BWD: In The Know

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...

No Socks (with Crocs) Please, I'm French! Caroline swapped investment banking for financial planning, bringing a French lens to British money habits, career choices, and yes, fashion faux pas.   In this episode of In The Know, we cover: How redundancy and motherhood sparked a total career rethink Building a client base from scratch with two toddlers and no local network The cultural clash of...

“If you want the truth, you need trust.”   That line stayed with me.   In this week’s In The Know podcast, I spoke with Lena Sisco – former military interrogator turned leadership and communication expert – about trust, truth, and how to spot a lie.   She’s spent her career extracting the truth from people who had every reason not to share it. And it turns out the answer isn’t mind...

Less admin, more advice – AI without the hype. That’s the vision. But how do you actually get there? In this episode, James speaks with Oren Henry, Co-Founder of AutoAdvise, about how financial advisers can use AI to reduce admin and improve client outcomes. They explore where firms are losing time, the risks of misusing ChatGPT-style tools, and what being truly ‘AI-ready’ looks like in practice....

Once dubbed “The City’s Superwoman” , Nicola Horlick’s story isn’t just about finance. It’s about leadership in all its complexity.   From billion-pound turnarounds and public scandal to raising six children, navigating personal tragedy and building again - Nicola’s journey covers it all.   She shares her story openly, with the hope it inspires more women to lead in their own way.  ...

Is Financial Planning Dying? That’s what I asked Tom Hegarty in the latest episode of  In The Know  - a follow-up to the post that sparked so much debate. We covered: 📉 Adviser numbers – real growth, or just a pause before the cliff edge? 🔁 Why firms keep hiring experience but won’t back new talent 🧱 The power of apprenticeships and why more firms must engage 💬 Ho...

The Recruitment Industry’s Biggest Lie - And Why Clients Keep Falling for It Recruitment has been running on fumes for years. The contingent model dominates, yet it delivers an 80% chance of wasted time. Louise Archer and I dug into why the industry clings to it, despite better alternatives.    Some key takeaways:   Retained search isn’t just for execs in pinstripe suits —it’s a bet...

It was a privilege to host Jeff Lange, Group CEO of TFAS Enterprises, on the podcast. Jeff shared fascinating insights into the evolving financial advice sector, the role of technology, and the future of client engagement. Here are the key takeaways from our conversation:   💻 Remote advice is thriving Face-to-face isn’t the only way. Remote advice, driven by trust and tech, is now the choice...

The Trilogy Nobody Thought Would Happen “All good things must come to an end”—and so does the final episode of our podcast series with the brilliant Dave Robinson. This time, we cover plenty of ground, including: 1️⃣ Regrets on LinkedIn? Dave’s outspoken views have sparked debates, drawn praise, and even got him blocked ! But does he regret any of it? His answer (and reasoning) is refreshingly hon...