Judging Panel

The panel of judges were professionals within the financial services industry as well as Incisive Media. When examining entries and websites, the judges were looking in particular for the following:

Information included on the entry form.
Overall use of technology, functionality and site tools.
Support and service levels on offer to users.
Comprehensiveness of any product range featured on the site.
Levels of security.
Innovation in both design and functionality.
Ease of use for intended users.
Appropriateness of site for target market.
The judges’ decisions will be final.

ONLINE FINANCE 2008 JUDGING PANEL

The current list of judges is as below. Any further appointments to the judging panel will be announced on this page:

Chair: Katrina Baugh

Katrina is editor of news site IFAonline at Incisive Media. After graduating with an English Literature degree from Cambridge University, Katrina took a one-year post graduate journalism course at City University in London. Her first job in journalism was working as a reporter for fund strategy magazine which she joined in 2002. After ten months, Katrina moved to Professional Adviser magazine where she worked her way up from reporter to news editor and then deputy editor. She left the magazine in May last year to become editor of IFAonline.

Jim Roberts, Consultant

Jim has worked in the insurance and investment industry since 1972. The last 26 years of his career have been spent at Skandia covering a varied range of responsibilities – from those of Appointed Actuary to Finance Director, from Research & Development to Investment. When he left Skandia in the summer of 2006 he stepped down as Group Investment Director, Chairman of Skandia Investment Management and Skandia Life Ireland, as well as Director of a number of the company’s other subsidiaries.
The Skandia open-architecture model, linking external unit trusts to Skandia’s life and pensions products, has advanced a long way since it emerged as the innovation of the ‘80s. It is now the primary model for savings-based life business, not just in the UK but throughout the world.
More recently, in 2002, Jim devised from scratch and set up Skandia Investment Management, an in-house fund of funds’ company. He chaired the company from its inception and oversaw its growth to more than £4 billion under management.
Jim has been a highly regarded and influential player in the UK financial services industry for many years.
He is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries and graduated from the University of Warwick in 1972 with an honours degree in Mathematics. His personal interests include: sailing, skiing, running, opera, music, theatre, reading and languages.
Jim was previously Group Investment Director at Skandia

Nick Cann, Chief Executive, Institute of Financial Planning

Nick has been Chief Executive of the Institute of Financial Planning for nearly 8 years. He also sits as a delegate on the Financial Planning Standard Board CFP Council. He has served as Chairman of the European CFP Council and the International Marketing and Communications Committee.
A key part of his role is to help practitioners understand the current issues and implement strategies to help with developing a fee-based Financial Planning practice. A focal part of this is developing a comprehensive financial planning service and encouraging more to strive for the internationally accredited Certified Financial Planner Licence. He currently sits on the FSA’s Distribution Review working group looking at Professionalism and Reputation. Earlier this year he was voted IFA Personality of the Year at the Professional Adviser awards

Philip Calvert, Founder, IFA Life

Philip has recently launched IFA Life – the online networking site for IFAs and Financial Planners. Financial advice professionals can use the site to share best practice, debate industry issues, collaborate and support each other. Most recently Philip was director for FinanceCube and he has also enjoyed 28 years in senior sales and marketing roles with leading UK life offices.

Tony Gratton, Managing Director of financial IT consultancy, Fintecs

After obtaining a degree in economics and a master’s in management science at Warwick University in 1982, Tony gained experience with the Home Office, British Gas and Lloyds Bank in systems and operational research analysis. In 1987, he joined Lombard Odier, one of Switzerland’s largest private banks, as IT manager of their London office. He remained with Lombard Odier for over 12 years in a number of influential positions within the bank’s IT departments including security settlements, cash processing and client and securities reference data handling. In 2001, Tony Gratton co-founded banking IT consultancy, Fintecs. Tony Gratton is bilingual in spoken and written English and French.

Nick Baker, Managing Director, AdventisNMG

Nick has more than 20 years experience in financial services including financial services consultancy and client side experience in ‘Blue Chip’ companies including Barclays, Aetna and agency side across banking, Life Co.s, Investment companies and Insurance. His expertise covers: Customer experience design and implementation Proposition and product design Brand development, positioning and communications Strategic marketing and planning Integrated marketing communications above, through and below the line in traditional and digital media He is an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute and a Chartered Insurer.

Lawrence Gosling, Group Editorial Director, Incisive Media

Lawrence Gosling is the group editorial director of Incisive Media. He has launched 14 personal finance publications aimed at professional and consumers including Investment Week, Cover, Mortgage Solutions and Wealth. Previously, Lawrence was a journalist at FT Magazines and Reuters. He is also a regular contributor to television and radio programmes on personal finance.

Damian Wild, Group Editor, VNU Business and Finance

Damian is group editor in chief of Incisive VNU's business and finance titles, including Accountancy Age and Financial Director, and a number of related websites. Prior to that he spent five years as editor of Accountancy Age and AccountancyAge.com. He is used by other media as a commentator on accountancy matters and speaks frequently at industry events. Before joining Accountancy Age, Damian wrote for a number of newspapers, magazines and online publications in London and Hong Kong including CNN's financial news website in London and the South China Morning Post.

Jon Cudby, Head of Online Content

As head of online content for Incisive Media’s investment division, Jon is responsible for the digital output of titles including IFAonline, Investment Week, Professional Pensions and Professional Adviser. He has seven years’ experience as a personal finance journalist including spells on Money Management and as the founding editor of FTAdviser. He is fully FPC-qualified.

Paul Wynne, Senior Consultant, Peregrine Communications

Paul Wynne has 17 years marketing and communications experience, including more than 10 years in UK financial services.
Formerly head of marketing and communication at Trustnet.com and Financial Express, Paul was integral to the success of both brands, responsible for all B2C and B2B marketing communications. He was also a high profile spokesman on fund performance and investment issues in trade, consumer and national publications.
He has an extensive knowledge of web-based investment services and distribution models for fund providers, investment trusts, life / pension offices, financial advisers / wealth managers, wrap platforms and fund supermarkets. Paul is currently at Peregrine Communications, a financial specialist agency predominantly working for open-ended funds, closed-ended investments, hedge funds, structured products, venture capital trusts, property investments, banks, brokers and financial advisers. He is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.

Paul Yates, Strategy & Businesss Management Director, Vertex Financial Services

Paul joined Vertex Financial Services in 2004 from Misys PLC where he held the position of Sales Technology Director. Prior to joining Misys, he was Associate Director at CMG.
Paul moved to Vertex to develop and execute The Exchange's business strategy, leading to the acquisition of 1st in 2006. Paul currently retains responsibility for strategy, as well as marketing, propositions and business management.

Jon Standring, Director of Marketing, Morningstar U.K.

Jon Standring has been director of marketing for Morningstar UK since 2007, and
has responsibility for promoting Morningstar’s institutional and adviser offerings.
Before joining Morningstar, he was associate director of marketing for the S &P
Funds Business until the business was acquired by Morningstar, and prior to that
worked as a project manager and media consultant for the same division.
Standring started his career at Friends Provident as a market analyst within the market research department. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Management.