The Annual M&A Breakfast: Looking Back at 2025 — Setting the Pace for 2026

Liz joined PIMFA (then known as the Wealth Management Association) as Chief Executive in 2014.

She has 30 years financial services experience, 20 of which as a Chief Executive. She successfully transformed and advised several businesses through redefining strategy, re-branding, change management and inspirational leadership, creating profitable businesses.

She has substantive experience of people and corporate culture risk, regulatory knowhow across the industry – banking, insurance and wealth management and providing good practice guidelines for the industry to adopt.
She is an accredited coach and industry leader encouraging collaborative participation of diverse groups of industry experts to address sector challenges and to leverage industry resources for collective benefit.

Liz holds a degree in Psychology and a Masters in Occupational Psychology from Birkbeck.

Simon joined PIMFA in November 2017 as a Senior Policy Adviser with a focus on public policy and long term savings. He has previously worked at the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) and the Treasury in a variety of roles working on a number of issues including automatic enrolment, pension freedoms and the UK’s response to the financial crisis.

Simon has a strong interest in long term savings issues with a particular focus on overcoming behavioural barriers and the support structures that can be put in place in order to help and encourage a thriving savings culture in the UK.

Simon Blackburn is the head of financial services M&A in our corporate finance practice, leading a team of M&A advisors with strong experience in insurance, asset and wealth management, specialty finance, leasing, mortgages, payments, and fintech.

Simon specialise in general insurance: working with insurers, Lloyd's managing agents, and intermediaries across a range of strategic advisory and transactional matters.

Jonathan Charles is a director in Grant Thornton’s financial services group regulatory risk management practice, with significant experience in helping clients deal with the challenges of current regulations or emerging requirements.

He’s also the engagement director in our investment management sector Skilled Person work, and support firms responding to regulatory interventions.

Jonathan’s practice is focused on the investment management sector, where he advises a wide range of buy-side and sell-side firms, as well as retail firms including wealth managers, advisers, and platform businesses, on wholesale conduct matters.

He also has extensive experience advising banking clients and non-bank lenders and has been actively engaged for many years in investment firm prudential requirements, the design of effective risk management frameworks, and the strengthening of culture and governance across the financial services sector.

David is a partner in Grant Thorntons Financial Services Regulatory Advisory practice where he help clients dealing with the challenges of current regulation or emerging requirements.

David is one of the most active individuals in the UK carrying out Skilled Person Reviews instigated by the regulator, alongside which I also frequently advise firms on how to respond to a regulatory investigation.

Anthony advises on the full range of corporate transactions, from M&A, complex structuring and equity investments to fundraisings and governance advice. Anthony has a great deal of experience advising clients on transactions in all aspects of the financial services sector, and he is recognised as a financial services specialist in The Legal 500.

Anthony’s clients look to him for strategic advice on a wide variety of corporate and personal matters. His clients are both UK based and international. He advises a number of clients on international transactions including inbound investments into the UK. Anthony is a regular speaker at conferences, both in the UK and overseas.

Simon Blackburn is the head of financial services M&A in our corporate finance practice, leading a team of M&A advisors with strong experience in insurance, asset and wealth management, specialty finance, leasing, mortgages, payments, and fintech.

Simon specialise in general insurance: working with insurers, Lloyd's managing agents, and intermediaries across a range of strategic advisory and transactional matters.

Jonathan Charles is a director in Grant Thornton’s financial services group regulatory risk management practice, with significant experience in helping clients deal with the challenges of current regulations or emerging requirements.

He’s also the engagement director in our investment management sector Skilled Person work, and support firms responding to regulatory interventions.

Jonathan’s practice is focused on the investment management sector, where he advises a wide range of buy-side and sell-side firms, as well as retail firms including wealth managers, advisers, and platform businesses, on wholesale conduct matters.

He also has extensive experience advising banking clients and non-bank lenders and has been actively engaged for many years in investment firm prudential requirements, the design of effective risk management frameworks, and the strengthening of culture and governance across the financial services sector.

David is a partner in Grant Thorntons Financial Services Regulatory Advisory practice where he help clients dealing with the challenges of current regulation or emerging requirements.

David is one of the most active individuals in the UK carrying out Skilled Person Reviews instigated by the regulator, alongside which I also frequently advise firms on how to respond to a regulatory investigation.

Anthony advises on the full range of corporate transactions, from M&A, complex structuring and equity investments to fundraisings and governance advice. Anthony has a great deal of experience advising clients on transactions in all aspects of the financial services sector, and he is recognised as a financial services specialist in The Legal 500.

Anthony’s clients look to him for strategic advice on a wide variety of corporate and personal matters. His clients are both UK based and international. He advises a number of clients on international transactions including inbound investments into the UK. Anthony is a regular speaker at conferences, both in the UK and overseas.

Simon is the Advisory Director at Square 4 and supports firms across financial services with regulatory change; risk management; governance and controls design and implementation; strategy, policy and process development.

Simon has a wealth of experience leading advisory teams across all financial services verticals and has led and implemented various significant regulatory change projects.

At the Financial Conduct Authority, Laura is responsible for Authorisation applications across a range of sectors, as well as the cancellation and changes in control for regulated firms. Laura is also responsible for the FCA’s early and high growth oversight function which is the bridge between authorisation and wider supervision. This function provides enhanced supervision for firms as they get used to their regulatory status and supports them to understand their obligations so they can meet required standards as they grow. It also ensures that the FCA can identify and address harm developing in newly authorised firms quicker.

The FCA’s contact centre which is the first point of contact for consumers and most regulated firms is also within Laura’s remit.

At the Financial Conduct Authority, Laura is responsible for Authorisation applications across a range of sectors, as well as the cancellation and changes in control for regulated firms. Laura is also responsible for the FCA’s early and high growth oversight function which is the bridge between authorisation and wider supervision. This function provides enhanced supervision for firms as they get used to their regulatory status and supports them to understand their obligations so they can meet required standards as they grow. It also ensures that the FCA can identify and address harm developing in newly authorised firms quicker.

The FCA’s contact centre which is the first point of contact for consumers and most regulated firms is also within Laura’s remit.

Katherine Browne is Head of Department, Authorisations at the Financial Conduct Authority, where she leads teams responsible for assessing applications from firms and individuals seeking to operate within the UK financial services sector.

With deep regulatory expertise, she plays a pivotal role in ensuring that only those meeting the FCA’s high standards of conduct, capability, and financial soundness are approved. Katherine’s work spans a wide range of sectors, including investment, advice, and consumer credit.

She regularly engages with industry stakeholders on regulatory expectations, the authorisation process, and how authorisations support market integrity, competition, and consumer protection.