TSB has been the event’s headline sponsor since 2019, with its support continuing through to the 2026 dinner.
Stephanie Charman (pictured), chief executive of the AMI, and Beverley Bradford, head of mortgage distribution at TSB, spoke with Mortgage Solutions ahead of this year’s dinner on 11 June at London’s JW Marriott Grosvenor House.
What emerged from the conversation is that for both women, the sponsorship carries a weight that goes well beyond the formalities of a black-tie dinner. Both agreed that it was a public statement of shared values at a time when the industry needs a united voice more than ever.
An ongoing relationship unifying the market
For Charman, the significance of TSB’s continued backing goes beyond the event itself. The Annual Dinner, she said, “really champions the intermediary sector, the role and value of advice” – and having a lender visibly committed to that message is hugely important.
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Since becoming the AMI’s chief executive, Charman has made ongoing dialogue between advisers, lenders, regulators and other key stakeholders a central priority. TSB’s sponsorship, she argues, is a public endorsement of that work.
“Having a lender like TSB supporting the dinner is a positive sign that collaboration matters and relationships matter. It demonstrates TSB’s commitment to the long-term health of the advice market and the vital role advisers play,” she noted.
Bradford is equally direct about what the partnership represents, saying: “I don’t think we should underestimate the significance of this ongoing alliance. It shows the market how important intermediary relationships are to us as a lender, but also that we are all in this together, facing many of the same challenges. The partnership between AMI and TSB is a statement of that, and the Annual Dinner is a celebration of it.”
Charman added that the sponsorship resonated at a moment when the industry was grappling with big structural questions around artificial intelligence (AI), open finance and the future shape of financial services.
“What we’re saying is that the world will look a little different and things will continue to evolve, but advice remains vital,” she added.
Overcoming market hurdles
Both women were candid about the challenges the market has faced. Charman reflected on how quickly conditions shifted: “We started this year with a very different outlook to where we will actually be at the half-year point, let alone at the end of the year. The world has changed.”
She highlighted what advisers have delivered in that environment, saying: “Look at what advisers have done for customers over the last three or four months. They have proactively contacted customers whose mortgages weren’t due for another six months and said: ‘We need to secure an option now. We don’t know whether rates are going to go up or down, but this is where we are’.”
That level of commitment, often involving long hours, weekend working and sacrificed family time, makes open dialogue between lenders and advisers essential, Charman said, adding: “We’ve still got more to do, and we’ll never agree on everything, but it works far better when we’re all sitting around the same table, aligned on delivering the best outcomes for customers.”
Bradford agreed that challenges were a permanent feature of the landscape: “Regardless of market conditions, the sector continues to grow and new challenges keep emerging.”
Charman, though, was sanguine about that reality, saying: “We don’t want boring and simple, do we? As a sector, we thrive and come into our own when things are challenging.”
Untangling complexities with new ideas
Bradford was clear that navigating complexity required more than goodwill – it demanded genuine diversity of thought.
“Key to this is a joined-up voice combined with excellent advice from advisers with great products, solutions and criteria from lenders.
“We also need to bring more people into the industry – younger people and those from different backgrounds – so we can think differently about how we solve problems. We do that well already, but there’s still more to come,” she added.
She warned that lenders and advisers working in silos would never arrive at solutions that serve as many customers as possible.
Charman echoed this, welcoming the intentions behind the Mortgage Rule Review while acknowledging the demands it places on the sector. The review is challenging both advisers and lenders to think differently about how they can deliver real-world solutions for consumers as the regulator seeks to rebalance risk.
Bradford said: “We’ve all got the same end goal, which is making sure our mutual customers have access to the best possible choice and advice. Presenting a united front helps ensure we continue to deliver that.”
Challenges faced by firms are not unique
Charman put it simply: “A problem shared is a problem halved. Whether you’re a one-person firm working from home, a multi-adviser business or a major lender, these issues affect everyone in different ways. The role of AMI is to champion firms of all sizes and the challenges they face, with the support of lenders.”
With the next six weeks as unpredictable as the next six months, she said, strong partnerships are not a luxury, adding: “Solid alliances reinforce the message that we’re better together and stronger together.”
When asked what underpins effective lender-broker relationships in practice, Bradford brought the conversation back to the basics: “Brokers need support all the time, but especially when things don’t go to plan. They deal with situations that can be incredibly challenging and life-changing for their customers, so they need quick access to experts – whether that’s a field business development manager (BDM), telephone BDM or another specialist.”
Feedback, she said, was equally important: “As a lender, we value feedback and insight because it helps us continually evolve and make[s] sure we’re delivering the right things to the market. Brokers support us by being open and honest, which is key to providing best outcomes.”
TSB operates with field BDMs and has recently expanded its model by introducing video BDMs, who conduct scheduled appointments with a broader range of advisers from an office base, with the use of video banking. Telephone BDMs continue to manage inbound calls and webchat, ensuring the lender maintains coverage across different adviser needs and preferences.
Charman said that when market conditions become more difficult, the instinct should be to double down on communication rather than retreat from it. Lenders willing to seek feedback and act on constructive criticism are, she argues, the ones that serve the market best.
“It is all about the end customer. The relationship between advisers and lenders couldn’t be more important than it is today. If consumers are to achieve the outcomes they deserve, they need strong professional advice supported by a marketplace that operates effectively,” she added.
That is what TSB’s continued sponsorship of the AMI Annual Dinner arguably represents: not just a night out for the industry, but a working example of exactly the collaboration both women are calling for.
