PIMFA Women’s Symposium 2026

We look forward to welcoming our 800 delegates – grab your coffee and pastries before the show begins!

PIMFA CEO and Symposium founder Liz Field will start the show by welcoming everyone to the 2026 edition, highlighting key moments in PIMFA’s advocacy from the past year, as well as reflecting on the journey the event has taken since

PIMFA launched the event in 2024. Liz will preview some of the sessions she is most looking forward to and set the tone for what we hope will be another joyous convenance of the sector.

We pride ourselves on opening the event with something relevant and – in 2024 we welcomed Sheree Howard, Executive Director with the FCA, and in 2025 Emma Reynolds MP, EST & City Minister, to open the events with their insights.

Our 2026 headliner will be announced soon and will be speaking to the big picture future of the UK’s wealth and personal advice sector.

We are absolutely delighted to be partnering with SEI as our headline sponsor for the event, for the third year in a row.

SEI have been a stalwart supporter of our initiatives in the space, and we could not have built the event the way we have without their unwavering help.

We are even more delighted that the incomparable Sneha Shah, a veritable celebrity at the event, has agreed to fly over a third time to join us – we think we speak for many saying we can’t wait to see you, Sneha!

A key theme of discussion in our sector in recent years has been the changing demographics of our society, and how wealth management will adjust to anticipated trends in not only client requirements, but how we interact with them.

PIMFA CEO Liz Field will be inviting three thought leaders and industry luminaries to join her for a conversation and predications about how society, and the sectors that serve them, will evolve.

As regular attendees will notice, the desire for technology focussed sessions at the symposium has been noted with the launch of our new ‘technology & disruption’ stream. Our keynotes will also see the benefit of this attention, and we are delighted to welcome Jessica Rusu, Chief Data, Information & Intelligence Officer at the FCA, on the latest perspectives and signposting from her team.

We are thankful to Jessica for making the time and look forward to hearing her perspectives on an evolving industry.

 After the excitement of the morning, enjoy a buffet lunch and some well-earned networking time – we have tried the menu, and our team are looking forward to it! We look forward to seeing you there.

We are absolutely delighted to welcome our first author to the agenda, the wonderful Nuala Walsh, whose book ‘Tune In: How to Make Smarter Decisions in a Noisy World’ is a business favourite of our symposium agenda curator at PIMFA.

Nuala will give a talk on smarter decision making and effective critical thinking in today’s era of noise and disinformation. A recommended can’t miss from the team!

In line with our increased interest in weaving technology into the event, headline sponsor SEI will be hosting a discussion on female CTOs, on the rise of the role, why companies are increasingly developing these, and what level of parity exists in the field.

SEI will be joined by three female CTOs for what will we hoping to be an inspiring discussion for budding executives, and fans of interesting stories in the audience.

With the keynote sessions wrapped up, grab a hot drink and a snack before picking your stream of choice – we have five on offer this year to choose from, which will fill on a first come-first served basis.

Don’t worry, there will be breaks between sessions, and the rooms are close by, so you can switch between streams as you go!

In this stream we will be focussing on the individual and aiming to provide content that will not just help the professional, but the person working in our industry.

This stream will aim to provide content on both personal health topics, and on best practice for career development.

Developing an effective company culture can feel like a nebulous proposition; this stream will aim to address the impact of personal topics at work, and how to ensure your workplace is positive and inclusive for staff.

This stream will aim to provide content on both creating and maintaining an effective company culture, and on competitive brand differentiation in an evolving world.

This stream aims to get to the heart of the latest developments in investment products within our industry; what the latest trends are in investment trajectories, and product developments for clients.

This stream will aim to provide content on the latest investment trends, and a substantive view of both domestic and international markets in a time of change.

This stream focusses on the client and the changing nature of the financial adviser and wealth manager in the industry; both in terms of specific advisory trends, and the changing nature of the industry.

This stream will aim to provide content on both different client segments and their needs, and on how to improve soft skills required for a client facing role.

This stream focusses on the increased digitisation of our sector, the impact of rapidly developing technology areas such as AI, and how the future of our industry will be affected by these advancing changes.

The stream will focus on both how new technologies are changing firms, how products within the financial world are adapting, and the impact on investors and clients.

In the high-speed world of financial targets, information overload, and more emails than you should probably receive, balancing pressure can be overwhelming. Building from 2025’s fireside chat with one of the country’s leading transplant surgeons, this session will invite a luminary from a completely different walk of life to financial services to talk to us, where ‘life and death’ is less figurative.

Discussing coping mechanisms for high stress situations, the session will aim to inspire and share easily adoptable techniques that we can all implement when we need them most.

The old adage ‘culture eats strategy for breakfast’ feels like a cliché today – but like many cliches, it is popular for a reason. How effectively a firm maintains its direction of travel long term is a product of subtle action in quiet moments, and a clearly orientated company identity forms the bedrock of this.

In this session, stream sponsor Tatton Investment Management, will give their take on identifying, creating, and maintaining an effective business culture that meets client needs, and supports employee retention.

In an environment of significant global change, including war, tariffs and sanctions, the economics of how the world is developing, and what this means for markets, can feel unclear.

In this session, an economist will give us their take on where we are, what may change, and what this means for professionals in wealth and advice.

A deeply emotional time for clients, with significant financial considerations for them, especially among women, is divorce.

In this session, our expert speaker will cover off the practical considerations for finances, and how the adviser can provide effective support during a time that their client may need them most.

Much is made in the current era of digital transformation, with comparisons made to the emergence of computers, internet, and even previous historical industrial shifts.

In this session, our stream sponsor will tackle the big questions and ask what roles and functions in our sector are facing the most change, where roles will fade, and where new functions are likely to emerge within the sector. What will wealth look like in 2050? We shall speculate.

We have five minutes built into the agenda after each streamed session to move if anyone wants to mix up their streams – or take a breath and relax before the next session!

This session will provide a science-based approach to how different types of training can assist in longevity and lifestyle health. Rising above the fads, the session will aim to inspire delegates on how engaging with physical health can be fun, rather than a chore.

Aiming to inspire in a safe space, this will aim to inspire every attendee to work on their health with a smile on their face.

The era of a job for life is long past – Millennials know they need to stay agile to climb the ladder, while Gen Z are increasingly looking to diversified revenue streams to create their own economic stability.

In this environment how can firms build long term investments in talent? In this session our expert will talk to firms about how to cultivate mutual loyalty with the most talented employees.

This session will look at where gaps exist in demographic strata, how these trends are evolving, and what investment professionals can do to create investment parity in the UK.

This session will give a whistlestop tour of the latest within the gender pay and pensions gap and aim to provide a summary of the issues that exist from limited investor profiles, and the opportunities that are created by broadening our client bases.

FinEd has been a major discussion point for a number of years, both in terms of whether a greater emphasis on its importance is necessary to create improved economic outcomes, and on the methodology for how to go about it – varying schools of thought on it forming a part of standard education, or greater interventions in the workplace.

This session will discuss the arguments in favour of prioritising greater financial literacy and analyse the debate around effective implementation techniques.

Positions towards new cryptocurrency and blockchain technologies has been subtly shifting as time goes by, with some markets being more willing to acknowledge, if not embrace, the changes internationally.

This session will explore what has changed in recent years in terms of regulation and global trends, as well as what the future may hold from CBDC’s – and crucially what this might mean for the UK.

Take a comfort break before our streamed panel discussions begin or move rooms to see what else is going on. Snacks, caffeine and great conversation will be waiting for you in the exhibition area before the final sessions of the day.

You fed back, and we heard! While a number of our previous CEO leadership talks have been enjoyable, we are aware that they could also feel a little unrelatable – so we have organised a special panel discussing navigating the ins and outs of career development in the biggest and most complicated part – the middle!

Our panel of industry luminaries will discuss their experiences of navigating the ‘messy middle’ and impact their advice on how we can shape the trajectory of our career narratives.

We are hosting a number of sessions on personal brand, and its importance to developing and maintaining professional reputation – but what about the brand of your team? All managers have a function promoting and setting the tone for their teams, whether they are aware of it or not.

How do your wider colleagues perceive your team? And how can you put your squad on the best possible footing? Our panel of leaders and managers from across varying functions will weigh in.

Social and impact investment is increasingly discussed, and this session, hosted by one of our event sponsors, the wonderful Charities Aid Foundation, will gather a panel of investment experts to explain what these investments are, how they function, and how advisers can explore these options to meet client needs.

Customer vulnerability is a key strand of work PIMFA undertakes in the sector, with our guides and close collaboration with regulatory and industry partners.

This session will build of this work and shine a specific light on protecting clients that have vulnerable characteristics due to dementia.

Our panel of experts will discuss how to identify vulnerability from dementia, and what advisers can do to help should they encounter this with their clients.

This session will get to the very essence of the stream theme by taking a holistic overview of where the world, and its businesses, have got to over recent years, as everything from AI to blockchain has sprinted into the forefront of our lives.

Looking at the big picture, this panel of experts will discuss the state of play with evolving technology and offer opinions on how businesses can develop technology strategies that keep pace with evolving types while avoiding the pitfalls of moving too quickly.

We have five minutes built into the agenda after each streamed session to move if anyone wants to mix up their streams – or take a breath and relax before the next session!

In an era shaped by AI, building a personal brand that feels authentic and human is your biggest advantage. Clare Gittins and Fiona Moucq, Co-Founders of Ethos, share how leaders and aspiring leaders can use AI to amplify their voice, not replace it.

Expect practical insights on finding your ethos (your unique perspective), balancing authenticity with AI efficiency, and building authority through strategic content. They’ll also tackle common challenges from fear of ‘cringe’ posts to lack of time or low engagement and show you how to confidently stand out and lead with credibility in an AI-powered world.

Neurodiversity is not just a workplace topic, it’s a human one.

In this engaging and neuroaffirming session, Kate La Trobe explores what it really means to understand and embrace neurodiversity, both as an individual and within company culture.

Through interactive reflection and practical insights, this 30-minute session will unpack how greater awareness and understanding form the foundation for meaningful inclusion and support. Attendees will leave with a clearer picture of how to move from awareness to action, creating environments where every brain can thrive.

It has been a busy year for the PIMFA team since the last Symposium, and in this fireside chat, three of our very own experts will sit down to discuss what our advocacy highlights are for 2026, particularly as it pertains to regulatory strategy and our work representing the sector with the FCA and others.

Join us for a whistlestop tour of what goes on at PIMFA behind closed doors, and for tips on how you and you organisation can participate in the conversation.

In this session, and drawing on the latest research, our expert speakers will offer insights on what the profile of retirees currently looks like, what differences arise due to the gender pensions gap, and how advisors considerations of client needs will be changing as the decade progresses.

The eruption of AI based technologies, and large language models has been a game changer in many organisations – getting to grips with what they are and how to use them however, can feel overwhelming. In this session, Monika Morgan will explain how Gen AI/LLMs work, what their functionalities are for writing emails, copy, or even more substantive documents, and help you tell your ABC from ChatGPT.

Monika will also share best practice advice on implementation of AI tools for writing within organisations, and her passionate opinion on why the AI era is NOT the end of human writer’s creativity.

We have five minutes built into the agenda after each streamed session to move if anyone wants to mix up their streams – or take a breath and relax before the final sessions

In this interactive, science-backed session, award-winning Women’s Wellness Expert Stefanie Daniels explores the link between boundaries, biology and burnout. You’ll discover how everyday habits — from what you eat to how you manage your time and technology — directly influence your focus, resilience and emotional wellbeing. Through reflection, real-life tools and practical strategies, you’ll learn how to:

• Identify the habits that drain vs nourish your energy
• Strengthen your emotional, time and digital boundaries
• Use nutrition and daily rhythm to support your nervous system and focus
• Rewire unhelpful patterns so you can show up with clarity, calm and confidence

You’ll leave with simple, actionable ways to protect your energy, boost performance and feel more like yourself again — both at work and beyond.

During this session, Simoné Meyer explores how psychological safety forms the foundation of a mentally healthy workplace. She’ll share practical insights on how managers and employers can recognise early signs that someone may be struggling with their mental health, from subtle behavioural changes to shifts in performance or mood.

Attendees will learn simple, effective ways to start supportive conversations, build trust, and foster an environment where employees feel safe to speak up and seek help. The session will leave leaders feeling more confident, compassionate, and equipped to make mental health a shared responsibility across their teams.

The emergence of different kinds of asset classes in recent years has been an interesting trend to follow for investment professionals; new technologies such as NFTs have opened up conversations about what the nature of value entails, while a trend back towards products that have long existed, such as wine, remind us that there are cycles to client interests.

This session will explore what is evolving currently, and whether there are any new asset types to discuss.

A key facet of abusive relationships is often financial control, and signs of this from clients can be a red flag for something darker.

This session will walk through what ECC is, how it can be identified by advisors, why it comprises an element of client vulnerability, and what can be done by advisors who suspect this situation within client dynamics.

AI has developed rapidly in the past few years, but many argue the change has only just begun, and that now is the time to really focus on understanding how we can ensure our new technologies are safe, ethically viable, and sustainable in the long term.

In this session, former Rolls-Royce and Lego Ethical AI expert and speaker Michaela D’Mello, will break down the basics of what this is, how companies can futureproof their implementations in terms of safety and responsibility, and why she is positive about the future we can create with these new technologies.

Closing the stream, we will reflect on the sessions of the day, and our chair’s key takeaways from the conversations that took place – as well looking ahead to what is coming on Day 2!

Closing the stream, we will reflect on the sessions of the day, and our chair’s key takeaways from the conversations that took place – as well looking ahead to what is coming on Day 2!

Closing the stream, we will reflect on the sessions of the day, and our chair’s key takeaways from the conversations that took place – as well looking ahead to what is coming on Day 2!

Closing the stream, we will reflect on the sessions of the day, and our chair’s key takeaways from the conversations that took place – as well looking ahead to what is coming on Day 2!

Closing the stream, we will reflect on the sessions of the day, and our chair’s key takeaways from the conversations that took place – as well looking ahead to what is coming on Day 2!

After a day of intense content, we would like to ensure our delegates can get a breather where they can, and this break is designed to allow delegates to return to hotel rooms to change if they are staying, or just to sit down for a drink and a chat.

This year’s dinner is designed to be a relaxed affair and create a safe space for discussing themes raised at the event, and more generally make connections, and hopefully, friends!

The Women’s Symposium is a celebration of the sector, and we are looking forward to hosting delegates to a dinner. We want our delegates to connect, discuss, laugh and form connections and friendships, and this dinner is designed to facilitate just that.

No sessions, but lots of awesome people, and an enviable menu (our team have just conducted the tastings, and the reviews have been nothing short of rave).

We hope you can join us and can’t wait to see you.

We look forward to welcoming you back – especially those of you that were enjoying the Gala Dinner – grab your coffee and pastries before the show recommences!

PIMFA CEO and Symposium founder Liz Field will again start the day by giving her thoughts on her favourite sessions from the first day, welcoming back our delegates, and again giving some tips on her most anticipated sessions for the second day!

To kick off the second day we will be securing an industry luminary to give their macro-overview of the direction of travel for economics, geopolitics, and what this means for the UK’s financial services industry.

Stay tuned for the speaker announcements – previous speakers in this slot have been the incomparable Holly Mackay and Charlotte Crosswell OBE respectively – not one to miss!

In this session, a former longtime industry executive will reflect on their career, and what led them through the journey they took. Expect reflections on how they would advise their younger self, an inspirational story, and one person’s take on the balance of the nature of leadership with managing self-doubt.

A recommended event highlight from the organising team.

In this lively discussion, four of our stream sponsors will join forces to discuss the nuts and bolts of investment practice, and what their perspectives on effective balance for portfolios in 2026.

Expect lively debate, sage opinions and a few laughs along the way.

After the excitement of the morning, enjoy a delicious brunch and some well-earned networking time – we look forward to seeing you there!

In this stream we will be focussing on the individual and aiming to provide content that will not just help the professional, but the person working in our industry.

This stream will aim to provide content on both personal health topics, and on best practice for career development.

Developing an effective company culture can feel like a nebulous proposition; this stream will aim to address the impact of personal topics at work, and how to ensure your workplace is positive and inclusive for staff.

This stream will aim to provide content on both creating and maintaining an effective company culture, and on competitive brand differentiation in an evolving world.

This stream aims to get to the heart of the latest developments in investment products within our industry; what the latest trends are in investment trajectories and product developments for clients.

This stream will aim to provide content on the latest investment trends, and a substantive view of domestic and international markets in a time of change.

This stream focusses on the client and the changing nature of the financial adviser and wealth manager in the industry; both in terms of specific advisory trends, and the changing nature of the industry.

This stream will aim to provide content on both different clien t segments and their needs, and on how to improve soft skills required for a client facing role.

This stream focusses on the increased digitisation of our sector, the impact of rapidly developing technology areas such as AI, and how the future of our industry will be affected by these advancing changes. The stream will focus on both how new technologies are changing firms, how products within the financial world are adapting, and the impact on investors and clients.

In this session, recruitment experts will give a refresher on exactly how to do a CV – it sounds obvious, but how many of us struggle to translate our careers into a tangible concise resume when it comes time to put pen to paper?

This session will walk through tips and pitfalls, as well as how to ensure your CV makes it past automatic filters increasingly in place to help companies deal with high numbers of applicants.

In a crowded marketplace, how can any of us stand out and rise above the noise?

In this session, a branding expert from the intense world of consumer retail will give their take on what firms can do to create awareness, identity, and appeal to new strata of potential clients.

Bridging a generational gap between an ageing population, and greater economic difficulty for younger people still setting themselves up economically, there is an increased trend for people supporting both elderly parents, and older children financially.

This trend is anticipated by many to continue, and this session will explore what these additional financial requirements mean for those seeking investment advice and support.

Creating a culture of client centricity is easy to say, but harder to do.

This session will focus on what ‘client centricity’ really means, and how an organisation can tangibly demonstrate it.

It will also ask the question of how ensuring client prioritisation stands the test of time, as the maelstrom of change and global negativity threatens the resolve of organisations globally doing the ‘right thing’.

Within the discussions on the ‘great wealth transfer’ and generational shifts in client bases, there is a technological shift in how new clients prefer engagement. The controversies around ‘finfluencers’ indicate a wider issue then the need to clamp down on unregulated advice, but how we as wealth and advice firms engage with a younger client base, one whose importance will only grow with time as wealth transfers.

This session will explore how firms can stay digitally relevant, and safeguard younger generations against unqualified content on social media.

This session will explore how firms can stay digitally relevant, and safeguard younger generations against unqualified ‘advice’ on social media.

We have five minutes built into the agenda after each streamed session to move if anyone wants to mix up their streams – or take a breath and relax before the next session!

Following on from one of last year’s event highlights, the incredible panel on pregnancy loss and fertility, we are carrying on the conversation about spreading awareness and encouraging employer support for women (and partners) working through fertility issues.

This session will be provided by an expert and will offer information and where to find support resources for anyone who requires it.

In the UK, one woman is killed every five days, on average, by a current or former partner.

In this session, survivor and MBE awarded activist Sharon Livermore will talk about how employers can develop and implement a Domestic Abuse Policy and understanding that even small actions can save lives.

With an ageing population and greater strain than ever on retirement requirements, some argue that the answer may lie in education and encouraging greater prioritisation towards investment akin to that seen in the US, building off a strong foundation of the UK’s savings culture.

This session will explore what this could look like, and what would be required to develop it.

Dealing with ultra-high net worth clients can be intimidating; their requirements can be significant, and their expectations demanding.

This session will analyse trends in requirements of this client segment, and offer insights into how this demographic like to deal with their wealth manager, covering both research insights and ‘soft skills’.

Effective digitisation within organisations is about far more than buying and integrating the latest tech – myriad implementations fail after the fact due to use of new tools not landing with employees.

In this session an expert consultant, with significant experience of global digital upskilling projects, will talk about how organisations effectively transform through cultural innovation, and avoid ‘buy it and leave it on the shelf’ scenarios.

We have five minutes built into the agenda after each streamed session to move if anyone wants to mix up their streams – or take a breath and relax before the next session!

In this final session, we will be running an interactive workshop on a lighter note – colour matching and personal style! In this session we will be connecting with image specialists to come in and talk to our delegates about how they can optimise their look and project their best selves.

Hopefully a bit of fun to close out our personal development stream – Liz will see you there for this one!

In this interactive session former L’Oreal and Coca-Cola executive Gaëlle Deschamps will bring her experience from the latter’s Global Leadership Faculty, and as the Executive Coach for High-Potential Women, to talk about how to develop confidence, pull the weeds and plant the seeds in your mental garden, and own your career journey to get to where you want to go.

This workshop is designed to act as a reminder of the many areas there are within the HUGE world of investment.

In addition to giving an overview of what the latest investment practices are, it will also signpost where delegates can learn more and develop themselves in emerging and niche areas of the industry, to develop themselves and offer the broadest expertise and value to their clients.

The ‘soft skills’ required of advisers and wealth professionals are often underestimated in the volume of fact-based knowledge they are required to retain – but it is equally important in connecting with, and effectively servicing clients.

This workshop will recap popular personality modelling tools, such as DiSC and Myers-Briggs, and how this can translate to better understanding the variety of personality types encountered among clients.

As 2025 attendees are already aware, Sneha’s ‘How to become an AI-enhanced human’ workshop was one of the runaway successes from the last event.

Due to popular request in the feedback forms last year, Sneha will be returning to give an updated workshop on how you can integrate new technologies into your life to optimise your professional lifestyle.

Take a comfort break before we return to the main stage to close the show! Snacks, caffeine and great conversation will be waiting for you in the exhibition area before the final sessions of the day.

As previous attendees know, we save our best for last and endeavour to finish the event with the best last – following in the footsteps of Christies CEO Anthea Peers in 2025, this year’s special guest will be a can’t miss, and surefire inspiration to close the show.

We will be announcing this year’s icon soon!