Opening Address

The presentation focuses on the immediate challenges facing brokers and lenders operating in today's mortgage market and how NatWest Intermediary Solutions' is committed to delivering a winning proposition to support its business partners.

Graham Felstead - Head of Intermediary Channel, NatWest Intermediary Solutions

Graham heads up NatWest Intermediary Solutions - the RBS Group’s dedicated mortgage intermediary business. He oversaw the recent rebranding of the business from RBS Intermediary Partners to NatWest Intermediary Solutions. Graham has been with the RBS Group for nine years and was previously Head of Corporate Accounts at RBS Intermediary Partners, where he established close relationships with the UK’s leading intermediary firms. Graham has 25 years’ worth of experience working in the financial services industry, including roles with Citibank, Bank of Scotland and Norwich Union.

Industry Update

This session encompasses an overview of the UK housing market (with a special focus on the South and South East); consumer expectations; transaction levels; the supply of housing stock compared with demand, the supply of mortgage funding versus demand, and the inter-relationship between the two, and how we can all adapt to the new world.

Grenville Turner - Group Chief Executive Officer, Countrywide

Grenville has had an extensive career in Financial Services. He led the development of the HBOS five Brand Mortgage Strategy and was a founding Director of Rightmove.co.uk.
Board memberships have included companies such as St James’s Place Plc, Realogy, the largest Real Estate business in the US with brands such as Coldwell Banker, Century 21 and Sotheby's International Realty, and Sainsbury’s Bank Plc.
Grenville joined Countrywide plc mid - 2006 and became Group Chief Executive on 1 January 2007. Countrywide is the UK's largest estate agency and lettings business with around 1,200 branches and is also the largest transactional conveyancer and surveying company. Countrywide has almost 800 mortgage consultants making it the UK’s largest Mortgage Broker.

Regulation Update

Regulation, regulation, regulation

Robert's presentation looks at the results of the election and the political impact on the regulator, and how that in turn is likely to affect the UK's mortgage and housing markets. He will suggest what the FSA's next moves are likely to be, provide an update the Mortgage Market Review consultation, and consider how all of the changes currently afoot are likely to affect adviser businesses.

Robert Sinclair, Director, Association of Mortgage Intermediaries

Robert joined AIFA as Associate Director of the Association of Finance Brokers in October 2006. In July 2008 he also acquired responsibility for the Association of Mortgage Intermediaries and AIFA. Before this, Robert was Head of Advice Development and Quality, Retail Banking, at Abbey National (from 2003). Here he had responsibility for all advice policy, T&C and advice quality matters for the regulated sales forces of Abbey. Prior to this, he was Regional Manager for Inscape Investments Ltd. From 1978 -2000, Robert worked for HSBC in a variety of roles including front line sales, sales management, marketing, training and internal audit.

Robert looks after the day-to-day running of AMI with a focus on the provision of member information and services on regulatory matters, the lobbying of regulators and policy-makers, membership development and press relations. He is a regular media commentator

Q&A Panel Debate

The session gives a bird's eye view of the UK housing and mortgage markets, including consumer expectations; transaction levels. It offers delegates the opportunity to grill the keynote speakers on any relevant topic. Between them the speakers have decades of invaluable experience in the mortgage, housing and other markets, and FORUM attendees are encouraged to challenge them to a lively debate. Chaired by Paula John, questions and contributions are welcomed from the floor during this slot.

Paula John, Editor in Chief, Incisive Media, Mortgage Division

Paula John is Editor in Chief of Incisive Media’s Mortgage Division, with responsibility for the editorial content of Mortgage Solutions, mortgagesolutions-online.com, Your Mortgage and Your Money consumer magazines and their websites.

She has worked on the titles for 14 years. Paula regularly participates in and chairs mortgage industry conferences, debates and roundtable discussions. She also makes frequent broadcast appearances on the BBC, ITV, Channels Four and Five, Sky and Reuters commenting on the mortgage and housing industries.

Guest Speaker

Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson

Our guest speaker at the last event was Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson who is not only Britain’s greatest paralympic athlete but a leading figure in the House of Lords and the world of sport. Baroness Tanni won 11 gold medals competing at five Paralympic Games and won the London Wheelchair marathon a total of six times between 1992 and 2002. She is acknowledged as one of the most gifted and courageous sportswomen of her generation, being responsible for pioneering the profile of Paralympic sport. She is a consultant for the London 2012 Olympics organising committee and on the boards of both Transport for London and the London Marathon. Baroness Tanni shared her thoughts on how to overcome adversity in the pursuit of excellence and the power of self-belief in goal-setting.