Who are FIG and what do we do?

I am committed to, and passionate about, the development of the financial and related professional services cluster in Norwich and Norfolk.

I currently Chair the FIG Board, but prior to retiring in 2020, I was a Managing Director for Marsh and was Head of the firm’s Norwich office. I originally joined Sedgwick in Norwich (now part of Marsh) in 1989, having previously worked in the Insurance sector in the City of London and in Bermuda.

I also Chair the Advisory Board of Norwich Business School (NBS) at UEA (since 2018) and I was deeply honoured to receive an honorary degree (Doctor of Civil Law) from UEA in July 2023 in recognition of my contribution to the University and community.

Most recently, I joined Anglia Capital Group as an ‘angel investor’ in 2022 and have enjoyed ‘dipping my toes in the water’ as far as investing is concerned.

Katie is the Innovation and Sectors Coordinator for New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership and supports the development and implementation of the LEP’s sector development activity, assisting with building the strategic connectivity between innovation hubs and key areas of innovation-based activity across Suffolk and Norfolk.

I am honoured to work for Epos Now; one of the UK's fastest growing fintech. As SVP of Customer Experience, my role represents our customer voice and our dedicated team that support them end to end.

I am responsible for creating a centre of excellence which leaves our customers championing our platform, maximising adoption so they can compete with the giants and allowing our thousands of entrepreneurs continuing to grow their everything.

I am only able to do this by creating a cultivated workforce and deep connections with our customers; I have a personal desire to have deep routed partnerships in the local community, charities and education institutes to ensure anyone I meet achieves their full potential.

I'm a Chartered Insurance Broker working for the Alan Boswell Group, where i have been for over 12 years. I work with Commercial Clients across the UK from our head office in Norwich, providing expertise and guidance in their insurance programme design.

I was delighted to join the FIG Board in 2023. I've enjoyed living in Norfolk pretty much my entire life and it's great to be able to be an advocate of it as a thriving hub for the financial sector as well as a beautiful part of the world to reside.

I am an Economic Development professional with 20 years’ experience of working at various local authorities, leading teams enabling growth for much of this time. I have performed a prominent role in the development and growth of industrial clusters in a variety of roles, particularly in relation to figNorwich, New Anglia Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering (NAAME) sector group, and the Food Enterprise Park, since 2015.

I currently work as Strategic Growth Manager at Breckland Council, leading a team responsible for identifying, and delivering, a range of targeted, tactical interventions throughout the district to enable and accelerate clean, inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

Sharon Cousins-Clarke is an economic development professional working for Norwich City Council. With a background in economic research and analysis, her current role is focussed on providing an economic evidence base to inform policy development. Outside of work, Sharon enjoys a number of hobbies including exercise, ballroom dancing and language learning (German and Turkish).

Roberta leads the Economic Development team at Norfolk County Council, with key areas of delivery including economic strategy, business support programmes, the New Anglia Growth Hub service, sector development and innovation, and site development – including the £25m Great Yarmouth Operations and Maintenance Campus at Great Yarmouth Port. Roberta has worked in economic development for 18 years, in various roles, including grant funding programmes, regeneration projects, delivering inward investment and leading on international trade programmes – predominantly for the energy and food & drink sectors. Roberta’s team also deliver support for SMEs to adopt new digital technologies, supporting over 1700 Norfolk businesses; in addition to the East of England Made Smarter Programme, providing digital roadmaps and grants to manufacturing and engineering businesses. Roberta is also a member of the Tech East Board, NAAME Board, East of England Made Smarter Board, Space East Board, Eastwind and she is lead officer for the Norfolk Business Board.

Jodie is Head of Legal Operations at Mills & Reeve with over 20 years’ experience as a transactional lawyer and manager. She has a strong regulatory and project delivery background and is passionate about ensuring the pathway for early entrants into professional services is inclusive and spent time on the Institute for Apprenticeships’ Legal Panel commenting on the Legal Apprenticeship Standards as part of the Government Trailblazer Scheme. Jodie is a frequent guest and panel speaker on the future of legal services. Outside of work Jodie is kept busy being a taxi for her two children and other volunteer roles.

Aiden is a Divisional Director and Chartered Wealth Manager at Brewin Dolphin and has over 14 years' experienced in the financial services industry. He started his career in London with UBS before returning home to Norfolk and the Norwich office of Brewin Dolphin in 2009 and works closely with solicitors, accountants and IFAs with whom he continues to look after a wide range of private clients, trust and charity clients. Outside of work, Aiden is kept busy by his young family but attempts to play tennis and is a qualified Rugby Referee.

Jamie Thompson leads IT Security Governance globally at Marsh, with over 25 years of experience in Operations, Business Analytics, Technology, and Cyber Security. His career has included leading teams in India, Singapore and USA, all while deliberately remaining based in Norwich, where we lives with his wife and children. His commitment to building a career without compromising his home life reflects his strong belief that Norwich offers the perfect balance of community, quality of life, and professional opportunity.

Jamie is passionate about innovation and is always looking for a smarter way to do things. He’s a dedicated supporter of FIG initiatives and he has actively contributed to events such as the Hackathon and NBS Employability Week for many years, before joining the Board in 2025. Outside of work, Jamie enjoys gadgets, technology, and cars and solving the occasional Rubik’s cube.

James Gardiner, Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Employability at Norwich Business School, teaches marketing/management and leads strategic planning for employability, placements, alumni, and ExecEd. He is co-CEO and co-founder of Studious Digital Education Ltd, whose Ryze platform won Barclays Start-up of the year 2020. Previously, he directed Management and Social Science programmes at UEA, helping launch a Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship with the CMI. James has presented at Westminster, Cambridge, Harvard, INSEAD, and Bocconi.

Before academia, he founded three companies, worked in London finance as a Lloyds broker (Willis Towers Watson, Chubb), was a senior consultant, Marketing Director at Twinsoft B.V., and a Managing Director. Educated in the Netherlands (high school/IB), Birmingham, Hull, and UEA, he is a Fellow of the CIM, HEA, and CMI. He focuses on developing happy teams, effective managers, transformational leaders, and empowering students' professional skills and success.

I am a Partner at Howes Percival LLP Law firm, handling commercial disputes and helping solve legal problems affecting business leaders. I am delighted to join the FIG Board in 2026 to learn from others and help where I can.

I am passionate about Careers education and hopefully my experience volunteering as an Enterprise Advisor in Norwich schools will help build relationships between schools and FIG Members. Howes Percival is a Cornerstone employer collaborating with other large local employers supporting local schools with their careers education and with an eye on Social mobility.

As a keen networker, and host of popular business focused events at Howes Percival, I am keen to promote the sector and the work of FIG within the local community. In addition, I love a bit of LinkedIn engagement, a charity walk and competitive league cricket.

As Associate Director of Marketing at Chadwicks Wealth Management, I focus on shaping clear, client‑centred communications and building authentic relationships. Since joining in 2020 as Business Development Manager, my role has evolved to balance strategic brand thinking with client outcomes.

Professional services is a relatively new sector for me, before Chadwicks, I built a career, of over 20 years’ experience in Sales and Business Development across corporate hospitality, charity, advertising, and the motor industry.

Joining the FIG Board in December 2025, I hope to bring fresh perspective, champion mentorship, and encourage cohesive working relationships. I’ll be working alongside the Events team to deliver a series of interesting and engaging events throughout the year.

I’m a Chartered Accountant working in practice where I advise a variety of business owners on their accounting and taxation needs. I love to work with all clients to help them achieve their growth and strategic plans. I’m also an advocate for all things Norfolk and the opportunities in the local business community.