hall, one of the UK’s leading mortgage brokers and part of the Foxtons Group. He speaks regularly on industry issues and is a passionate advocate of the consumer, championing their mortgage requirements through access to good advice.
He has also held director positions with largemortgageloans.com and in distribution with SimplyBiz Mortgages. He currently sits on the Association of Mortgage Intermediaries (AMI) board and is chair of the Green Mortgage Advice Initiative.
Andrew started in the mortgage industry in 1994 at John Charcol before joining Cobalt Capital in 2001.
In 2009 he was a founder of Coreco, responsible for growing the brand, marketing and communications, as well as lender liaison. He was made managing director in 2019.
As Coreco’s media spokesperson Andrew can often be seen or heard on TV and radio as well as regularly commenting in the national, local and trade press.
Winner of several industry awards; Andrew is also chairman of the Association of Mortgage Intermediaries and continues to advise clients.
Conor Murphy is a leading entrepreneur in technology, finance, and property. He is the founder and CEO of Capricorn Financial Consultancy, London’s largest independently-owned mortgage brokerage, which arranged £3.5bn in lending in 2025 and operates internationally from offices in Dubai, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Shanghai.
In 2017, he founded Smartr365, the UK’s largest B2B SaaS platform and marketplace for mortgage intermediaries, now capturing around 25% of the market and integrating 65% of UK lenders by volume. With major FTSE 100 shareholders including L&G and Experian, Conor continues to drive innovation and growth across both businesses.
Alyson Perry is head of strategic partnerships at Sesame Bankhall Group (SBG), where she leads the strategic relationship management of the group’s key lender, provider and technology partnerships. Having spent over 20 years with SBG, Alyson has built extensive industry knowledge and a strong track record of developing long-term, commercially successful relationships across the mortgage, protection, general insurance and wider financial services sectors.
In her role, Alyson works closely with product providers and leads a team of strategic relationship managers focused on delivering value for both partners and adviser firms, while supporting growth, innovation and collaboration across the market.
Prior to her current role, she was responsible for the development of SBG’s protection and general insurance propositions, giving her a broad perspective across both proposition development and partner relationships.
An industry professional with 35 years’ experience, John started mortgage broking in 1985. He joined the Spicerhaart Group in June 2015 to grow Just Mortgages from its core estate agency business of 105 brokers, into the client servicing and network arena.
The group now has over 650 brokers across its employed, self-employed, client servicing and new homes business. John launched a wealth arm in January 2021, which currently has 15 advisers.
John also has responsibility for valuation surveyors and the corporate sales business, looking at part exchange, repossessions and quick sale.
Will Rhind is an accomplished financial services leader with extensive experience in the mortgage industry. Currently serving as VP of advice and growth at Habito by Monzo, Will is dedicated to using technology to make the homeownership journey easier, seamless, and less stressful for customers.
He runs the brokerage at Habito – a team of mortgage experts and protection experts – driving growth and enhancing customer experience through innovative tech solutions.
With a strong background in team leadership, coaching and development, Will focuses on building high-performing teams and creating solutions to complex problems. His expertise includes maximising operational efficiencies, operational risk, compliance and relationship management, alongside managing cross-functional projects and key strategic initiatives.
Passionate about delivering exceptional customer experiences, Will continues to drive innovation in the mortgage space.
As managing director, L&G Mortgage Services, Kevin heads up the Mortgage Club, Mortgage Tech and Surveying Services teams. His 35 years of financial services experience are helping him support and transform how mortgages help consumers buy their dream homes.
He’s the first ever Mortgage Services managing director, as he led the business’s creation when he took up the role in July 2022. As its director, he had full end-to-end responsibility for the development and transformation of the largest distributor of mortgages in the UK. He’s also a strong voice within the broader industry, regularly quoted in both trade media and the national press.
He joined L&G in December 2012 as head of broker partnerships in the general insurance business. In 2016, his responsibilities grew to include accountability for protection insurance with its affinity partners. Before that, he worked at RSA for 23 years, where he built broad, deep industry experience through a wide range of sales, strategy and leadership roles.
Dom Scott is the managing director of Lifetime Connect, a financial services provider which supports mortgage, protection and financial planning businesses across the UK. He has worked in the property and financial services sectors for over 20 years.
As an avid believer in supporting the next generation, he is a trustee of Making the Leap, a London-based social mobility charity, where he enjoys working with young people through a variety of initiatives.
Adrian joined Connells Group in 2011 and, until recently, was group mortgage services Director for its expansive nationwide branch network, comprising over 1,000 mortgage and protection consultants, and its wider mortgage distribution channels Mortgage Intelligence and Dynamo.
In his role of lender services managing director, and alongside retaining mortgage services, Adrian is responsible for the leadership of key B2B business units including surveying and asset management, recognising and developing important lender relationships.
Adrian is also Connells Group’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Steering Committee chair, charged with driving forward the Group’s ongoing commitment to being a responsible business.
Adrian was previously head of lending at Kent Reliance. Prior to that he was managing director at Heritable Bank Mortgages and director of mortgage distribution for Bradford & Bingley.
Following seven years working in consultancy and two years at Abbey National, Paul joined Eagle Star in 1997, working on product development and partnership marketing.
Following the business being taken over, he moved to join Zurich, heading up product development for motor and home insurance, before moving into the Zurich Life business in 2004.
The business transitioned to Openwork in mid-2005, by which time Paul was heading up the mortgage proposition. He has continued in this role, although the protection and general insurance proposition have been added to Paul’s responsibilities. He is accountable for delivering the very best proposition in the marketplace to Openwork’s 4,500 advisers.
Toni Smith is the network distribution and marketing director at Sesame Bankhall Group, with over 35 years’ experience in the intermediary sector.
She previously held senior leadership roles at Primis Mortgage Network, including five years as chief operating officer and, latterly, chief distribution officer, where she oversaw the delivery of mortgage and insurance advice. Earlier in her career, Toni spent a decade at First Complete as business operations director.
In her current role, Toni is responsible for driving growth across Sesame Network, leading its distribution strategy and developing the mortgage and protection proposition for members. Her remit also includes oversight of marketing communications, events and marketing technology, ensuring a consistent and engaging experience for advisers and firms across the network.
Jodi started in the industry in 2005 and has worked up from admin support to senior adviser, having worked in all sides of the business. She likes to see how new technology and processes have developed over her years in this industry. Now she focuses on building and maintaining relationships between advisers and lenders, which is key to ensure the business is giving the clients the best journey.
Jon Stones is the managing director and founder of Mortgage 1st, a Mortgage and Protection brokerage. Seventeen years ago, Jon launched the business from his dining table, and today he leads it alongside his wife and fellow director, Lisa. Together, they have grown Mortgage 1st into an award-winning firm with a team of 78, blending the personal touch of a family-run business with the efficiency and scale of a larger corporate organisation.
Jon’s vision and ambition have driven consistent year-on-year growth, underpinned by a strong reputation across the industry. Mortgage 1st is known not only for the high standard of advice it provides to clients but also for the supportive, values-led culture it fosters for its employees.
In 2023, under Jon’s leadership, the business made a significant move by acquiring Peak Mortgages, a 14-adviser brokerage – marking a new chapter of strategic expansion. With recent investment secured, Mortgage 1st has announced further plans for growth through future mergers and acquisitions.
Jon continues to drive the business forward with a focus on innovation, quality, and sustainability – cementing Mortgage 1st’s position as one of the most respected firms in the UK mortgage sector.
Chris Tanner is a board adviser to Josewin, the parent company of HLPartnership. Having previously served as CEO of HLPartnership, Chris played a pivotal role in the network’s expansion to 1,200 mortgage and protection advisers, supporting approximately £14bn in annual lending.
Throughout his leadership of HLPartnership, Chris focused on using technology to strengthen the adviser proposition, support sustainable business growth and deliver positive outcomes for consumers.
Chris also helped secure significant investment in the business, including a strategic partnership with BetterHome Group, a prominent participant in the South African mortgage market. The partnership further strengthened HLPartnership’s position within the UK mortgage and protection sector.
He brings extensive experience from senior roles across the insurance and financial services industries. In 2006, while at Blevins Franks, Chris played a key role in launching Spain’s first lifetime mortgage lender, demonstrating his ability to identify new market opportunities and bring innovative propositions to market.
In his role as board adviser to Josewin, Chris continues to provide strategic guidance, drawing on his experience in business growth, technology, investment and financial services.
Matt Tristram is the co-founder and director of the leading second-charge and bridging brokerage, Loans Warehouse. With 25 years in second charge lending he is considered a champion of the sector.
Sarah Tucker is one of the UK mortgage industry’s most recognisable voices, regularly appearing across national television and media as a mortgage expert, commentator and industry spokesperson.
Founder and CEO of The Mortgage Mum, Sarah has built a nationwide mortgage and protection business with a team of 17 advisers, while challenging traditional ways of working within the industry and creating flexible career opportunities for women.
Alongside her role at The Mortgage Mum, Sarah is a spokesperson for HomeOwners Alliance, championing the voice of UK homeowners and buyers and helping to make the complexities of the housing and mortgage market accessible to consumers.
Sarah is also committed to helping shape the future of the housing market and is regularly involved in industry and policy discussions, including contributing to conversations at Downing Street on the challenges facing homebuyers and homeowners across the UK.
Sarah is passionate about the future of the mortgage and housing industry and the role she can play in helping to shape it, using her platform to connect consumers, industry and policymakers and ensure the right conversations lead to meaningful change.
Sidney Wager is the managing director of L&C Mortgages where he oversees the execution of the company’s strategic roadmap, spanning advice, operations, marketing, partnerships and technology.
Before L&C, Sidney held several senior leadership roles at Barclays, including head of retail distribution and director of mortgage intermediary partnerships where he led the bank’s intermediary market development business, driving strategic transformation and spearheading initiatives to modernise the intermediary lending journey.
Sidney is widely recognised across the UK mortgage industry for his strategic acumen, transformational leadership, and a proven track record in delivering meaningful change and customer-centric innovation.
He is also a passionate advocate for equity and inclusion, for which he has received industry-wide recognition for his work, including BMA Changemaker and L&G Diversity and Inclusion Champion award. He also mentors school children in underrepresented areas to give them knowledge of opportunities for their personal growth and advancement.
He is also a passionate advocate for equity and inclusion for which he has received industry-wide recognition for his work, including, BMA Changemaker and L&G Diversity and Inclusion Champion award. He also mentors school children in underrepresented areas to give them knowledge of opportunities for their personal growth and advancement.
Richard is head of strategic partnerships for protection and health at Omni Protect, part of Fintel, where he is responsible for developing strategic provider and distribution partnerships and supporting the continued growth of its protection proposition.
With more than 30 years’ experience across mortgages, protection and health, Richard has held a range of senior sales, product, operational and distribution leadership roles. Prior to joining Omni Protect, he was head of protection distribution at HSBC Life, leading intermediary distribution and developing strategic relationships across the UK advice market.
Tim co-founded Fluent in 2008, having sold a previous brokerage, Loanmakers Ltd, to Debt Matters PLC in 2006. Fluent had investment from private equity in 2016, and subsequently, MAB PLC acquired 75 per cent of its share capital in 2022.
Before that, he worked for First National Bank, Avco Trust and HFC for a total of 16 years, based in the Midlands, Norwich and Manchester.
He is a former championship-winning amateur racing driver with a career spanning single-seaters, GT and endurance racing, and has enjoyed 57 career podiums.
Tim is vice-chair of the Association of Mortgage Intermediaries.
Kelly is a strategic operational leader with over 30 years-experience in financial services. Strong, resourceful and values driven, she’s an authentic leader who empowers people, strengthens governance, and delivers sustainable results built on integrity, quality and long-term value, blending a wealth of regulatory expertise with strategic thinking and human-centred leadership.
Amy Wilson, works closely with lenders, insurers and strategic partners. She is responsible for enhancing adviser propositions, strengthening provider relationships and driving and implementing initiatives that deliver better outcomes for advisers and their clients.
With extensive experience across mortgages, protection, PMI and GI, Amy combines strategic leadership with hands-on industry experience. Alongside her role at TRM, she also jointly owns an AR firm within the network, giving her a unique perspective from both a network and adviser viewpoint.
Amy is passionate about collaboration, innovation, and is committed to building strong, long-term partnerships that deliver practical solutions and real value to advisers. She is a strong advocate for holistic advice, helping advisers close the protection gap and embedding the principles of Consumer Duty into everyday client conversations. Her focus is on continually enhancing TRM’s proposition, investing in adviser success and helping the network remain at the forefront of the mortgage and insurance industry.
Graham joined Countrywide in July 1995, initially within mortgage processing. His group roles have since included the setting up and management of the specialist panel lending activity.
In December 2007, Graham was promoted to mortgage product and development manager, reporting to the Countrywide Principal Services (CPS) MD with responsibility for all mortgage product and service-related activity.
In 2008 he joined the CPS executive committee and in 2011 was appointed to the CPS board as head of mortgages and then went on to become head of mortgage partnerships.
In October 2021 he joined Mortgage Intelligence reporting to the managing director as head of products and partnerships with responsibility for all day to day relationships with mortgage and insurance partners.
10:10 – 10:40 The future of advice: evolving the intermediary model
David Morris, head of consumer lending, Santander UK
10:40 – 11:10 Economic overview: translating market conditions into advice strategy
Richard Donnell, executive director, Zoopla
11:40 – 12:20 Where is AI delivering measurable value now: case studies from the past 12 months
Case study one: Building an AI-ready mortgage and protection firm
Matt Coulson, founder, Heron Financial
Case study two: AI in smart property data
Maria Harris, founder and chair, Open Property Data Association
13:20 – 13:50 Boardroom discussion one
13:55 – 14:25 Boardroom discussion two
14:50 – 15:20 Boardroom discussion three
15:25 – 15:55 Boardroom discussion four
16:00 – 16:40 The future of the intermediary: a strategic debate
Peter Brodnicki, CEO, Mortgage Advice Bureau
Clare Beardmore, director, Legal & General Mortgage Club
Mark Harrington, chief executive officer, L&C Mortgages
Moderated by: Jamie Hurst, publishing director, Mortgage Solutions
16:40 Closing remarks
Iain Cartlidge, client director, Mortgage Solutions
18:45 Coaches depart Brooklands for the Gala Dinner
09:35 – 10:05 Political outlook: what new leadership means for the housing market
10:05 – 10:20 Protection – why do we keep having this conversation?
Despite years of industry focus, the protection gap remains one of the sector’s most persistent challenges. This fireside chat will explore why progress has been slower than many had hoped, examining the barriers that continue to limit adoption and whether the industry needs to rethink its approach.
Stephanie Charman, chief executive, The Association of Mortgage Intermediaries
11:10 – 11:40 Panel discussion: Mandating protection – a necessary solution or unrealistic in practice?
Dave Corbett, head of recruitment and protection, Mortgage 1st
Emma Thomson, chair, Protection Distribution Group
Stephanie Charman, chief executive, The Association of Mortgage Intermediaries
Moderated by: Andy Walton, head of protection, Mortgage Advice Bureau
11:40 – 12:20 Reimagining the future – why the next era of advice will be more human, not less
Priya Lakhani OBE, founder CEO, CENTURY Tech
Accord Mortgages
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Accord Mortgages is a dedicated intermediary-only lender and part of Yorkshire Building Society. It exists to help brokers look after what matters most – your clients, with both residential and buy-to-let mortgage solutions.
You can expect a common-sense approach in everything Accord does, with every case for every broker. Its common-sense flexible underwriting is there to help with complex cases. It also provides direct access to underwriters with a dedicated underwriter managing your case from start to finish.
Accord is always looking for innovative ways to support intermediaries and reviewing its products and offerings to ensure it is providing the best possible service.
Accord’s knowledgeable and experienced sales team is available by phone and webchat to support you and it has a host of online tools to help you find the information you need quickly and easily.
Find out more Welcome to Accord Mortgages | The intermediary only lender
Bank of Ireland for Intermediaries
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Bank of Ireland for Intermediaries takes every journey together with its partners. Whether your client is a first-time buyer, mover, landlord or looking to remortgage, the Bank will take a common-sense approach and provide support at every stage. Its focus remains on delivering excellent service through the right people, products, and systems designed to support the intermediary community effectively.
BM Solutions
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BM Solutions is dedicated to supporting intermediaries. Its competitive products and award-winning service can be accessed through its forward-thinking technology, BM Solutions Online.
The lender aims to support the traditional sector of the buy-to-let market for landlords with small to medium-sized portfolios.
Its team of experienced BDMs has consistently been there to complement its consistent and award-winning five-star service, but BM doesn’t take things for granted. It’s continually refining its products and criteria to suit your needs so that you have everything you need to do business with BM Solutions.
Family Building Society
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Family Building Society doesn’t believe in a ‘one size fits all’ approach to lending and will work with you to find mortgage solutions for your clients regardless of their circumstances.
It’s focused on delivering innovative and flexible products to meet the needs of the modern family across all generations and individuals not well served by the mass market.
Why choose Family Building Society?
It provides solutions for a wide range of customers
Lending into retirement
Halifax Intermediaries
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Halifax Intermediaries offers a broad range of products designed to meet your clients’ needs, supported by award‑winning service and an extensive BDM network to help make doing business easier.
Its innovative product range includes options for first‑time buyers, homemovers and clients looking to remortgage, with straightforward product transfers available. These allow existing Halifax clients to secure a new rate up to three months in advance, either before or after their current deal ends, while still earning a procuration fee.
Its dedicated Premier team specialises in large loan mortgages from £500,000 to £5,000,000, providing trusted expertise for complex cases. With guaranteed specialism, direct access to a relationship manager and a comprehensive product range, Halifax ensures tailored support throughout.
It also offers specialist new build support, with experienced teams guiding cases from application to completion and products designed specifically for new build clients, including extended completion deadlines.
L&G
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Established in 1836, L&G is one of the UK’s leading financial services groups and a major global investor, with £1.1tn in total assets under management (as at FY24) of which c. 44% (c. £0.5tn) is international.
It has a highly synergistic business model, which continues to drive strong returns.
It is a leading player in institutional retirement, retail savings and protection, and in asset management through both public and private markets. Across the Group, L&G is committed to responsible investing and dedicated to serving the long-term savings and investment needs of customers and society.
As of 12 March 2025, L&G had a market capitalisation of £14.1bn.
L&G’s retail business is a leading provider of retirement and protection solutions. It aims to support its c.12.8 million policyholders and workplace members throughout their financial lifetimes.
It focuses on helping the customers of today and tomorrow achieve better long-term outcomes. It uses the latest technology to connect with them quickly, efficiently and in highly personalised ways.
In 2024, L&G’s workplace pension platform served 5.5 million members, with net flows of £6bn. It achieved record total individual annuity sales of £2,118m and £270m of lifetime mortgage advances (including retirement interest-only mortgages). Its UK protection businesses gave peace of mind to about 6.6 million people, with its retail gross premium income rising to £1,525m and group equivalent going up to £528m.
NatWest
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NatWest is more than a mortgage lender — it’s a proactive partner focused on helping you move faster so that you can focus on what matters most: your customers.
It makes taking action easier by removing friction from the mortgage journey where possible, with simpler processes, clear communication and digital first thinking- underpinned by expert knowledge and innovative product range.
NatWest’s experienced, approachable BDM teams are there when it matters, providing fast answers and practical support. By working collaboratively and proactively, the lender helps turn possibilities into progress — and homeownership goals into reality.
Mortgage Brain
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For over three decades, Mortgage Brain has been at the forefront of mortgage technology in the UK, committed to addressing the complexities faced by mortgage intermediaries and lenders.
Its vision is to reimagine mortgage distribution, bringing about a dynamic shift that unites all key stakeholders, giving borrowers certainty earlier in their search for a mortgage. Serving over 15,000 daily intermediary users, it is steered by its values of working ‘better together’, with a focus on ‘driving change’ and doing the right thing’.
Mortgage Brain’s robust offering includes an integrated suite of software sourcing solutions, submissions and CRM. And it is backed by some of the largest lenders, including Barclays, Lloyds Banking Group, Nationwide Building Society, Royal Bank of Scotland, and Santander.
OSB Group
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OSB Group’s proposition is delivered by our three specialist lending brands – Precise, Rely and InterBay.
Precise is dedicated to helping customers with less-than-perfect credit histories or who are underserved by mainstream lenders.
Rely is our Buy to Let lending powerhouse to fuel the success of property investor and their brokers though speed, clarity and insight.
InterBay is an expert in delivering bespoke solutions to help brokers meet their clients’ borrowing needs.
The Group’s offering is backed up by a secure and solid retail savings model, provided by Charter Savings Bank and Kent Reliance
Pepper Money
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Pepper Money is a broad specialist lender. It exists to help people succeed. Championing individuality and looking for opportunities to say yes, rather than
reasons to say no.
It understands that brokers have a range of different needs, because their customers do, too. These clients may want to take the next step in their homeowning journey. Brokers want to help them, in the most efficient and profitable ways.
Pepper Money is here to help both parties fulfil their ambitions. By offering simple, inclusive products. By having a human approach to decision-making. By being easy to work with. And by providing specialist expertise that can be relied on. After all, when you keep an open mind and listen to people, everyone succeeds.
Principality Building Society
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Principality Building Society is the society where home matters. So, when your customers find somewhere they love, their proactive approach to lending means they make sure the keys fall into your customers hands as quickly and smoothly as possible.
Principality Intermediaries has a proactive approach when it comes to considering a case with specific criteria needs. Its team of mortgage experts will always work towards finding a solution that best suits your customer.
Help when you need it
The Principality intermediary support team makes sure your mortgage applications run as smoothly as possible. It’s your dedicated point of contact for new business enquiries and has direct access to underwriters. Principality’s dedicated field-based business development managers are ready to support you as and when you need it. Covering England and Wales, there’s someone on hand to help.
Santander for Intermediaries
Website
Santander for Intermediaries has been working with mortgage intermediaries for over 35 years. Every broker has a named Santander colleague to support them with their clients.
Its broker pledges show its support and commitment to the broker market:
Brokers continue to be at the heart of what Santander does and it’s committed to helping you and your clients. Registered intermediaries are able to help their customers with Residential, BTL and Product Transfer Mortgage applications.
Claer Barrett, consumer editor at the Financial Times is an economic broadcaster and columnist.
She presents the FT Money Clinic podcast, and covered business and finance news on Eddie Mair’s LBC Drivetime show, making complex market issues relevant and accessible. She is also a regular on Lorraine, helping viewers with their money questions and concerns.
Prior to joining the Financial Times, Claer was the property correspondent for Investors Chronicle until she became managing editor of weekly industry magazine, Property Week. At the FT, she writes the weekly Serious Money column covering everything from saving money to the cost of living, and hosts the Business Clinic videos. She is also a frequent commentator on radio and TV, talking about personal finance, consumer, and small business issues. Her book What They Don’t Teach You About Money: Seven Habits to Get You Unstuck looks at how to unlock financial independence.
Claer explores everything from the impact of financial markets on business, investment, and property, to the more personal economic affairs such as inheritance tax, pensions, and wealth management. As a former retail correspondent, Claer also looks into how consumerism has changed, the future of the high street, and the digitalisation of real estate and the financial services sector.
In applying a more human and sociological take on finance, Claer analyses the intersection between debt, finances, and mental health in the workplace. She examines its relation to womenomics (women’s financial issues), as well as how companies should embrace new ways of working to retain and support Gen Z staff. In lighter moments, she also looks at some of the more unusual requests for investment advice she’s received from FT readers.
Clare Beardmore has held various positions during her five-year tenure at L&G, including head of broker and propositions and head of mortgage transformation. She is currently the director of the L&G Mortgage Club, a key business area within the company’s mortgage services team.
L&G Mortgage Club is the largest and longest-running mortgage club in the UK and is involved in nearly one in five of all mortgages in the UK and nearly one in three of all intermediated mortgages. It is a part of L&G Retail, which covers the savings, protection, mortgage, and retirement needs of 12 million retail policyholders and workplace members.
Clare is committed to driving the digitalisation of the mortgage market and is also a prominent advocate for gender parity in the industry. She regularly uses her platform to raise awareness about issues affecting brokers, particularly those at smaller firms.
Peter has been the CEO of MAB since 2001, and has led the business to become one of the sector’s leading and most forward thinking mortgage broker and network, as well as the UK’s most recognised intermediary consumer brand. In November 2014 Peter listed MAB on the London Stock Exchange Alternative Investment Market (AIM) and the business has since grown to over 2200 advisers completing on over £23bn of lending PA.
Peter is responsible for company strategy, including an increasing number of investments and acquisitions, and is a big advocate of the intermediary sector, championing the importance of embracing technology to evolve the intermediary proposition to meet customers’ rapidly changing needs and expectations.
Stephanie joined the Association of Mortgage Intermediaries (AMI) as chief executive in February 2025, having held previous roles within key distributors spanning 27 years.
Most recently, she was group partnerships & propositions director at Sesame Bankhall Group and previously director of mortgages at specialist distributor Positive Lending, and head of mortgages & insurance at Mortgage Intelligence.
Throughout her career working across the intermediary sector, Stephanie has been a passionate promoter of the need for, and value of, advice.
Dave has been in and around the mortgage and protection industry for over 30 years, with the most recent focus being on the implementation of consumer duty regulations and sales processes in to high volume businesses. For the last 4 years Dave has worked within the AR firm Mortgage 1st, helping to build the ‘Protection 1st’ brand and to support their advisers to protect their clients with quality protection portfolios, as well as how best to build new processes to ultimately make the end consumer’s experience as seamless as possible. Prior to his current role, Dave has worked with PRIMIS mortgage network, and has acted as a consultant to various other mortgage and protection businesses to help them develop and improve their protection conversion and business quality, again with the end client as the driving focus of his work.
Matt Coulson is the Founder and Director of Heron Financial, one of the UK’s leading mortgage and protection brokerages and one of the first B Corp-certified firms in the sector.
Since founding Heron in 2011, Matt has led the business’s growth through a relentless focus on technology, innovation and exceptional customer outcomes. He is passionate about helping advisers build rewarding careers while demonstrating how AI, automation and high-quality data can enhance (not replace) great advice.
Alongside leading Heron, Matt is studying for an Executive MBA at London Business School, where he is exploring the intersection of leadership, strategy and emerging technologies. He regularly speaks on AI, innovation and the future of mortgage and protection advice, sharing practical, experience-led insights that firms can implement immediately.
Richard Donnell is executive director at Zoopla and one of the UK’s leading authorities on housing market dynamics and their impact on mortgage lending.
With a background spanning Savills, Hometrack and ZPG – across property risk, valuations and data analytics – he advises lenders, policymakers and investors on consumer behaviour and where the market is heading. Richard is a trusted voice on affordability, property taxation and the structural shifts that will define mortgage lending through the rest of this decade. He is a fellow of RICS.
Maria is chair of the Open Property Data Association which she launched after chairing the Home Buying & Selling Council technology group for two years.
OPDA was set up in June 2023 to improve the homebuying experience through digitisation, trust, and interoperability of smart property data.
It is responsible for the development and adoption of open property data standards across industry and government stakeholders.
Representing OPDA’s member firms on the Smart Data Council, Digital Property Market Steering Group and other working groups, Maria promotes a customer-centric, mission-led drive for progress and fosters collaboration.
Maria also provides mortgage transformation services to lenders and tech firms through her consultancy, Digital Cat, as well as being a board adviser to FinTech North and Plotify.
Mark was appointed chief executive officer of L&C in April 2024 and has over 20 years’ experience in the business, having started his career as a mortgage and protection adviser in 2003. In the interim he has built a detailed knowledge of all aspects of L&C’s market leading proposition, working across a wide range of roles including estate agency and new build in addition to the core mortgage and protection offering.
Mark became mortgage and protection advice director in 2019 before more recently taking up the position of chief operating officer, playing a key role in shaping the direction and strategy of L&C overseeing the move to a hybrid working model.
Mark is determined to develop L&C’s customer journey further to provide the very best customer experience whilst maintaining top quality advice with no broker fee charged to customers. He’s also passionate about developing an inclusive and equitable culture for L&C colleagues and to make working at L&C a career not just a job.
David is the head of consumer lending at Santander UK, responsible for the end-to-end mortgage business and unsecured lending book. He has spent 20 years running commercial functions in a variety of banking models both in the UK and overseas.
Prior to joining Santander in October 2024, he was chief commercial officer and an executive director at Yorkshire Building Society, running products, marketing and distribution at the eighth largest lender in the UK.
Priya Lakhani OBE is the Founder CEO of CENTURY Tech, the award-winning AI and education technology company that develops learning tools for schools, colleges, universities and employers across the world, and is a keynote speaker on AI, leadership, and the future of work.
In 2008, Priya left her career as a barrister to launch a successful FMCG business, which through its charitable foundation provided millions of meals and thousands of vaccinations to the underprivileged in India and Africa.
She was appointed to the UK government’s AI Council in 2019 and co-founded the Institute for Ethical AI for the education sector. Between 2021 and 2023, Priya was appointed as non-executive board member to the UK Government Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS), with specific focus on online safety and technology. In 2023 she was an adviser to Patrick Vallance for his Pro-innovation Regulation of Technologies Review and currently advises the government as a member of the Prime Minister’s Council of Science and Technology.
Most recently, Priya was selected by the World Economic Forum as a Tech Pioneer for her pioneering AI work at CENTURY and has received a number of prestigious awards including the MIT SOLVE award (2018), the National Economic Innovator of the Year by The Spectator (2019), The Mayor’s Fund Special Recognition Award (2016) and Business Entrepreneur of the Year by the Chancellor of the Exchequer (2009). Priya has also received investment and a grant from MIT to develop cutting edge AI technology for education.
Priya holds numerous trustee and non-executive posts, and was awarded an OBE in 2014. She is an Honorary Vice President of the Council of British International Schools and in 2020 she received an honorary doctorate from Coventry University’s engineering faculty. She is co-host of BBC News’s flagship AI programme, AI Decoded, with Christian Fraser.
Andy Walton is protection proposition director at Mortgage Advice Bureau and has more than 30 years’ experience in financial services, including over 20 years specialising in protection.
Since joining MAB in 2017, Andy has helped transform and grow its protection proposition into a £100m business, developing its protection strategy, advice processes, adviser support and customer proposition. During this period, MAB’s approach to protection has been recognised with multiple industry awards.
Before joining MAB, Andy held roles with London & Manchester, Legal & General and Aegon, before moving into senior protection leadership roles within large distribution networks.
