Judging Panel

Emma Banks is a communications expert with over 20 years’ experience in general insurance. Her experience includes international groups RSA and Direct Line Group, and UK insurers including LV= and esure group. Emma led external communications for Direct Line Group during its takeover of Churchill Insurance and its associated brands, and Emma was part of the team that revolutionised LV=, leading its communications strategy to become one of the most well-known and trusted insurers in the UK.

Siân has been writing about the insurance sector since 2014 and is currently editor of Insurance Age.

@InsuranceSian

Post and Insurance Age content director Jonathan Swift has written and commented about the insurance industry since 1998. He has appeared on television speaking about topics as diverse as the insurance implications of Michael Jackson's death to the consequences of consolidation on motor premiums; and is a past winner of the British Insurance Brokers' Association journalist of the year and Association of British Insurers general insurance trade journalist prizes.
Jonathan has chaired/ hosted over 100 insurance events from roundtables involving a small specially invited audience, to addressing over 2000 people at the British Insurance Awards at the Royal Albert Hall. He is listed as a top 50 insurtech influencer by Insurtech News and presently coordinates the All Party Parliamentary Group for Insurance and Financial Services.

Lisa Powis is known for the role of founder and CEO of the Fresh Insurance Group, a multi-niched Personal Lines Brokerage with over 80,000 policyholders and employing over 250 staff. The business wrote over £60 million Gross Written Premium and was  successfully sold in May 2018. 

Lisa maintains an active interest in InsurTech and is a partner and head of InsurTech for the Scale Up Group UK, helping grow global champions. Lisa has mentored many Technology start-ups with the Accelerator Academy and is an accredited coach for Rise Growth Academy, a Barclays Bank acceleration program. Lisa is due to complete the Certificate in Professional Coaching at Henley Business school in March 2024.

Lisa is an investor in several Start ups and Series A companies and continues to invest in motivated and talented companies alongside offering her mentoring skills.

In 2016, Lisa founded the charity ‘Painting Our World in Silver, dedicated to fight loneliness in the elderly population. During the Covid outbreak, the charity has delivered over 13,000 craft care packs to vulnerable and Isolated seniors, partnering with the Salvation Army, Age Concern and AgeUK.

In 2022, Lisa was awarded The British Empire Medal in the 2021 Queens New Year’s Honours list.