The Investment Network

Clive Waller

Clive Waller held a variety of management positions in sales and marketing for some twenty-five years with Scottish Amicable and Zurich. He became managing partner of the Training Design Studio in 1999, writing and delivering training programmes on taxation, pensions and investment. At the same time, he set up the specialised research-based consultancy, CWC Research

He chairs The Investment Network, is managing director of the Schroders UK Platform Awards and is a director of NextWealth, a consultancy that helps customers adapt to what’s next in wealth.

Clive has an MBA from Wolsey Hall, Oxford and is an Associate of the Personal Finance Society. He is a regular speaker at industry conferences and writes on a variety of issues around retail investment.

David Moffat

David leads Proposition and Industry Affairs for SS&Cs asset & wealth management services in the UK. Born in Zimbabwe and educated in Scotland, David spent 20 years in the asset management industry with Fidelity, Threadneedle and JPMorgan before working as a consultant for a number of wrap and platform clients. He joined IFDS, now SS&C, in 2007. David sits on a number of industry boards and committees in the UK and Europe and is the current Chair of TeX and the Platforms Association.

Geoff Towers

Geoff Towers was told by his first boss to learn the investment industry before he offered advice. Consequently he has worked as a salesman, a trader and a fund manager, before becoming Citibank Asset Management’s operations head, running Barclays International Funds Group, and moving on to be the first CEO of Standard Life’s wrap and platform business. From Standard he moved to L&G and then Friends Life to solve challenges around distribution, Cofunds, Pension Freedoms and an Indian joint venture.

Subsequently, Geoff was CEO of Bank of New York's Pershing business in Europe focussing on the trading, settlement and custody end of the industry. He's beginning to think he might finally be getting close to what his first boss told him to do.

Geoff’s great interest is understanding and closing the gap between what our customers want and what the industry can provide. So despite experience from five continents, he is still learning – although that doesn’t stop him offering advice.

Jackie Boylan

Jackie Boylan is the Global Head of Investor Servicing for Fidelity International. This role is responsible for providing a market leading service experience across Client Services, Resolutions, Guidance and Advice. Most recently she was Head of Adviser Solutions, the Fidelity adviser platform business managing over £50b in client assets.

She is also the CEO of two boards, Fidelity Administration Services and Fidelity Wealth Management.

In 2019 and 2021 she won the Women of the Year – Platforms at the Women in Investment Awards. Her team also won Best Platform of the Year in 2021 and were Runners Up in 2023.

Before moving to the UK and joining Fidelity, Jackie worked in the Australian Financial Services industry for 20 years. Her prior roles encompassed varied responsibilities including Client Services, Regulatory programmes, Innovation and Process Improvement, Client Experience, Sales, Relationship Management and Strategy.

Passionate about contributing beyond her day job, she has been the Executive Co-Sponsor of Global Gender Balance, and sat on the Global Diversity and Inclusion Council. She also forms part of the Global Early Careers Council. She is a co-founder of the FiCap Charity, a financial institutions charity focused on providing better futures for young Australians.

Jackie holds a Bachelor of Business, as well as Graduate Diplomas in Applied Finance and Investment, Financial Planning and Superannuation Management. She has also studied at both the Wharton School of Business in Philadelphia and Insead in Fontainebleau.

Jackie is married and has two daughters. She loves running, playing netball, yoga, travelling, reading and sleeping when possible.

Andrew Martin

As Chief Commercial Officer at Dunstan Thomas, Andrew is responsible the company’s business development, sales and account management functions. Starting out as an IFA, Andrew has since held long-term IT consultancy roles for retail platforms, and senior management roles at Prudential and LV=. He has developed retirement propositions for major investment platforms as well as delivering digital engagement programs. He also spent 7 years living and working in South Africa.

Alan Easter

Alan has worked in product design and distribution since the mid 80’s. The first part of his career was spent leading sales teams for insurance companies and asset managers in the UK, mainland Europe and the US. After a brief dalliance with the Direct market as Sales and Marketing Director for Interactive Investor, he has been on the advisory side since 2006. During this time he has held a full range of Executive positions including CEO of The Beaufort Group, an advisory and investment management group that he formed.

He is currently Chief Alliances Officer for intelliflo, leading partner relationships for UK, Aus and the US.

Emma Napier

Having spent my whole career watching financial services evolve in the UK, it never ceases to amaze me how things have (and haven’t) changed over the years. My working life has entered its 3rd decade, yet I remain excited about the future of advice, particularly, how that advice is delivered to an individual.

Having spent my whole career watching financial services evolve in the UK, it never ceases to amaze me how things have (and haven’t) changed over the years. My working life has entered its 3rd decade, yet I remain excited about the future of advice, particularly, how that advice is delivered to an individual.

Joining Next Wealth feels like a full circle for me – it’s the most exciting yet.

Heather gave me the freedom to help her grow Next Wealth by sharing my knowledge, understanding and experience of the end-to-end processes involved in the delivery of financial advice. I am super excited to be working with those who see the value in applying that to their own proposition and strategy decision-making.

Keith Richards

Chairman, Financial Vulnerability Taskforce

Keith is Chief Executive Officer of the Consumer Duty Alliance (CDA), an independent, not-for-profit professional body, created for the sector by the sector. The CDA is consumer focused and brings together a cross-sector Alliance for the sharing of ‘good practice’ to support members in the implementation of Consumer Duty, engage Policymakers and raise the profile of Retail Financial Services with the public.

Previous roles include leading the Personal Finance Society as Chief Executive Officer from 2013 to 2021, Chief Membership Officer of the Chartered Insurance Institute, MD of one of the UK’s largest IFA Networks, Tenet Group and prior to that he was Head of Retail for the largest mutual in the UK, Royal London Group.

Actively engaged in the promotion of financial services within the UK and internationally, having set up operations in the Middle East and Asia Pacific, he has contributed to various boards, including CDA, FVT, PFS, PAT, Tenet, RL Retail, AIFA, AMI, European Financial Planning Association (EFPA) and various government and regulatory working groups.

Keith is also the founding Chair of the Financial Vulnerability Taskforce, which is an independent representative body covering the Personal Finance and wider Financial Services Sector. Its ultimate purpose is to promote greater understanding, encourage appropriate behaviours and establish good practice in respect of consumer vulnerability.

Chris Spencer

CEO EMEA, Bravura

Chris Spencer has more than two decades worth of experience in motivating, inspiring and developing teams to affect positive business change, including process re-engineering, business development and transformation.

As CEO of Bravura’s EMEA region, Chris is responsible for driving the region’s proposition development and leading its sales and account management teams to grow existing and future client revenue and margin.

Prior to joining Bravura, Chris served various companies in the financial services and pensions space as Managing Director, including SS&C and Embark.”

Chris McCullam

Investments Director

Chris has been working in Financial Services for over 25 years, covering a wide range of business transformation projects across different product distribution models. He works with clients to understand and support delivery of strategic objectives, spanning Friendly Society door-to-door cash collection through to wrap platforms and high-net-worth advisor firms.

As Investments Director, he has responsibility for leading the investments sector consulting team within Altus, coordinating our Platforms, Life & Pensions, and Wealth practices to ensure our skilled and knowledgeable people continue to deliver quality outcomes for our clients. Building relationships with senior leaders, he drives and develops thought leadership and market commentary to understand the challenges faced across the sector.

Pippa Russell

Founder & Director, Russell Communications

Pippa Russell is the founder and director of Russell Communications, a boutique consultancy specialising in financial services strategic communications, reputation management and public relations. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, Pippa began her career as a financial adviser before moving into senior communications roles across both inhouse and agency side, spanning public, private and not for profit companies in both the UK and in NYC.

Pippa is passionate about reputation management and works proactively with clients to define and articulate their messages to ensure they are clear, authentic and aligned with their values.

Under Pippa’s leadership, Russell Communications has built a strong portfolio of UK and global clients including platforms, ETF providers, consultancies, adviser firms and DFMs.