MALG Conference 2025 Speakers
Also see the programme and session synopses.
Opening Speaker: Abigail Marshall Katung, former Lord Mayor of Leeds
Abigail was the 130th Lord Mayor of Leeds – the first African Lord Mayor to represent the city. She supported Leeds Community Foundation during her term of office as they shared her vision to build a fairer Leeds for everyone.
She is now Little London, Leeds City Centre & Woodhouse Ward Councillor.
Keynote Speaker: Lee Healey, IncomeMAX
Lee Healey started his career at the Department for Work and Pensions as a decision maker handling benefits and later worked as a benefits adviser and manager with the Disablement Association of Barking & Dagenham in his Essex homeland. He earned a certificate in Money Advice Practice and Debt Advice at Staffordshire University after founding IncomeMAX in 2009.
Lee has built the Community Interest Company from the ground up, transforming it into a leading UK social enterprise that blends human-centred financial advice with AI-powered innovation. His commitment to helping vulnerable individuals and low income households claim every penny of support they’re entitled to has driven IncomeMAX to identify well over £50 million in new income for more than 150,000 households.
As one of the top 100 influential people on LinkedIn and an expert guest on the Martin Lewis Money Show Live, BBC News, Sky News and Channel 5, Lee is recognised nationally for his influence and impact on improvements to the benefits system. He has also been shortlisted for AI Entrepreneur of the Year at the Great British Entrepreneur Awards 2025 and was a former Board member of MALG.
There wasn’t a dry eye in the house when he gave a post-pandemic closing keynote speech at the MALG Conference in 2022 entitled ‘Fighting for their Rights – A call to action for the money advice sector’ and he recently appeared as the guest on a special edition of the MALG Podcast entitled: ‘Hearts and Minds – Championing Financial Fairness through Leadership, Lived Experience and Human-Centred AI.’
Regulatory Keynote: Alison Walters, Financial Conduct Authority
Speaker bio and photo coming soon.
Breakout 1a: The Changing Nature of Public Sector Debt Collection: Considering Ability to Pay
Chair: Kevin Shaw, Money and Pensions Service
Speaker bio and photo coming soon.
Speakers:
- Chris Nichols, Enforcement Conduct Board
Speaker bio and photo coming soon.
- Kiri Adams, Christians Against Poverty
Speaker bio and photo coming soon.
- Adam Butler, StepChange
Speaker bio and photo coming soon.
- Other tbc
Speaker bio and photo coming soon.
Breakout 1b: Fintech Showcase: Innovative and Cutting-Edge Solutions for Supporting Financial Resilience and Financial Capability
Compere: Kirsty McKenna, Fintech Scotland
Speaker bio and photo coming soon.
Speakers:
- Ren Yi Hooi, Lightning Reach
Ren Yi Hooi is the Founder and CEO of Lightning Reach, an award-winning Fintech for good startup which makes it easy for people to find and apply for a wide range of personalised support in one place. Passionate about using technology to drive social impact and financial inclusion, she was previously the Product Director at FinTech scaleup Railsr. She also led and worked in international teams supporting financially underserved communities across Asia and Africa.
Ren was recognised as one of the WISE100 top women in social enterprise and Women in FinTech Powerlist 2023. She has served as a mentor for the FCA’s Financial Inclusion TechSprint and a Senior Visiting Practitioner at the University of York’s Administrative Fairness Lab. Ren holds an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a B.A. from UC Berkeley.
- Rob Tyrell, Haboo Money
Speaker bio and photo coming soon.
- Cat Divers, National Support Network
Cat Divers is an award-winning entrepreneur and Founder and CEO of National Support Network (‘NSN’). NSN hosts the UK’s largest support services directory, a one-stop shop with information on thousands of vital helplines and resources for any major life challenge.
NSN delivers innovative and customisable support directory sites for leading brands such as NatWest, OVO and CIVEA to:
- Consistently and compassionately signpost and connect customers in need of help to expert assistance
- Equip frontline teams with a tool to offer a helping hand during emotionally challenging conversations
- Access new data to better understand the support needs trends and volumes and to evidence social impact
MALG Podcast LIVE: Liz Barclay, Institute of Directors
Former MALG Chair Liz Barclay is an entrepreneur, broadcaster, journalist, writer and author specialising in small business, personal finance and consumer affairs. She is currently working with the Institute of Directors as Small Business and Entrepreneurship Lead, with technology firms on the adoption and effective use of technology for small and micro businesses, and with businesses of all sizes on strategy, governance, employee engagement, inclusivity and communications. This follows a four-year role as the UK’s Small Business Commissioner with the remit of resolving payment disputes and improving practices.
Liz is an experienced Chair and NED with Boards in the private and third sectors, is Chair of the Fair by Design Campaign (to tackle the poverty premium) and a NED at Trustmark. She also speaks at and chairs UK and international conferences and panel sessions. She has started and run several businesses.
Breakout 2a: Financial Inclusion: Rebuilding Creditworthiness after Economic Abuse and other Financial Difficulties
Chair: Genevieve Richardson, StepChange Debt Charity
Genevieve joined StepChange in the Policy Team in 2022. She leads on research and influencing work related to housing and vulnerabilities. She authored the 2023 report Trapped in rent, which explored the experiences of StepChange’s clients living in the Private Rented Sector. Before joining the charity, she worked on select committees in the House of Lords and as Parliamentary Assistant to a Member of Parliament. She holds an undergraduate degree in French and Spanish from the University of Leeds and an MPhil in International Development from the University of Oxford.
Panellists:
- Sam Smethers, Surviving Economic Abuse
Speaker bio and photo coming soon.
- Karen Perrier, Money Advice Plus
Speaker bio and photo coming soon.
- John Webb, Experian
Speaker bio and photo coming soon.
- Other tbc
Speaker bio and photo coming soon.
Breakout 2b: MALG Members Friday Forum LIVE: The Future of Consumer Protection
More information including speaker bios and photos coming soon.
Better Together: Artificial Intelligence – Technology in Tandem with Humans
Chair: Bob Winnington, MALG
Bob has 30 years’ experience in the Banking Sector, including a diverse range of positions within Lending Control, Relationship Management, Area/Regional Management and Senior Service Management. He combines this with many years’ experience as a Customer Service Strategy Consultant working across a range of sectors including over six years at the Institute of Customer Service as a National Account Director.
He joined Money Advice Liaison Group (MALG) as it’s CEO in 2016 and, exactly ten years on in March 2026, he will be retiring, leaving behind a fantastic legacy of fostering ‘working together to improve the lives of people in debt’ in the UK. He will continue with his coaching and mentoring interests while also enjoying family time in France.
Speakers:
- Mackenzie Howe, Atheni.ai
Speaker bio and photo coming soon.
- Mark Pearce, Wyser
Mark Pearce is the CEO and founder of Wyser, which he set up in 2020. Wyser’s mission is the development and improvement of AI language models, which power digital services that help users and advisers, so that everyone across the UK can access the advice they need when they need it most. Wyser works with Citizens Advice, AdviceUK, the Ministry of Justice, Ombudsmen and more. The latest version of their product ASSIST launches in January. It:
- Increases capacity by up to 25%
- Uses generative AI to efficiently process both spoken word and text, rapidly summarising content and extracting key data, before automatically entering that information into your organisation’s CRM system.
Mark has over two decades of expertise in artificial intelligence, data analytics, and innovation.
- Rachel Curtis, Inicio AI
Speaker bio and photo coming soon.
- Stuart Pearson, Citizens Advice
Speaker bio and photo coming soon.