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#BIBA2025 is on 14 - 15 May 2025
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Highlights from The BIBA Conference 2024
Meet the speakers from #BIBA2024
Tim Peake
Katya Adler
Rio Ferdinand OBE
Kate Garraway MBE
Michael Johnson
Vicky Pattison
David Coulthard MBE
Gabby Logan MBE
Clive Myrie
Billy Monger
Dr Karin Von Hippel
Tobias Ellwood MP
Shona Robertson
Shân Millie
Tim Bailey
Holly Shepherd
Richard Tuplin
Merryn Somerset Webb
Jason Storah
Nadia Côté
Alastair Swift
Sue Coffey
Andy Tedstone
Stuart Reid
Catherine Johnstone
Chris Medhurst-Cocksworth
Peter Blanc
Robert Peston
Jane Kielty
James Dowling
Chris Rolland
Helen Devery
Paulo Cuomo
Emily Shepperd
Xumeu Planells
Jasmine Shell
Steve Browne
Jo Sykes
Tim Peake
Born in Chichester, England, on 7 April 1972, Tim was the first British ESA astronaut to visit the International Space Station. He launched on a Soyuz rocket on 15 December 2015 and landed back on Earth 18 June 2016 after 186 days in space. Upon becoming an Army Air Corps officer in 1992, Tim served on attachment with the Royal Green Jackets as a Platoon Commander in Northern Ireland before beginning flight training. He was awarded his Army Flying Wings in 1994. He flew on military operations in the Former Republic of Yugoslavia, Northern Ireland and Afghanistan. As a test pilot, he was involved in numerous test flights on many different types of military helicopter, including operations with Special Forces. On retirement from the British Army as a major in 2009, Tim was employed as a senior helicopter test pilot for AgustaWestland. During his career, he has logged over 3000 hours’ flying time on more than 30 types of helicopter and fixed wing aircraft. Tim attained a Bachelor of Science degree in Flight Dynamics and Evaluation from the University of Portsmouth in 2006. He holds a commercial pilot’s licence and maintains his flying. During Tim’s Principial mission to the International Space Station, he conducted a spacewalk to repair the Station's power supply. Other highlights saw him drive a rover across a simulated Mars terrain from space, taking part in over 250 scientific experiments for ESA and international partners and helping to dock two spacecraft to the Station. Over thirty education outreach projects were conducted during Tim’s mission, which have reached more than two million students. Tim is an ambassador for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) and works closely with the United Kingdom Space Agency (UKSA) and the UK government on their space, education and outreach programmes. He is also an ambassador for The Prince’s Trust, the Scouts and has a close affiliation with Great Ormond Street Hospital and the Make-A-Wish foundation. Tim sits on the Advisory Board for two ‘new space’ companies, Skyrora Ltd and Blue Abyss Diving Ltd. He was a founding member of the Defence Innovation External Advisory Panel in 2017, where he served for eighteen months. He was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the Queen’s 2016 Birthday Honours for services to space research and scientific education.
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Katya Adler
Reporting in possibly the most turbulent times on this continent since the Second World War, BBC Europe Editor Katya Adler has become one of the most popular and well-known British broadcast journalists. She is the BBC's leading voice on Europe’s relations with the UK post-Brexit, the continental impact of the war in Ukraine and European attitudes towards Russia, China, and the United States. Her extensive interviews with political leaders across the continent and years of experience covering European politics, society and current affairs have given her unique insider knowledge. Katya is also an expert on populism across Europe, the future of the EU, the ongoing energy crisis and as a former Middle East war correspondent, she is wellversed in Europe’s relations with that region. Katya provides analysis and context on TV, radio and online via her Europe Editor blog on the BBC news website. She is the recipient of two honorary university doctorates and numerous news and current affairs awards. She began her journalistic career in Vienna with the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation where she reported across Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans. On her way to fulfilling her early-career dream of becoming a BBC war correspondent, Katya covered the Kosovo conflict. She joined the BBC firstly as a freelancer from Vienna, then in London covering European affairs as both presenter and roving reporter. Katya became the BBC's Madrid correspondent, covering the Madrid train bombings which took place close to the flat where she was living. She also travelled regularly across the continent to cover breaking stories. She then became the BBC's Middle East correspondent based out of Jerusalem, specialising in war reporting across the region. Katya also presented on the BBC’s hard-hitting interview-based programme Hardtalk. She appeared as a news presenter on BBC World News, an investigative reporter for the BBC's Newsnight and has written and presented several acclaimed current affairs documentaries. She was named Broadcast Journalist of the year at the Political Society Awards, and was named Broadcast Journalist of the Year, alongside her BBC colleague, Laura Kuenssberg by the London Press Club. She is also the recipient of the British Journalism Review and University of Westminster’s Charles Wheeler award for Outstanding Contribution to Broadcast Journalism
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Rio Ferdinand OBE
Rio Ferdinand is one of the most famous faces in English football with one of the most decorated careers on the pitch. Now a regular pundit on TV and a broadcaster in his own right, as a player he won over a dozen major club honours and was picked in four PFA Team of the Year selections. As a youngster, Rio attracted the eye of West Ham’s scouts whilst playing central midfield for Eltham Town’s under-14s team. He joined the Hammers as a schoolboy, aged fourteen. Upon leaving school at sixteen, he ignored overtures from Middlesbrough, Norwich City, Millwall, Charlton and Chelsea in order to stay with the east London club. Club boss Harry Redknapp, well-known for developing youth players, nurtured Rio’s talent and gave his fullteam debut as a substitute against Sheffield Wednesday at Upton Park. The following season saw Rio loaned to Bournemouth for two character-building months in the Football League before returning to West Ham. Six goals and 152 appearances later he moved to Leeds United, then a rapidly rising force in the Premier League, for a record £18million fee. He became captain and a key part of the team that reached its first ever Champions’ League semifinal. Combining strength with a technical skill and confidence on the ball that few defenders at the time had, Rio gained admirers across football. Already the youngest defender ever to play for England whilst at West Ham, he was a part of the 1998 World Cup team and established himself as a world-class player. He went on to play 81 times for England, was a part of four consecutive World Cup teams, and was vice-captain. Rio broke the transfer record again with a high-profile move to Manchester United. He quickly established himself in Alex Ferguson’s team and won the Premier League in his first season with the club. He would be a part of a team that would win the title six times as well as the Champions’ League, the Club World Cup, and three League Cups. By the time he left United the team had won 15 trophies and become arguably the most successful club in English football. After a farewell season at Queens Park Rangers, Rio retired from professional football. Since then he has become a regular on TV and a popular pundit for the BBC and BT Sport’s coverage. Away from sport he made the BBC documentary Rio Ferdinand: Being Mum and Dad where he discussed bereavement and mental health, subjects he has returned to and, along with racism in sport, he is an active campaigner around. He also plays an active part in his own charitable foundation helping young people from deprived areas, and a social housing project near Luton. He has also been involved in a record label, a digital magazine, and a film production.
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Kate Garraway MBE
Kate Garraway is a British television and radio presenter and journalist. She began working in television in 1994, when she joined the south edition of ITV News Central as a production journalist, reporter and news presenter. Kate has worked on ITV News Meridian, the launch of the BBC 24-hour News Channel in 1997, Sunrise on Sky News, GMTV and Daybreak, which in 2014 was replaced by Good Morning Britain with Kate joining as one of the main hosts. The same year, Kate joined Smooth Radio as part of the relaunch of the station. She presents the weekday mid-morning programme, with 2.3 million listeners tuning in to her show each week. Kate appeared in the fifth series of Strictly Come Dancing with professional partner Anton du Beke. She came fourth in 2019’s I’m a Celebrity . . .Get Me Out of Here!
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Michael Johnson
Five-time Olympic champion Michael Johnson held the world records in both 200 and 400 metres, winning 40 outdoor events and 18 indoors. He won an exceptional nine world titles and retired with a collection of 19 gold medals. Johnson put on one of the greatest shows in Olympic history in Atlanta, winning his second gold medal and becoming the first man to win double gold. In the same year he won the 400 meters in an Olympic record time, then smashed his own world record in the 200 meters. He has earned the accolade Sportsman of the Year for three out of four years, one of only two three time honourees. He is also a two time recipient of the United States Olympic Committee award. Since giving up life on the track, Michael has become a regular commentator for the BBC and other broadcasters around the world. He has also founded Michael Johnson Performance, a training and performance facility in Texas where some of American’s best and most promising sportspeople train with state of the art coaching and facilities. Michael’s objective is to motivate and rejuvenate others by sharing his message of success. Drawing on his Olympic triumphs Michael captivates audiences with his discipline to stay focused, overcome obstacles and achieve long-term goals. In speeches he discusses his belief that races are won in the mind, both in preparation, but also during the event when adapting to the situation, to the environment, to competitors, and to all manner of variables. He also emphasises the power of the team (in his case a host of coaches, technical specialist, supporters and commercial partners) and the focus on planning and taking opportunities.
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Vicky Pattison
TV presenter, author and influencer, Vicky Pattison career in TV spans over a decade. She began on Geordie Shore, has presented shows on MTV, ITV, and Channel 5, had her own reality show on TLC, reached the final of Celebrity MasterChef and won I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here. She has also taken part in in Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins and Sport Relief. In her critically acclaimed Channel 4 documentary, Vicky Pattison; My Dad, Alcohol and Me, she gave an insight in to the devasting impact that her dad’s alcoholism has had on her family. She has appeared on the cover of Fabulous magazine, Dare Magazine and OK! Magazine, and released collections with women’s handbag brand LRM Goods, jewellery brand Abbot Lyon and has had fashion and lingerie edits with Quiz Clothing and Pour Moi. Vicky has also worked on large campaigns for brands such as Bodyform, Fudge Hair & Interflora and launched her beauty and cosmetics line No Filter. She is the host of the podcast Vicky Pattison: The Secret To and has published six books including her novels; All That Glitters, A Christmas Kiss and My Sister’s Wedding, as well as her autobiography, Nothing But the Truth: My Story which was a Number One Sunday Times bestseller. Outside of work, Vicky is a supporter of charities including Many Tears Animal Rescue. She is a patron for Coppafeel and completed their five-day Sahara Desert Trek. She is an ambassador for the Alzheimer’s society and took part in their twenty six mile charity trek, and for Centrepoint, where she has taken part in their Sleep Out and All-nighter campaigns.
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David Coulthard MBE
David Coulthard won thirteen Formula One Grand Prix, racing for the Williams, McLaren and Red Bull teams. He is now a popular broadcaster as well as the author of The Winning Formula, a look at the key lessons F1 holds for businesses and business leaders. David dominated Britain’s junior Formula Ford categories and was the first ever recipient of the McLaren Autosport Award for young drivers. His first memorable battle was with future F1 rival Rubens Barichello for the British Formula 3 Championship, a battle David won. Appointed a test driver with the Williams F1 team, he was unexpectedly promoted to the team after the tragic death of Ayton Senna. He partnered fellow Brit Damon Hill for the remainder of the season. In his first full season as a driver, David won the Portuguese GP and finished third in the Championship. He enjoyed more success at McLaren, with 12 of his 13 career wins coming with the team. He twice supporting team mate Mika Häkkinen to the Drivers’ Championship and two seasons later finished runner-up behind Michael Schumacher. Coulthard’s last few years were spent at the newly-formed Red Bull team and, on his retirement after over a decade in F1, he was the highest-scoring British driver of all time. Since his retirement from Formula 1 driving, David has served as a consultant to the Red Bull team, and has continued to race in the DTM class of touring cars and the Race of Champions series. He has also become a popular pundit and commentator, first for BBC, and then as a key part of Channel 4’s race team. Away from the track he has written two books, including The Winning Formula: Leadership, Strategy and Motivation The F1 Way, a look at how lessons from the world of F1 apply elsewhere, from how pit crews work to what sponsors get from their involvement in the sport to how team principals operate. In speeches he lifts the lid on the high-risk, high-pressure, high-tech and high-finance world of F1 and looks at the innovation and teamwork required to succeed in the world’s fastest sport.
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Gabby Logan MBE
Gabby Logan is one of the country's best-known sports presenters. She's fronted the BBC’s Inside Sport, Final Score, and live coverage of the FA Cup, as well as coverage of rugby, athletics, and the Olympics. She is also one of the hosts of the Sports Personality of the Year show. She joined Sky Sports soon after graduating before moving on to present ITV’s Premier League, Champions’ League, and World Cup coverage. Going over to the BBC Gabby became only the second woman to front Match of the Day. She has gone on to host coverage of both football and rugby world cups, world, and European championship athletics, as well as events including the Olympics, the London Marathon, and the Boat Race. Gabby's also a regular guest host on The One Show, and presented her own show on Radio 5 Live, bringing a light touch to a mix of sport and current affairs. Alongside presenting Gabby's a regular columnist for The Times, has appeared on Would I Lie to You?, Room 101 and 8 Out of 10 Cats, has tried her hand at standup comedy for Sports Relief and dared the cold Freeze the Fear with Wim Hof. She also competed in Strictly Come Dancing, where she was controversially voted out before her husband, Scottish rugby player Kenny Logan. Gabby’s recent focus has been to educate and encourage dialogue about the Menopause and mid-life, topics she regularly covers on her podcast, The Mid•Point, and in her debut The First Half.
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Clive Myrie
One of the BBC’s most experienced foreign correspondents, Clive Myrie anchors the BBC News Channel and presents bulletins on BBC One. He has made features and programmes for Panorama, Newsnight and Radio 4, and is the host of the long running quiz show Mastermind. Clive is a fan of the Arts & music, and regularly hosts The BBC Proms. He has also made documentaries on jazz for Radio 2 and Jazz FM. He presented the main BBC One bulletins live from Kyiv during the war in Ukraine. Clive also presented the documentary, The Crown Jewels for BBC1, which was screened as part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations. His travel series Clive Myrie’s Italian Roadtrip, was a hit on BBC2, and one of the most popular shows on the BBC. First posted to Japan after becoming BBC’s foreign correspondent, Clive then held posts as Washington correspondent, covering the administrations of three US presidents, six US presidential elections and the impeachment of Bill Clinton. He has also served as the BBC’s Africa, Asia and Europe Correspondent and was part of the BBC’s presenting team covering the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the former Yugoslavia. Having covered everything from Theresa May’s resignation to ETA’s ceasefire declaration and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Clive has won the prestigious Peabody Award, the broadcast equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize. Clive has reported from more than eighty countries over the last twenty years. He has presented a number of BBC documentaries, including a special on the life of Barack Obama and the acclaimed Mexico's Streets of Blood. He has appeared on Have I Got News For You, Richard Osman’s House of Games and even had a fleeting appearance in the Alan Partridge film, Alpha Papa. In his book Everything is Everything: A Memoir of Love, Hate & Hope, Clive reflects on how being black has affected his perspective on issues he's encountered in thirty years of reporting, and shows how those experiences gave him a better idea of what it means to be an outsider.
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View conference agendaBilly Monger
Few people embody triumph over adversity as much as Billy Monger. A promising young racing driver, Billy Monger was critically injured in a high speed collision while racing in Formula 4 which left him with both legs amputated. Despite the severity of the injuries, Billy Whizz, as he is nicknamed, refused to give up on his racing career, lobbying motorsport’s governing body to allow both disabled and able-bodied drivers to race along-side each other. Within 12 months he returned to racing and went on to score podiums in British F3 and win the famous Pau Grand Prix in European F3. Billy’s incredible return to motorsport after his tragic accident was a huge moment across the world of sport. His dedication, irrepressible self-belief and determination, in the face of unimaginable adversity, has shown him to be an inspiration to all athletes, disabled and able-bodied alike. He won the BBC Sports Personality Helen Rollason Award and had a BAFTA-nominated BBC documentary made about his story. In 2021, he completed the main challenge for Comic Relief - an Ironman - raising over £3million for charity, a record total in recent times. He is also a presenter and pundit for Channel 4's coverage of the Formula One and Paralympics.
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Dr Karin Von Hippel
Dr Karin von Hippel is the Director-General of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), appointed in 2015. RUSI is a defence and security think tank headquartered in London. It was founded in 1831 by the Duke of Wellington and was awarded ‘Think Tank of the Year’ in 2020 by Prospect Magazine. Karin joined RUSI after serving for six years in the US Department of State as a Senior Adviser in the Bureau of Counterterrorism, then as a Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, and finally, as Chief of Staff to General John Allen, Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter-ISIL. Previously, she co-directed the ‘Post-Conflict Reconstruction Project’ at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, DC and was a senior research fellow at the Centre for Defence Studies, King’s College London. She has also worked for the United Nations and the European Union in Somalia and Kosovo and has direct experience in over two dozen conflict zones. She has numerous publications to her name, including ‘Democracy by Force: US Military Intervention in the Post-Cold War World’ which was shortlisted for the RUSI Westminster Medal in Military History. Karin holds a PhD from the London School of Economics, an MSt from Oxford University, and a BA from Yale University.
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Tobias Ellwood MP
Tobias Ellwood is the Member of Parliament for Bournemouth East. He was previously Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office with special responsibility for the Middle East and Africa and was made Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Ministry of Defence. Shortly after being first elected to Parliament Tobias was appointed Opposition Whip. He was then promoted to the post of Shadow Minister for Culture Media and Sport where he was responsible for a portfolio including tourism, gambling, and licensing. After the 2010 General Election, Tobias was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Defence Secretary, the Rt. Hon Liam Fox MP and appointed to similar positions for the Minister for Europe, the Rt Hon David Lidington MP, and the Health Secretary, the Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP. He was then promoted to the Foreign Office with responsibility for the Middle East and Africa. Tobias was Parliamentary Advisor to the Prime Minister for the 2014 NATO Summit and a member of the Parliamentary Delegation to the NATO Assembly 2014. He has written publications on post-conflict stability, Royal Navy aircraft carriers, the future of Afghanistan and the weaponisation on space and daylight saving. He spent six years in the Regular Army with The Royal Green Jackets, and served in Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Kuwait, Germany, Gibraltar, and Bosnia. Tobias now has the rank of Lieutenant Colonel as a reservist in the 77th Brigade. On leaving the army, he worked as a researcher for the former Defence Secretary, the Rt Hon Tom King MP (now Lord King) in Westminster, and in his constituency of Bridgwater. After completing an MBA at City University Business School. Tobias moved to the London Stock Exchange for two years where he was a Senior Business Development Manager and, he then worked in a similar role for law firm Allen and Overy. Tobias completed the senior executive course in National and International Studies at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. His proposal for military forces to develop greater stabilisation capability, put forward in his publication 'Post Conflict Reconstruction: Bridging the gap between military and Civilian affairs on the modern battlefield' became part of the coalition Government's policy. Since being elected as an MP, Tobias has pioneered the concept of ‘social action’ within the Party. The concept of raising funds and rallying MPs and volunteers around an identified community project is now well established and he regularly leads projects both in the UK and abroad, previously joining projects in countries including Bosnia and Bangladesh.
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Shona Robertson
Shona Robertson, breaking from traditional post-school paths, joined the British Alpine Ski Team at age 16, achieving a 2nd UK ranking and top 100 globally, notably placing 24th in the 1996 World Ski Championships. Transitioning to academia, Shona earned a BSc in Business Computing and an MSc in Insurance & Risk Management. In 2004 she took over h&r insurance from her father and over the past two decades she has transitioned the company from a Personal Lines to a Commercial Lines Broker. Beyond work, she engages in various outdoor activities, and in 2024 is embarking on a charity cycle covering 980 miles from Land’s End to John O’Groats.
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Shân Millie
An independent voice of authority on AI in Financial Services, Shân is a Corporate Innovation specialist for Insurance and FinTech, delivering human-scale, hands-on support through her purposely-micro firm, Bright Blue Hare. Board advisory includes: Arma Karma; Insurance DataLab; business intelligence & ESG platform mnAI; and International WoMenX in Business for Ethical AI (iwibX). Shân was appointed pro bono Ambassador for UK Financial Services for AI audit non-profit, ForHumanity, in Oct 2023. A regular panellist and event chair, Shân’s writing includes: Insurance, Technology & Data: Trust through a Regulatory Lens (CII, 2023) and The AI Book (Wiley, 2020).
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Tim Bailey
Tim Bailey has over 25 years’ experience in the Insurance sector. Tim was appointed CEO Zurich UK in January 2021, having previously held the position of Chief Operating Officer, Europe, Middle East & Africa. From 2015 to 2019, Tim held the role of CEO, Life & Investments and Country Head, Zurich Australia, overseeing a period of significant growth and two major acquisitions. Prior to this, he held the roles of Chief Risk Officer, Global Life and Head of Strategy, Global Life. Tim began his career as a graduate with Zurich’s UK business in 1998. Tim is President of the Association of British Insurers.
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Holly Shepherd
Holly is the Managing Director of the Shepherd Global Group which includes three insurance-related organisations; Shepherd Compello, White Oak Underwriting Agency and EPG Global. Since 2016, she has served on the BIBA International and Wholesale Brokers board, with the ambition to driving change within the industry, expanding Shepherd Compello’s Broker network and the profile of the company within the global risks market. Holly is deeply committed to diversity & inclusion, championing equal opportunities within her organisations and the wider industry. She is a visionary leader and advocates for all accessible pathways in insurance, ensuring everyone’s voices are heard.
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Richard Tuplin
Richard is first and foremost an insurance broker who feels passionately about getting it right for clients, brokers, and partners. Having worked in insurance broking for 30 years, his determination is as strong as ever to ensure that care and delivery is applied to every aspect of broking, both clients and people. Over his career, he has experienced the spectrum of broking distribution, of Regional Broking, then through being acquired, he has held senior roles at Jelf and Marsh and latterly CEO of Ethos. Richard was appointed CEO of Towergate in 2022 and over the past 12 months, in addition, he has taken back the helm of Ethos together with all the GI Broking Assets in Ardonagh Advisory. He also sits as part of the BIBA, Large Broker Board. An eternal optimist, client advocate who believes serious business can delivered with a sense of humour.
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Merryn Somerset Webb
Senior Columnist at Bloomberg, Merryn Somerset Webb is an award-winning economic writer, broadcaster, and presenter. Her ability to communicate financial issues, and their wider implications in a digestible, engaging manner has marked her as one of the most popular financial writers and advisors in the UK. Beginning her career in Tokyo as a broadcaster for NHK, she later became an equity broker. Merryn worked for a number of financial services companies including SBC Warburg and UBS until she left Japan to join UK Paribas (later BNP Paribas). She then returned to journalism and steered the city pages in The Week magazine and was the Editor-in-Chief of MoneyWeek. In her talks, Merryn discusses the intersection between economics, social behaviour, and cultural perceptions. She covers everything from the effects of post-war births on the current economy, debt, and inflation, to investment plans, global economics and Brexit. Merryn is a regular TV and radio commentator on economic and financial matters, appearing on Question Time and Channel 4’s money-saving programme Superscrimpers. She has also been a regular contributor to Saga Magazine, the Sunday Post, The Guardian, The Spectator, and the FT. Merryn’s book Love is Not Enough: A Smart Woman’s Guide to Making (and Keeping) Money, analyses the social mechanisms that construct women’s financial reality and wealth management. Merryn is a trustee of the Daiwa Anglo Japanese Foundation and is a director of two investment trusts – the Baillie Gifford Shin Nippon Trust and the Montanaro European Smaller Companies Trust.
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Jason Storah
Jason was appointed CEO of UK & Ireland General Insurance in August 2023, having been the CEO of our Canadian business since 2019. He has almost 20 years of experience with Aviva, serving previously as Chief Distribution Officer in Canada, where he oversaw Broker Distribution, Partnerships, RBC Insurance, Aviva’s Direct Insurance Business and Marketing. Since joining Aviva Canada in 2004, Jason has worked across a number of lines of business and held the roles of Chief Risk Officer, Senior Vice President, Traders and National Brokers, and Senior Vice President, Strategic Development. Previously, he worked at RSA in North America, South America and Europe.
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Nadia Côté
Nadia has 28 years’ experience in the corporate insurance industry ranging across the spectrum of large-corp, mid-corp, SME, personal lines and A&H. She joined Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty in May 2022 to lead the company’s UK, Ireland and Nordic region. In March 2023 she was announced as leader of the Allianz Commercial business in the UK as Commercial Managing Director. Prior to joining Allianz Nadia was Head of Major Accounts at Chubb for Europe. In this role, she set and implemented the business strategy for the Major Accounts Division and was responsible for global broker relationships outside North America. Before that she was country president for Chubb in France for seven years. She started her insurance career as a Financial Lines Underwriter first at AIG and later at Chubb. Nadia holds a Bachelor Degree in Economics from the University of Sherbrooke and Simon Fraser University (Canada).
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Alastair Swift
Alastair Swift (Swifty) is the Global Head of Risk and Broking Global Lines of Business and CEO of Willis Ltd. at WTW. He is responsible for WTW’s Specialty Insurance Advisory and Broking businesses as well as our U.K.-licensed entity for all U.K. Insurance Broking and Advisory activities. Swifty has over 30 years of experience in the Insurance Broking sector. Prior to his current role, Swifty held the position of head of Corporate Risk and Broking in Great Britain with responsibility for all of the Retail and Specialty Insurance Broking and Advisory activities in Great Britain. He previously held positions as the global head of Transportation, CEO of Global Placement for Willis Group, the chief placement officer for Willis North America and managing director for Willis North America, London and Bermuda.
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Sue Coffey
As Personal Lines Director, Sue is responsible for the Personal lines business overseeing the performance of the account. Sue manages Distribution, Portfolio Management, and Pricing. Previously, she worked as the Director of Personal Lines Distribution, leading the distribution of products through our intermediary network. Sue's experience extends to product development and underwriting for Personal Lines. Before joining Covéa, she held roles at Zurich Insurance, specialising in personal lines, sales management, distribution, underwriting, and commercial aspects.
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Andy Tedstone
Andy has been in the Insurance profession for 35 years, starting at General Accident at 16. After a couple of years on the Insurer side, he moved into broking and have worked for several firms, from small family run businesses to large multi nationals. He has been at PIB for 7 years, starting as the Group’s Broking and Placement Director progressing to CEO of Cobra Network which PIB acquired 4 years ago. Andy is also a member of the BIBA Network and MGA Committee, and is an Ambassador for Insurance United Against Dementia having been on the Board previously.
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Stuart Reid
With over 30 years experience in the Insurance industry Stuart has been the driving force behind some of the UK's leading businesses including Stuart Alexander, AJ Gallagher and Bluefin. He has served as Vice President of the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII); Chair of the ClI Broking Faculty; Deputy Chair of the British Insurance Brokers Association (BIBA), and Chair of BIBA's Large Brokers Committee demonstrating his commitment to quality standards. Currently, as a portfolio non-exec, he has various Board positions at Partners&, PIKL, Harbour Underwriting and Qlaims. He is also a monthly columnist at Insurance Times.
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Catherine Johnstone
CHC Global are strategic malicious risk advisors helping clients across a range of industry sectors to understand and manage their risk exposures. Catherine leads on Martyn’s Law for the CHC Global group of companies which includes the wholly owned subsidiary Samphire Risk. Catherine works with individual clients and industry bodies to help them understand the proposed legislation from a malicious risk perspective, drawing on the expert knowledge of our advisory practice and insurance specialists. Catherine will offer CHC Global’s perspective on the implications and liabilities of the proposed legislation.
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Chris Medhurst-Cocksworth
Chris joined Pool Reinsurance, the UK’s Terrorism reinsurer, in January 2020. As Head of Pool Re Solutions (PReS), the consulting and advisory division of Pool Re, he oversees all terrorism threat awareness and consulting support to Pool Re’s Members, the wider insurance market and many of the largest or most important organisations within the UK economy. He has spent 7 years in the UK insurance market, providing risk management advice to FTSE 250 businesses. Prior to that, he served 21 years in the British Army covering a range of roles in various aspects of CT at home and across the globe before retiring in 2016.
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Peter Blanc
Peter Blanc ACII is Head of M&A, Howden Group Holdings. Peter is passionate about helping Howden Group become the leading independent global (re)insurance broker, employee benefits advisor and MGA. Peter has made over 100 acquisitions of insurance broking and MGA businesses and has led three private equity exits totalling over £1.5 billion. Peter also served as non-exec chairman of Hastings Insurance Services Ltd, was chairman of the Large Brokers’ Advisory Board at the British Insurance Brokers Association (BIBA) and served as president of the Chartered Insurance Institute in 2022.
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Robert Peston
Robert Peston is ITV’s Political Editor and host of their flagship politics and current affairs show, Peston, covering the latest happenings in Westminster and interviewing important players on the national and international political scenes. In addition to this, he co-hosts, the podcast The Rest Is Money with Steph McGovern where they explore what we need to know about the issues that affect us in our everyday lives, decode business jargon, and revisit some of the biggest financial events of the last half century. Prior to his high-profile move to ITV Robert was the BBC’s Economics Editor, revealing the stories behind the statistics and explaining the implications of domestic, European, and global economic shifts. Before joining the BBC, Robert was City and Assistant Editor of the Sunday Telegraph, in charge of the business and money sections, and the FT's Financial Editor. At the FT, he was a member of the editorial board and earlier he served as its Political Editor, Banking Editor, and founder of the investigation’s unit. Away from the cameras Robert has also won plaudits for his online journalism. He is the author of critically acclaimed books and amongst over thirty journalism awards Robert has to his name, he has won the Royal Television Society's Journalist of the Year, Specialist Journalist of the Year, and Scoop of the Year (twice), and the Wincott Prize for financial journalism.
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Jane Kielty
Jane is chief executive officer of Aon, with over 20 years’ experience in risk and insurance, Jane also leads Aon’s Commercial Risk business, playing a pivotal part in ensuring Aon can consistently offer best-in-class service to clients and the market. Jane has served as deputy chair of the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) and chair of the Insurance Broking Standards Committee since 2023, where she has represented Aon and its clients’ interests on many key matters.
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James Dowling
James is a founding partner at Negotient, a consultancy which provides strategic negotiating advice to parties in major public-private negotiations. James is a former UK government senior official and former Special Adviser. For 6 years, he led the public affairs and public policy practice of a major London consultancy, working with clients in sectors including financial services, transport, energy, and justice policy. James began his career in the UK civil service, which included nearly 6 years at HM Treasury working on tax and financial services policy. Between August 2017 and July 2019, he acted as Special Adviser to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (2017) and the Secretary of State for Justice (2018-19). James has written for the Telegraph and the Express and appeared in broadcast media, including LBC, TalkTV and Sky News.
Session details:
Chris Rolland
With over 25 years FS experience, Chris joined AllClear as Group CEO in 2017. He previously worked in senior leadership roles for Staysure, American Express, LV=, BUPA and Legal & General. He holds an MBA, BA Hons Economics, and qualifications from the CII. He attended Harvard Business School Executive Leadership program in 2016 and is a main board Director of BIBA, and Chairs the MGA and Broker Networks Advisory Board. Chris loves AI and technology in insurance, believes passionately in high customer service and has grown businesses winning various industry awards.
Session details:
Helen Devery
Helen has vast experience in the most severe corporate and gross negligence manslaughter offences and represents clients during major inquests and public inquiries. She is a highly experienced trainer in liability risk management and pioneered the benchmarking group that analyses best practices across sectors. She also spent four years seconded to a global insurance broker firm. Helen’s legal reputation precedes her. She has been ranked as a leading individual in the Legal 500 since 2019 and was a finalist in the 2019 Women in Insurance awards.
Session details:
Paulo Cuomo
Paolo is an executive director in Gallagher Re’s Strategy Advisory practice. He joined in 2022, building on his experience working for Brit, Beazley, Charles Taylor, Boston Consulting Group and McKinsey. Paolo’s brings an unrelenting drive to ensure technology is effectively used across the insurance process in underwriting, claims and back-office functions. Over the past decade Paolo set up a new Lloyd’s syndicate and Managing Agency, supported the creation of the Lloyd’s Lab, and pushed the development of the “bionic underwriter” concept - blending human judgement with data-driven insight. Paolo is a Chartered Engineer, was a co-founder of InsTech, the world’s leading insurtech association, and sits on the IIL’s Cyber & Technology committee.
Session details:
Emily Shepperd
As Chief Operating Officer, Emily is responsible for the FCA’s operations and business performance, systems and infrastructure, communications function and finances. As Executive Director, Emily oversees Authorisations for firms and individuals applying to carry out regulated financial services activity as well as the Supervision Hub which acts as first point of call into the FCA for consumers and firms. Before joining the FCA, Emily was Director of Customer Services and Change at Aegon UK. Prior to this, Emily was EMEA Chief Operating Officer for Bank of New York Mellon where she led operations, technology and change across all businesses and support areas, ranging from global markets to asset servicing. Outside, she has been involved in many industry initiatives including chairing the Association for Financial Markets in Europe technology and operations group.
Session details:
Xumeu Planells
Xumeu Planells is a Manager in Data Science at LexisNexis Risk Solutions, where he has worked for almost 6 years. With a PhD in Physics, he is highly experienced in data analysis, research, maths and statistics. Xumeu is also one of the business’s leading experts on the applications of AI for Insurance. Xumeu leads a team of Data Scientists building and designing data-driven solutions and products with the highest possible statistical rigor. As well as helping customers gain additional insights on their risk portfolio, he provides technical leadership for best practices (and regulation) in Machine Learning and AI techniques and processes.
Session details:
Jasmine Shell
With over a decade of experience in the specialty insurance market, Jasmine is an expert innovator, communicator, and creative problem-solver. As the Innovation Manager at EDII, she has led hundreds of insurance professionals to achieve change via design thinking and innovation techniques, instilling a culture of creativity and continuous learning, and promoting future-focused skills. Jasmine also demonstrates her passion for the insurance market and empowering others through her role as Vice Chair of the Next Generation Insurance Network (NGIN). Outside of professional life, Jasmine is a dedicated Brownie leader, with over 15 years of volunteer service with Girlguiding, helping girls of all backgrounds achieve through talent, tenacity and teamwork.
Session details:
Steve Browne
Steve is UK Technical Director for Casualty & Commercial Motor insurance at AXA Insurance. He has over 30 years insurance experience, mainly in Technical Underwriting roles, across a wide variety of lines of business and is currently responsible for the Technical Approach and Strategic Direction of Casualty and Commercial Motor business at AXA. In his spare time, he is Chair of the Board of Directors at ELTO (the Employer’s Liability Tracing Office).
Session details:
Jo Sykes
Jo Sykes is the divisional director of UK broker channel for Markel, with a clear focus on driving digital transformation, developing broker relationships, and delivering profitable underwriting results. With a wealth of experience in the industry, her commercial focus is a key driver to Markel’s growth ambitions and ongoing dedication to better support brokers and customers. Jo has the responsibility of delivering Markel’s innovative SME products and services, helping brokers achieve business-changing growth for their customers, backed by a 5-star rated commercial lines insurer with a truly people-first approach.* *Insurance Times Broker Service Survey 2023/24
Session details:
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Sponsored by:
Aviva
Here for you.
At Aviva we’re committed to helping you and your clients meet the demands of the ever-changing insurance landscape. We’re continually listening and acting on your feedback, so whatever happens next, we will continue to deliver exceptional solutions for our mutual clients and create a more sustainable future together. It’s your partnership that powers us, as without your unwavering support, we couldn’t have achieved the milestone of being awarded General Insurer of the Year* for the tenth year running – amazing recognition of our partnership and what we achieve together.
The Aviva team are thrilled to be returning to BIBA this May and can’t wait to talk to you about what’s next and how we can be here for you in 2024.
It takes you. It takes a partnership. It takes Aviva.
*Insurance Times Awards 2014- 2023 & British Insurance Awards 2023.
AXA
We’re delighted to sponsor The BIBA Conference 2024. We’re one of the largest insurers in the UK. AXA Insurance offers personal and commercial insurance, while AXA XL focuses on P&C and specialty risks. AXA Health is AXA’s UK health and wellbeing specialist and AXA Partners is a B2B specialist, providing solutions in assistance services.
Together, we cover individuals and businesses operating in diverse sectors, and distribute our products through brokers, aggregators, corporate and retail partners and direct to the customer. We work hard to become a genuine partner to our customers, summed up in our tagline ‘Know You Can’.
We wish everyone a successful conference and look forward to working with you.
CFC
CFC is a specialist insurance provider, pioneer in emerging risk and market leader in cyber. Our global insurance platform uses cutting-edge technology and data science to deliver smarter, faster underwriting and protect customers from today’s most critical business risks.
Headquartered in London with offices in New York, Austin, Brussels and Brisbane, CFC has over 850 staff and is trusted by more than 130,000 businesses in 90+ countries.
Close Brothers
As pioneers with more than 45 years’ experience in insurance premium finance, we continue to deliver award winning support through our strategic drivers of service, expertise, and relationships.
Working in partnership with brokers, we offer practical support, unique data, and insights, to reinforce business decisions and goals. Our wide range of products help all types of customers pay for their insurance, by spreading the cost over regular fixed monthly payments.
Together, we’ll help you unlock opportunities for your business and customers.
Cowbell
Cowbell is a pioneer of Adaptive Cyber Insurance, a leader in providing businesses – from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to companies with up to £1 billion annual turnover – with coverage adaptable to today’s and tomorrow’s threats and the advanced warning of cyber risk exposures. In its unique AI-based approach to risk selection and pricing, Cowbell’s continuous underwriting platform, powered by its patented risk rating factors, Cowbell Factors – an offering not available with any other cyber insurance provider – compresses the insurance process from submission to issue in less than 5 minutes, and gives businesses the ability to benchmark their IT security against industry peers.
Cowbell is backed by 20 prominent leading global (re)insurance partners and serves SMEs and mid-market companies in 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and the United Kingdom. Founded in 2019, Cowbell is based in the San Francisco Bay Area with employees across the U.S., Canada, India and the U.K.
Ecclesiastical
Ecclesiastical’s specialist approach and charitable purpose is what makes us different.
Named Specialist Insurance Company of the Year, Ecclesiastical has ambitions to grow. We’ve built a reputation of being one of the most trusted1 insurers for our specialist insurance solutions, all backed by award-winning claims service and risk management expertise.2
Come and see us on stand C40 to talk about our new Professions product and proposition. We are now fully open for Leisure business, are investing in our Schemes proposition and helping clients to build resilience with our new Risk Maturity Assessment tool.
Proudly part of the Benefact Group, we continue to build a ‘Movement for Good’ to transform lives through charities and good causes with an ambition to give £250m by 2025. Visit our stand to nominate your favourite charity for a chance to win!3
1 FWD Broker Opinion survey 2008 to 2023
2 Claims Product Solution of the Year - Insurer - Insurance Times, Claims Service Quality Marque from Gracechurch Risk Management Specialist Company of the Year, CIR Risk Management Awards 2022
3 Terms and Conditions apply
ERS
We are the UK’s largest specialist motor-only insurer with over 20 products created to cover a range of vehicle types making motoring passions and livelihoods possible. We specialise in motor insurance for Personal, Commercial, Agriculture and Fleet classes, offering brokers a breadth of specialist Lloyd’s A+ rated products; from tractors to modified food trucks, supercars and classic cars to fleets, each built with specialist underwriting knowledge. Our products are available across a range of digital platforms, including software houses, ERS eTrade and Plug in to ERS alongside our team of expert underwriters who understand the more specialist complex risks.
FinanceMalta
Malta is internationally recognised as a brand denoting excellence in financial services. It offers an attractive and efficient base for financial services operators looking for a European Union-compliant, yet flexible, domicile.
FinanceMalta, a non-profit public-private initiative, was set up to promote Malta as an international financial centre, both within, as well as outside Malta. It brings together, and harnesses, the resources of the industry and government, to ensure Malta maintains a modern and effective legal, regulatory and fiscal framework in which the financial services sector can continue to grow and prosper.
The Board of Governors, together with the founding associations: The Malta Funds Asset Servicing Association, the Malta Bankers Association, the Malta Insurance Association, the Association of Insurance Brokers, the Malta Insurance Managers Association, the Institute of Financial Services Practitioners; its members and staff are all committed to promote Malta as a centre of excellence in financial services and international business.
Investec Premium Finance
The credible alternative.
Investec Premium Finance innovate financial solutions designed to meet the dynamic needs of today’s insurance premium finance market. For too long commercial insurance brokers have been met with a lack of a credible alternative in the market and have been limited on choice when it comes to a finance provider. At Investec Premium Finance we’re disrupting the status quo by calling on our rich entrepreneurial heritage, 50 years of financial stability and customer-obsessed focus.
Our purpose statement is simple: “To be the commercial funder of choice for UK commercial insurance brokers”. We mean to deliver on this statement by making our broker partners 3 simple promises:
1) We’ll give your clients a competitive deal.
2) We’ll fund you on time.
3) We’ll give you the personal service you deserve
Markel
Markel is a leading specialist insurer, serving regional brokers and UK SMEs. We are proud to empower, support and protect over one million UK customers with specialist insurance, tax and legal solutions.
We’re specialists and have provided sector-specific solutions for over 30 years. In that time, we've established a strong reputation for technical excellence, product innovation and service excellence to the broking community.
Whether it’s access to 24/7 legal advice, tax and R&D support or a debt recovery service, we understand the day-to-day challenges facing our customers.
We put people first because we believe in the power of relationships and doing what’s right.
Markerstudy
Established in 2001, the group includes the UK’s largest MGA, Markerstudy Insurance Services Limited, which supports UK broker partners and protects millions of policyholders with a comprehensive range of products and services.
We are an inclusive organisation of more than 5,000 employees, and are proud to have achieved Gold accreditation from Investors in People for three consecutive periods.
Other sectors within the group include the Markerstudy Distribution division, which comprises of a number of brands including Brightside Insurance and Insurance Factory – one of the UK’s largest pet insurance platforms – and complementary businesses Auto Windscreens, VisionTrack and Vision Vehicle Solutions.
Markerstudy Group is also awaiting regulatory approval on its proposed merger with Atlanta, Ardonagh Group’s personal lines broking business, which will offer an enhanced proposition for the benefit of millions of UK customers.
Pearson Ham Group
Join the elite - 80% of top insurer brands that trust our cutting-edge insights. At Pearson Ham, we're on a mission to elevate your performance through precise pricing strategies. Our tailored insurance market insights offer a daily snapshot of your competitors' pricing dynamics and quotability. Stay steps ahead, make informed decisions, and price confidently in the dynamic insurance landscape. Can you afford to fall behind when the leaders trust us? Seize the opportunity now and secure your position at the forefront of the industry.
QBE
QBE helps businesses build resilience through risk management and insurance.
QBE European Operations is part of QBE Insurance Group, one of the world’s leading international insurers and reinsurers.
As a business insurance specialist, we offer a range of insurance products from the standard suite of property, casualty and motor to specialist financial lines, marine and energy – all tailored to the individual needs of our small, medium and large customers.
We understand the crucial role that effective risk management plays in all organisations and work hard to understand our customers’ businesses to offer insurance solutions that meet their needs – from complex programmes to simpler e-trading solutions. Our expert risk management and rehabilitation practitioners focus on helping customers improve their risk management so that they may benefit from a reduction in claims frequency and costs.
Find out more about us and read our latest articles to help build business resilience.
The Ardonagh Group
Ardonagh is a leading independent insurance distribution platform and a top 20 broker globally. The Group was founded in 2017 when five businesses were brought together to explore a new vision for the insurance industry. Since then, Ardonagh has been on a remarkable growth journey and now encompasses more than 50 best-in-class entrepreneurial and specialist brands in more than 30 countries worldwide.
With over 10,000 talented professionals expertly navigating our clients’ challenges, who work to evolve and grow our business, we know that our people are at the very heart of our success. That is why we are proud to offer training and development opportunities that are second to none. From leadership programmes, technical training and mentoring, right through to our graduate and intern programmes, there’s really no end to the opportunities you could discover with a career at Ardonagh.
Verisk
Verisk is a strategic data analytics and technology partner to the global insurance industry. We help (re)insurers, brokers, and MGAs make more informed decisions across underwriting, policy admin, and claims.
Our underwriting solutions help you make faster and more accurate decisions for home, commercial, motor, health, and travel insurance through real-time data enrichment, property attributes, perils models, vehicle information, and medical risk assessment tools.
Built for automation and e-commerce, our policy admin solutions offer a complete back and front office system for insurance businesses: prospect capture, new business, mid-term adjustments, cancellations, renewals, ratings, document production, payments, buying online, and integrated accounts.
Our fraud detection and claims solutions enhance efficiency, minimise expenses, and expedite claims processing for property, motor, and personal injury claims.
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