Our Advisory Panel
The experts who are supporting and mentoring our Innovators' journey.
John Macpherson
Chair of Advisory Panel
Independent Advisor
Advice to Innovators:
Chris Hill
Independent Advisor
John Thompson
Senior Business Analyst, Janus Henderson Investors
Advice to Innovators:
“Clearly identify your USP along the value chain, engage early with both prospective customers and regulators and embrace agile practises.”
Katie Simm
Director – Asset & Wealth Management Consulting, Alpha FMC
Advice to Innovators:
“Believe in your idea enough to make it a reality; value it enough to take feedback and alter course where required.”
Patricia Guillierme
Digital Transformation & Innovation Manager, Allianz Global Investors
Advice to Innovators:
“Identify your unique selling proposition and how it compares to your competitors, especially if you are looking to challenge or disrupt well-established and market-leading companies.”
Giuseppe Tedone
Head of Global Portfolio Solutions, Barings Asset Management
Advice to Innovators:
“Think big, start small, act fast”
Henry MacLeod
Co-Head Digital Distribution, EMEA, BlackRock
Andrea Tedone
Head of Change and Transformation, BNP Paribas
Advice to Innovators:
“Electric light did not come from the continuous improvement of candles.” – Real progress often comes from disruptive innovation, think bold!”
John Wallis
Global Head Market Opportunities, Brown Brothers Harriman Innovation & New Ventures
Jack White
Digital Innovation, Securities Services, Citi
Advice to Innovators:
“Don’t be afraid to pivot your proposition (within reason). If your core innovation is sound and you commit to it, you’ll find your niche”
Charles Kerrigan
Partner & Global Head of FinTech, CMS
Advice to Innovators:
“Know your (target) customer”
Prasad Chandrasheker
Global Head of Emerging Technology Strategy, Fidelity International
Advice to Innovators:
“Focus on the unmet needs of the customer and deliver them using strong technology and service foundations.”
Rashid Adam
COO, Findlay Park Partners
Colin Bennett
Head of Digital Distribution, Global, GAM (UK) Limited
Advice to Innovators:
“Know your customer. Relentlessly validate your idea in partnership with your market. Make your product a must have, not a nice to have”
Paul Dimambro
Investment & Retirement Director, Hargreaves Lansdown
Shivani Shashidar
Investment Executive, Illuminate Financial
Adrian Barrett
Head of Product Management, Insight Investments
Advice to Innovators:
“Even at an early stage, show your idea in action from the user’s perspective and make it as memorable as possible”
Aubrey Price
Regional Technology Head – EMEA, Invesco
Ian Carr
Head of Engineering, Legal & General Investment Management
Mahesh Nair
Chief Technology Officer, Lumyna Investments
Advice to Innovators:
“The value of an idea lies in how it’s used”
Rodney Hutchinson
Head of Business Solutions, M&G Investments
Ferdinand van Heerden
Chief Executive Officer, Momentum Investments
Advice to Innovators:
“To change established thinking, simplicity and clarity of thought are key, but often complex to explain, deliver and monetise.”
Naqash Tahir
Director, Head of Systems – Europe & Chair of the European Innovation Council, PGIM Real Estate
Advice to Innovators:
“Don’t focus on the number of functions your applications has, focus on the impact and quality of each one”
Siobhan Clarke
COO, Royal London Asset Management
Cecile Rousseau
Chief Technology Officer,
Ruffer LLP
Advice to Innovators:
“There are multiple paths to innovation. It is less about offering products than understanding clients’ problems and possible solutions.”
Charlotte Wood
Head of Innovation, Schroders
Advice to Innovators:
“Go after specific, validated use cases – don’t leave it up to potential customers to figure out how or why your product is relevant to their business.”
Tamsin Hobley
Country Head UK & Ireland, SIX Group
Advice to Innovators:
“Build a strong network of supporters and partnerships and use these to help open doors. Be clear about the problem you are solving for your customers. Listen to feedback about your product and don’t be afraid to pivot and make changes based on this feedback.”
Allee Zhang
Director, Risk Officer & Sustainability Specialist, UBS Asset Management
Advice to Innovators:
“Launch, gain feedback, pivot if needed, plan for the worst, and plan for the exit.”
James Hubbard
Fund Manager, Wesleyan
Advice to Innovators:
“Every industry has locked doors blocking the way to progress. Innovation is the key to opening them.”
Advice to Innovators:
