Meet the judges

We're delighted to welcome back our panel of independent judges for the Just Group 2023 Vulnerable Customer Awards. This year we are also joined by Jonathan Barrett, CEO and Co founder at Comentis. Our judges bring well respected industry expertise and their specialisms in vulnerability, digital solutions, financial advice, learning and development, compliance and customer service.

Tish is a barrister and Founder and Joint Chairman of the Society of Later Life Advisers (SOLLA). She has worked extensively in the areas of policy development, financial, legal training and advice delivery in relation to older people. Tish is involved in national standard setting and accreditation for financial and legal advisers in the older client sector. Her areas of expertise encompass the retirement market and how policy impacts on retirement and care. 

Tish has worked with government departments and a variety of third sector and private organisations in developing and supporting good practice in relation to older and vulnerable clients. She was involved with the implementation and delivery of the Care Act 2014 and sat on two working parties at the Department of Health, which contributed to drafting parts of the legislation.

She is Vice Chair of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) in her home county of Kent and a Founder Member of Solicitors for the Elderly, for which she is Head of Business Development.

Keith Richards photo

A recognised leader within the financial services sector, Keith has over 40 years’ experience operating at executive level across manufacturing, distribution, Financial Planning and regulation. He has led the evolution of the largest Professional Membership Body for Personal Finance in the UK and Internationally, the Personal Finance Society (PFS). 

Keith is a founding director of the Financial Vulnerability Taskforce (FVT), which is an Independent Community Interest Company (CIC) and director of The Investment Network (TIN) board.

Supporting the financial services sector to build trust with policymakers and the public is a core objective of the FVT. It has a vision of greater collaboration to better serve the needs of the Public and augment the vital role that financial planning plays in society.

Johnny Timpson OBE has over 40 years’ insurance and banking sector leadership and business development experience and is the principal of Johnny Timpson Consulting.

His other roles include: Financial Inclusion Commissioner, Member of the Financial Services Consumer Panel, the Prime Minister’s Champion Group for Dementia Communities and the BIBA Access To Insurance Committee.

He is also part of the Building Resilient Households Group, the Institute of Faculty Actuaries Mental Health Working Group, and GAIN (the Group for Autism, Insurance, Investment and Neurodiversity).

Johnny is an ambassador for GriefChat bereavement counselling and support service, and the Invictus Games Scotland 2027 Bid.

Awarded an OBE in the 2022 New Year’s Honours, Johnny is a former Cabinet Office Disability and Access Ambassador for both the insurance and banking sectors (both public appointments). He founded and chaired the ‘Access To Insurance’ Working Group and also the TISA Consumer Protection Committee.

 

From December 2020: Head of Financial Planning, Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment

2017-2020: Paraplanner/Business Development, Robur Wealth Management

2004-2016: Various roles at the CISI, including Head of Middle East and North Africa, and Head of Education Development

2001-2003: Various roles at Alliance Trade Finance and Alexander McQueen 

 

John has been involved in regulated financial services for the last 30 years and has worked as a Financial Adviser, Regional Manager and Account Manager for leading financial services companies such as Aviva, AXA, and Legal & General. John was previously the Regulated Learning and Development Manager at Nationwide Building Society and prior to this was a Regulated Learning and Development Consultant at Intrinsic Financial Services, now Quilter. 

For the last five years, John has taken great pride in helping the next generation of mortgage and financial advice professionals achieve their qualification ambitions and fulfil a vital role in the UK financial services profession.

Jenny Cadman photo

Jenny has worked in customer experience throughout her career, is a chartered member of CMI (Chartered Management Institute) and a qualified coach.

Jenny has a wealth of experience within financial services, gained at Prudential in their intermediary division, Capita in their financial services division and in the leisure and hospitality industry.

At Just, Jenny is at the heart of bringing the voice of the customer into the Group in a very practical and realistic way. She believes: “… this approach helps people develop empathy for customers and a better understanding and appreciation of the challenges of later life.”

Jenny leads a team of customer experience specialists, who together have a wealth of insight and first-hand experience on how to best support customers when they're most in need and ensuring they have a ‘Just’ experience.

Jenny leads the Vulnerable Customer Programme at Just. She works with senior leaders and vulnerable customer champions to continually improve support for customers across all touchpoints within the organisation.

Chris is a Research Fellow at the University of Bristol and Vulnerability Lead at the Money Advice Trust.

Since 2007, he has led a programme of award-winning guidance, research, training, and intervention on vulnerability.

This has involved improving practice in more than 300 firms, with 30,000 staff, and right across the financial and essential service sectors.

Previously Chris was a Research Fellow and Head of Policy at the Royal College of Psychiatrists where he led research programmes and national mental health policy development.

Prior to this he was Researcher at Imperial College Medical School where he worked on international WHO and United Nations research studies and public health projects in the areas of HIV and STI prevention.

Jonathan has over 22 years experience in bringing new digital solutions to the financial services market and has worked at both large multinational corporates as well as small high growth fintech businesses.

He has authored papers on the value of financial advice as well as a white paper on the use of technology and digital channels amongst the post retirement generation. He has also been a speaker and panel attendee at a number of conferences on the use of technology and Artificial Intelligence to help engage consumers in improving their financial wellbeing.