BWD: In The Know

In episode 59 of BWD In The Know, James Walker welcomes financial planner Anthony Flynn back for a second conversation, one that moves beyond the technical side of financial advice and into something far more personal. After exploring identity in their first discussion, James and Ant turn to beliefs: where they come from, how they change and how much of what we think is truly our own. From childho...

Aneka Beneby: Ambition, Motherhood and Redefining Success   In this episode of BWD In The Know, Ellie Corkill hosts the latest instalment of her mini-series, The Human Side of Wealth Management.   Ellie is joined by Aneka Beneby , Senior Portfolio Manager and CFA Charterholder, for a conversation about ambition, motherhood, self-belief and how our definition of success can change through...

Clarity, Curiosity & Belonging with Hazel Bowen In episode 57 of BWD In The Know, James Walker is joined by multi-award-winning financial planner Hazel Bowen FPFS TEP for the latest conversation in the Future Fit Financial Planning series.   Hazel's route into the profession was anything but straightforward. Growing up in a working-class household in Norwich, moving from state school to p...

Sarah Roughsedge: Women and Wealth, Financial Confidence and Rethinking Financial Advice In this episode of BWD In The Know, Ellie Corkill hosts the latest instalment of her mini-series, The Human Side of Wealth Management. Ellie is joined by Sarah Roughsedge , Chartered Financial Planner, author and founder of Eva Wealth, for a conversation about women and wealth, financial confidence and why the...

Louisa Braywood: Women, Wealth and the Power of Human Connection   In this episode of BWD In the Know, Ellie Corkill hosts the latest instalment of her mini-series, The Human Side of Wealth Management.   Ellie is joined by Louisa Braywood , Investment Manager, for a conversation about financial confidence, authentic relationship-building and making investing feel more accessible to women...

From Wealth Management to Health Management. Some careers evolve. Others redefine an industry. In this episode of Future Fit Financial Planning, James Walker is joined by Sarah Soar , Founder of Estelle: Health is Wealth and former CEO of Hawksmoor Investment Management, to explore why the future of leadership isn't just about managing wealth, but managing health. Drawing on four decades in financ...

Some careers follow a carefully mapped-out route. Others take an unexpected turn. In this episode of Future Fit Financial Planning , James Walker is joined by James Connor , Founder & CEO of Connor Broadley, to explore the journey from professional footballer to business owner, and the principles that have shaped nearly two decades of independent financial planning. From earning just £250 in t...

Marie Smith: Confidence, Community and Creating Meaningful Change   In this episode of BWD In the Know, Ellie Corkill hosts the latest instalment of her mini-series, The Human Side of Wealth Management.   Ellie is joined by Marie Smith, Relationship Associate Partner at Cooper Parry Wealth, for a conversation about confidence, community, inclusive leadership and creating meaningful chang...

Emmelia Powell: Building Trust, Visibility and the Future of Advice   In episode 51 of BWD In the Know, Ellie Corkill hosts the second episode of her mini-series, The Human Side of Wealth Management. Ellie is joined by Emmelia Powell , Financial Adviser, for a conversation on building trust, finding your voice and creating a more personal, human version of financial advice. Emmelia shares her...

Excellence, Not Perfection with Ann-Marie Atkins In this special 50th episode of BWD In The Know, James is joined by Ann-Marie Atkins, Head of Entrepreneurs at Evelyn Partners, for a conversation about what really sits behind long-term success in financial planning. Known as one of the UK's leading advisers in the entrepreneur and business owner space, Ann-Marie reflects on the experiences, values...

In episode 49 of BWD In The Know, Ellie Corkill hosts the first episode of her new mini-series, The Human Side of Wealth Management. Ellie is joined by Jay Dhaliwal APFS , Chartered Independent Financial Adviser at Chase de Vere, for a conversation on resilience, representation and the power of showing up. Jay shares her journey into financial advice, from starting her career in financial services...

CRM Wars: Endgame for the Legacy? In conversation with Paul Miller In this episode, James is joined by  Paul Miller  to explore why most financial planning firms don’t have a true tech strategy, and why that’s becoming a serious risk. After leading technology at IWP, one of the UK’s early consolidators, Paul has seen first-hand what happens when multiple firms attempt to operate as one,...

Marketing isn’t the colouring in department. In conversation with Emma Hardiman In this episode, James is joined by Emma Hardiman to explore the role marketing should really play inside a financial planning business, and why it’s often misunderstood. Too often, marketing is treated as a support function, brought in at the end to “make things look good” rather than influence how a firm grows. In th...

The Adviser Who Walked Away   In conversation with James McPartland     In this episode, James is joined by  James McPartland  to explore the story behind building and ultimately walking away from a £400m financial planning business.    Built from scratch under the St. James’s Place model, James and his partners grew a highly successful f...

Back to the Future (of Advice) In conversation with John White & Mike Toole No DeLorean. No flux capacitor. But in this episode, James is joined by John White and Mike Toole to explore a genuinely interesting question: what does the future of financial planning actually look like? And, somewhat ironically, the answer might feel familiar. Rather than consolidation cycles, efficiency drives or p...

AI will not increase your business value. It will protect it. In the second episode the Future Fit Financial Planning series, James is joined by Vicky Hicks , Co-Founder of Melo , for an honest conversation about business value, identity, leadership and the realities of today’s M&A market. Vicky shares her journey of building and selling a firm, the personal identity shift that followed, and t...

Is the role of the Financial Planner about to change?# In the first episode of the Future Fit Financial Planning series, our host James Walker is joined by Tom Francis of Octopus Money to explore what the next stage of advice might really look like. They discuss how technology and behavioural psychology are reshaping personal finance, why so many people struggle to act on good financial advice, an...

In this episode of BWD In The Know, guest host Harry McNeill is joined by Paul Hance , a seasoned actuary whose career reflects how leadership, learning, and relationships define success in today’s actuarial profession.   From technical beginnings to leadership roles, Paul shares how continuous learning, humility, and adaptability have shaped his journey. He offers practical insights on navig...

In this episode of BWD In The Know, guest host Harry McNeill is joined by Gerrit Marais, an actuary whose career spans continents, from South Africa to Canada. Gerrit shares how curiosity, connection, and continuous learning have shaped his professional journey, and why building relationships can be just as important as mastering technical skills. In Building Networks, Not Just Numbers: An Actuari...

Beyond Risk: Michelle Young on Reinsurance, Resilience & the Human Side of Actuarial Work In this episode of BWD In The Know, guest host Harry McNeill is joined by Michelle Young for a conversation that goes beyond risk to uncover the human side of actuarial work. Michelle reflects on her career in reinsurance and shares why actuaries are far more than just the numbers. From the societal impac...

💡 “He who looks outside dreams, he who looks inside awakens.”   That line came up in my latest In The Know with Anthony Flynn , and it set the tone for one of the most open and vulnerable conversations I’ve had on the podcast. Anthony spoke not just about career milestones, but about the deeper currents that shape who we are and how we lead. The conversation explored: External validation: ho...

From Actuary to Wall Street to Novelist: Mark W. Griffin on Risk, Reinvention & Storytelling In this episode of BWD In The Know, guest host Harry McNeill is joined by Mark W Griffin for a fascinating conversation that blends actuarial insight with life beyond the spreadsheets. Mark’s career has been anything but linear; from actuarial science to investment banking on Wall Street, and now to pu...

In this episode of BWD In The Know, Harry McNeill is joined by Kim Steiner, Head of North America's Life Practice at WTW, for a wide-ranging conversation on what it really means to build a career in life insurance.   Kim shares her journey from intern to industry leader, reflects on the rise of AI and its real impact on actuarial work, and gives sharp, honest advice for anyone starting in the...

In this episode of  BWD In The Know , Harry McNeill sits down with Jeffrey Gomes, an actuary-turned-coach based in Canada to explore what it really takes to lead in today's actuarial world. From starting out during the 2008 financial crisis to embracing the rise of AI, Jeffrey shares hard-earned lessons on resilience, people-first leadership, and unlocking potential through coaching. Whether...

From losing his leg in a life-altering accident to becoming a Guinness World Record-holding endurance swimmer, Jonty Warneken has redefined what’s possible; physically, mentally, and professionally.   In this episode, Jonty shares his remarkable journey: Growing up in Yorkshire and carving out a career in wealth management The accident that changed everything, and how he rebuilt his identity...