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 the Finance Director for Aviva's Personal Lines insurance business based in Norwich. I've been working in financial services for over 20 years and have been based in Norfolk for the last 12. I've only just joined the FIG board and am really excited to be involved with this group.

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.

I am proud to work for Barclays Private Bank and Wealth Management. My role is to support the community, clients, businesses and charities which I serve, with valuable and often life changing knowledge, information, connections and insight. Working across the bank with specialist colleagues to make sure our clients receive a best-in-class relationship that provides them with value, service, long term growth and security.

I am driven to connect our society with a wide range of events programmes that support key community messages, aids business growth and funds for charities and community groups. All of this is underpinned by my desire to connect and grow the market that we serve through deep rooted community involvement and business collaboration, taking on charity board roles, creating agendas for change and being a catalyst for good.

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).

Anna is relationship manager for business, financial and legal services at the University of East Anglia. Her role is to promote collaboration and partnerships with external organisations to support growth and innovation. Anna's career spans a number of sectors including insurance, legal and voluntary services.

Roberta Willner is the Business Development Manager for Norfolk County Council. Roberta leads the Economic Development team, with key areas of delivery including business and supply chain support, sector development and site development. Roberta has worked in Economic Development for past 12 years, in various roles including grant funding programmes, delivering inward investment and leading on international trade programmes, predominantly for the energy and food & drink sectors.

Jodie is Head of Legal Operations at Mills & Reeve with over 18 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.

Kerry-Anne is a Head of BD & Marketing at Larking Gowen Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors with over 25 years’ experience in PR, marketing and project management. She is an Associate member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and experienced in the planning and delivery of marketing plans across all channels. Kerry-Anne has worked agency and client side supporting businesses with their branding and marketing activity, delivering events and providing public relations support.

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.

A dynamic strategic and operational leader serving as the Commercial Operations Director at Brown & Co, bringing a wealth of financial expertise to the FIG board. An accomplished accountant, Alton seamlessly oversees business operations, quality assurance, systems, information technology, financial reporting and financial control. His extensive background spans diverse sectors, including banking, insurance, facilities management, energy, and retail. Alton's vast experience and strategic vision positioned him well to join the FIG board in 2022.

Rooted in Norwich, Alton is not just a financial expert but a keen advocate for the local economy and education. Beyond boardrooms, he dedicates himself to inspiring the next generation of financial professionals by collaborating with schools and educational institutions. He also acts as trustee of a local charity. Alton's commitment to fostering talent and contributing to the community exemplifies his leadership and passion for making a lasting impact.