Chris Thomas is the Chief Executive Officer at ARTes Specialty and a member of the Board of Directors.

Chris has over 20 years’ underwriting experience across International Construction and Casualty lines of Business in Syndicate, Company market and MGA’s. He has launched and led underwriting teams delivering innovative risk solutions in challenging market spaces.

When not doing insurance things, Chris can be found out walking the dogs with his family or messing around with cars.

Darius is the Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Wrisk. With a career spanning executive leadership roles in consultancy, corporate multinationals, insurers and cutting-edge startups, Darius has a wealth of experience. His consultancy background has honed his ability to tackle complex technical and organisational challenges effectively.

Before co-founding Wrisk in 2016, Darius was the Head of Digital at Markel International, where he led a major digital transformation initiative. He also served as a Principal Consultant and Head of Experience Design at ThoughtWorks, a global IT consultancy known for pioneering the agile software movement, innovation, social advocacy, and enterprise-class software engineering. His other significant roles include Head of User-Experience and Product Ownership at Isotrak (logistics & telematics), and Head of New Media at Cambridge University Press & Assessment.

Darius is deeply passionate about leveraging technology for competitive advantage, evidence-based decision-making, and enhancing customer experience. He advocates for creating learning organisations where innovation thrives, and he believes in servant leadership as a means to empower teams.

Mathew joined CII in November 2022 as Chief Digital & Information Officer, he now runs the newly formed Digital and Technology Transformation Directorate, encompassing Information Services, Enterprise Project Management, Business Transformation, Facilities, Customer Services and Middle office operations.

Mathew is a multi-award-winning technology executive, non-executive director, board advisor and speaker with international experience in successfully delivering digital and technology strategy and transformations. With a successful background across Oil & Gas, Retail, Central Government, Law Enforcement, Insurance and the UK Space Sector, leveraging skills in building Digital and Technology strategies, that align with business outcomes, whilst addressing technological debt. He supported NHS Scotland 111 during peak demand in 2020, through spear heading the design and delivery of AI Chatbot solution during the height of the pandemic within the month, to deal with over a million Covid-19 enquiries to date.

Elliot has worked in financial services for over 15 years covering mortgages, banking and insurance most recently as Strategic Development Director for Ageas UK. He has a strong background in IT, developing strategies and monitoring emerging trends.

Keith is a founding director and CEO of the Consumer Duty Alliance (CDA), an independent, not-for-profit professional body, for the sector by the sector. The CDA is consumer focused and brings together a cross-sector Alliance for the sharing of 'good practice' to support members, engage Policymakers on key consumer duty matters and raise the profile of the profession and the value of professional advice with the public.

A recognised leader within the financial services sector, Keith has over 38 years experience operating at executive level, has an established media profile and is regularly called upon for comment both home and abroad by various organisations, including Trade and National press.

Keith established a strong media profile whilst leading the Personal Finance Society as Chief Executive Officer, also incorporating the role of Chief Membership Officer of the Chartered Insurance Institute, prior to which he was an executive board director of one of the UK’s largest IFA Networks, Tenet Group and prior to that he was Head of Retail Distribution for the largest mutual insurance company in the UK, Royal London Group. Actively engaged in the promotion of financial services within the UK and internationally, he has contributed to various boards, including PFS, Tenet, RL Retail, AIFA, AMI, European Financial Planning Association (EFPA) and various government and regulatory working groups.

Keith is also the founding Chair of the Financial Vulnerability Taskforce, which is an independent representative body covering the Personal Finance and wider Financial Services Sector. Its ultimate purpose is to promote greater understanding, encourage appropriate behaviours and establish good practice in respect of consumer vulnerability.

As Chief Technical Officer at the MIB Nick is responsible for building strong relationships with the Government, Civil Service departments and the European Commission, among others. He works closely with public affairs teams across the insurance industry to understand what policy changes are on the horizon and to influence areas of common interest by speaking with one voice.

Nick’s experience covers both private and public sectors. He worked for Allianz as Branch Claims Controller in Maidstone and is a Chartered Insurer. This was followed by 19 years in the Civil Service, mainly in the Foreign Office. He served overseas for the Foreign Office in India, Austria and Saudi Arabia as HM Consul. He has significant policy experience in multilateral diplomacy, North Africa, the EU and Gibraltar.

Janthana is the CEO of Tapoly, a pioneering on-demand insurance provider for SMEs and freelancers. She has been recognized as the 6th Top Woman Founder to Watch by Forbes and as one of the Top 10 Insurtech Female Influencers by The Insurance Institute. Recently, she has won prestigious awards such as the Innovator Of The Year Award at the UK Fintech Awards 2023 and the Insurance Leader of the Year Award at the Women In Finance Awards 2021. Before joining Tapoly, Janthana worked at top-tier investment banks.

Emily Campbell-Ratcliffe is Head of AI Assurance at the UK’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). Emily leads DSIT’s efforts to support the growth of an ethical, trustworthy, and effective AI assurance ecosystem in the UK, a key pillar of support for realising the UK’s AI governance framework. She represents the UK at the OECD’s Working Party on AI Governance, and is also part of the OECD.AI network of experts, contributing to their Expert Groups on AI Risk & Accountability and Compute & Climate. Emily has worked in AI policy for several years, and prior to joining government worked in the private sector on international AI governance policy. Outside of her roles she has published work on the responsible publication of AI research, and how to manage its risks.

I am a versatile intrapreneur who succeeded in making innovation and bold growth strategies happen within a large financial institution. Simultaneously, I built a portfolio of private investments and left my comfort zone to set up a winery from ground up. Fifteen years of experience in strategy and business development coupled with strong analytical skills and high emotional intelligence make me a great sparring partner to shape and seize business opportunities. I am lateral thinker always willing to explore different angles and harness the power of diverse teams. Experience and my passion for psychology allow me to excel at people leadership and at managing ambiguity while keeping focus on what truly matters.

Director of Client Services and Innovation at Robertsons.  David has worked within Claims since 1997 holding leadership roles with both Insurers and Service Providers.  David is Robertsons Senior Management lead on delegated Claims Fraud Management and the Robertsons Claims TPA.

I am a data & analytics professional with over 10 years experience across music and fintech industries.
In Sept 2021 I graduated from Imperial College's MSc in Business Analytics, where I applied advanced and rigorous data science techniques to problems ranging from workforce to healthcare.I focus on achieving business goals by developing high-performing analytics teams, fostering strong data cultures and building modern and scalable data platforms.

I thrive in environments that encourage intellectual curiosity, strategic thinking and a collaborative approach to solving problems through technology.

Lauren is Head of Digital Trading at Aurora, where she leads the product requirements for brokers, and the hands on execution of sales.  With over a decade of expertise driving innovation in insurance, she is certified in Scrum and excels in digital transformation, strategic leadership and operational excellence.

Seasoned professional with successful history for leading D&A research and consulting assignments globally across clients in Financial Services, Energy and Utilities, Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Telecom and Media.
Currently am a Director in Gartner Consulting for Data, Analytics and AI practice with responsibility of managing and growing the UK&I business.

Gabriel joined Homeprotect in 2020 and is currently Head of Customer Strategy. He leads all aspects of Homeprotect's customer strategy to drive more customers to join, renew and recommend Homeprotect, managing a team that oversees customer strategy and analytics, customer propositions and UX/UI. He is the Chair of the company-wide Customer Experience Forum, a monthly review of all customer initiatives, feedback and transformation projects attended by the CEO and other SLT members. Prior to joining the company, he worked in growth and customer strategy development roles for Fintech startups. Gabriel was nominated as a finalist in September 2024 for The Insurance Times Young Achiever Award.

Andrea Pace is a strategic technology leader with over 15 years of experience in shaping innovation roadmaps and delivering scalable solutions for global organisations in the insurance and fintech sectors. Currently serving as Head of Engineering at Brit Insurance, Andrea drives technical strategy and operational excellence across the entire company’s portfolio. He has a strong track record of fostering high-performance teams and spearheading digital transformation initiatives, aligning technology with business goals to create competitive advantages. Andrea is passionate about leveraging modern tech stacks, cloud computing, and agile methodologies to simplify complex systems and drive innovation.

Sanat is a multilingual Chartered Accountant with Management analytics, Financial modelling and Business partnering skills who is passionate about Shareholder Value creation. He streamlines and automates Finance processes and drives towards Efficiency and Control. He eases Decision making via actionable Business insights and interactive Dashboards. Sanat is a keen and constant Learner, and has recently completed Columbia Business School’s Business Analytics course. He currently supports restructuring and divesting of Zurich Insurance’s global Non-core portfolios from Finance perspective. Before Zurich Insurance, Sanat had a progressive Accountancy practice career and has served clients from various industries including Hospitality.

Bobby Shang is currently the Head of Pricing, Casualty at Inigo Insurance since March 2021. Previously, Bobby worked at Everest Reinsurance Company as a Pricing Actuary in Everest Global Markets. Bobby has also held roles such as an Interim Manager of Actuarial Function at Syndicate 2786, Syndicate Actuary at International Insurance, and various actuarial positions at XL Catlin and Chubb. Bobby's educational background includes a Master's degree in Entrepreneurship from the University of Cambridge, a degree in Actuarial Science from The London School of Economics and Political Science, and attending Hills Road Sixth Form College in Cambridge.

Rob’s career in insurance started as a consultant for the newly formed RAC Insurance Broker in 2010 where he set up and ran distribution for RAC. When Aviva divested itself from RAC a year later, Rob stayed on to become a founding member of the Quotemehappy.com team where again, he set up the Price Comparison channel and over the next 9 years became responsible for Propositions, Trading and Distribution. His most notable achievements during this time were:

• Launched QMH Motor and QMH Home into the PCW Channels delivering over 1.5m customers over 9 years
• Implemented Agile work methodology into QMH
• Re-launched the GA (General Accident Brand), GA Telematics product and relaunched the Household Product for the price comparison market.

Rob went onto to join esure in 2019 where he launched esure Flex, the first new product line in 20 years for esure as well as transforming the aggregator relationships through the use of best in class commercial practices.

Since 2023 Rob has been working with Got You Covered, as Head of Household Insurance.

I am passionate about technology, particularly AI, which I consider the driving force of tomorrow's innovation. My journey in the IT industry spans over 17 years, during which I've witnessed the incredible transformative power of AI.

Certified by Google and Microsoft as an Azure Administrator Associate and having honed my skills through intensive training in Containers and DevOps, I bring a wealth of expertise to the table.

My focus lies in cloud administration, automation architecture, and devSecOps—areas that empower me to conceptualize and implement innovative, scalable solutions that push the boundaries of what's possible.

As an Engineering Manager for the Middleware API Chapter, I lead a dynamic team of engineers who excel in various technologies. My role involves providing unwavering technical guidance and mentorship, ensuring that our projects adhere to the highest standards and best practices.

Beyond my professional pursuits, I am dedicated to making a positive impact on society and the environment. My ultimate goal is to be a catalyst for the digital transformation and sustainable growth of our organization, while contributing to the social and environmental responsibility of the industry.

Manu Mazumdar is the Head of Data Analytics and Insurance Technology at Conning’s Insurance Research. His 25+ years’ executive experience in the insurance industry spans across global private equity, management consulting, retirement, technology, and global sourcing industries. He led retirement and investment groups at MassMutual Life Insurance Co. and was the president at Arrowpoint Technologies, a global PE company. He currently serves on multiple Boards as Director and Corporator. Mr. Mazumdar holds an MBA from West Chester University, and Executive Leadership Degrees from Harvard University.

Babs is a distinguished executive with over 13 years of experience serving on various leadership teams, where he has been a driving force behind significant organisational transformations. His leadership is defined by a strategic mindset and a commitment to fostering innovation. Through a holistic approach, he excels in identifying and nurturing talent, promoting a culture of excellence, and ensuring that organisations are resilient and well-equipped to navigate the challenges of a rapidly changing landscape.

His ability to synthesize complex information and translate it into actionable strategies has been a key factor in his success. Above all, Babs is a mentor and a visionary, whose influence extends beyond the boardroom. He is dedicated to leaving a lasting impact on every organisation he touches, guiding them towards sustainable success and innovation.

A member of TheCityUk Next generation Leadership Council, public speaker and a mentor. Motivated by the challenge of leveraging technology to create value, improve lives, and solve problems.

With over 25 years experience in the insurance sector both in UK & Australia. I bring professionalism, high quality service and solid understanding of our customer's insurance needs. Through senior roles at both insurers and brokers I have a broad and deep understanding of customer expectations, the needs of brokers, and how to deliver value.

I deliver a balance of technical insurance skills and a pragmatic approach to risk and insurance .

I understand what it takes to build a business founded on providing high quality service to customers. I have an understanding how to leverage the marketing and sales process to deliver this message. My time managing a P&L has provided me with an understanding of both top line growth and bottom line management.

I appreciate the strength of a collegiate approach and drawing relevant and complementary skills to work as a team to deliver a total solution to clients.