Plenary speakers
Julian is the Deputy Head of the Prudential Regulation Authority and its Insurance Executive Director. He is the UK’s Board member of EIOPA and also sits on its Managing Board, Chairs the Review Panel and is a member of the Mediation panel. His other international commitments include sitting on the Executive Committee of the IAIS.
He read History at Cambridge and has previously worked at the Bank of England and the Financial Services Authority in a variety of senior management roles.
A writer and broadcaster, Michael devised Radio 4’s long-running More or Less, and recently The Human Zoo, which he presents. His books include The Tiger that Isn't, about numbers in the news, The Norm Chronicles - stories and numbers about danger, with Professor David Spiegelhalter, and (forthcoming) A History of Britain in Numbers, a book and series with Andrew Dilnot. He also teaches at Oxford Business School and the BBC.
Alistair Darling served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2007 to 2010, during the most turbulent and far-reaching economic crisis the world had seen for 60 years. He introduced the measures needed to avert a collapse of the banking system, and played a leading part in restoring stability to global financial markets.
Alistair worked as a solicitor in Edinburgh before being called to the Scottish Bar and entering Parliament. He became Chief Secretary to the Treasury in Tony Blair’s first Cabinet, moving to Work & Pensions, then taking joint responsibility for the Scotland Office and the Department of Transport. His final role under Prime Minister Blair was at the helm of Trade & Industry, after which Gordon Brown promoted him to the Treasury.
As Chancellor, Alistair Darling was widely credited with preventing recession from spiralling into a repeat of the Great Depression. By the time he left office, government borrowing was less than forecast, and unemployment and repossessions were both lower than many had anticipated. Looking forward he believes that Labour must stay in the centre ground, and that the country won’t be able to adapt to future needs unless both private and public sectors work together.
Paul Moore is the former Head of Group Regulatory Risk for HBOS. He hit the headlines when his evidence to a Treasury Select Committee revealed how his appeals to his employers that excessive risks were being taken in the company lead directly to his dismissal.
Having qualified as a barrister, Paul made the switch to banking, specialising in financial risk and regulation. After almost three decades in The City, including seven years as a partner at KPMG, Paul moved to the Halifax Bank of Scotland group.
After three years with the bank, Paul was dismissed after bringing the board’s attention to what he saw as a dangerously relaxed view of investment risk. He was disturbed by the methods being used to assess how risky loans were, and the casual way senior figures viewed investments that could have serious implications for the solvency of the company.
Within two years of his dismissal, the world was in the grip of the worst financial crisis in a hundred years. Despite having agreed to remain silent after leaving HBOS, Paul felt it more important to speak out. His select committee evidence exposed the collusion of senior executives in the imprudent sales culture and lead to the resignation of HBOS chief executive Sir James Crosby. With the credit crunch and the banking crisis dominating the headlines, the usually reserved and private Moore consequently found himself at the centre of a media storm.
Paul has seen close up the bad practises which brought down one of the UK’s biggest banks, and how a dangerous attitude to risk in some areas infected the whole organisation. He now runs his own risk consultancy, and continues to fight for a more cautious, closely regulated financial structure.
Tom Wright is Group Chief Executive of Age UK. Age UK turns over nearly £400m with its local partners and has 4 divisions: Age UK Charitable activity; Age International; Age UK Retail, Training and Trading; and Age UK Enterprises providing leading financial services to over 1 million customers.
Tom also sits on the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), he is a Trustee of GO ON UK and most recently he became a Non-Executive Director of the Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust.
Previous roles include CEO of VisitBritain and Managing Director of Saga Holidays.