Balancing the scales: How financial intermediaries can champion consumer duty and support vulnerable customers

Rachel Eason-Whale

Head of Impact & Inclusion, L&C

Rachel Eason-Whale is an award-winning transformational leader in financial services, recognised for driving positive change across vulnerability, customer support, diversity, equity & inclusion, and sustainability. With 14+ years at L&C, the UK’s largest mortgage and protection broker, she has held pivotal roles from establishing the Customer Care function to becoming Vulnerability Strategic Lead, before stepping into her current role as Head of Impact & Inclusion.

In this position, Rachel leads strategies that champion inclusive culture, support vulnerable customers, and strengthen community and environmental impact. A respected industry voice, she bridges business priorities with human outcomes, inspiring collaboration and shaping a more equitable future where everyone can thrive and feels they belong.

Edward Grant

Non-Executive Director & Past President at Personal Finance Society

Eddie is a passionate advocate for the insurance and financial planning profession. He is UK Government appointed Cabinet Office Disability and Access Ambassador for Insurance, a Past President of the Personal Finance Society (PFS) and its longest-serving Non-Executive Director and serves on the board of the European Financial Planning Association.

Throughout his extensive career, Eddie has been dedicated to supporting, mentoring, and spearheading initiatives that build consumer confidence and trust.

A lifelong champion of apprenticeships and professional development, Eddie chairs the advisory board of the Finance in Society Research Institute (FISRI), driving evidence-based policy and industry collaboration to expand access to financial services and tackle financial exclusion. He played a pivotal role in the evolution of the Technical Apprenticeship Academy and the MBA, MSc, and PhD programs in finance at the University of Gloucestershire, accessible to all Chartered individuals across the profession.

Beyond finance, Eddie brings the same curiosity and care to everyday life. He’s been married to Marina for over 36 years and recently pursued his passion by qualifying as a Tea Sommelier, on a mission to encourage others to join a tea curious journey.

Adrian Dally

Director of Motor Finance and Strategy at the Finance and Leasing Association (FLA)

Before joining the FLA, Adrian spent 26 years in the Civil Service in Whitehall and diplomatic roles, specialising in a number of areas including financial services, consumer protection, rural policy, competition and the European Union. Among other things, he was a UK negotiator in the EU institutions and private secretary to two cabinet ministers. His last role was at the Financial Ombudsman Service, where he was its Head of Policy.

Paul Lamont

Product Director, Experian

Paul is a Product Director at Experian and heads up Support Hub, a new and innovative product that allows consumers to set up and share their support needs across multiple organisations.

He has over 10 years’ experience working in consumer financial services across Europe and Africa. Before Experian, Paul worked as a digital product strategist for two large private equity funds focused on African financial services.

He was also one of the founding team members of a consumer retail credit lender in East Africa. Paul is a ACMA management accountant and holds a Bachelor’s in Business Science (Finance Hons) and MBA from the University of Cape Town.

Chris Fitch

Vulnerability Lead, Money Advice Trust

Dr Christopher Fitch is Vulnerability Lead at the Money Advice Trust and a Research Fellow at the Personal Finance Research Centre (University of Bristol).   He is a Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health and has a PhD from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience at King's College London.

Since 2007, Chris has led a programme of award-winning guidance, research, training, and intervention on vulnerability. This programme has involved improving practice in more than 350 firms, over 35,000 staff, and across the financial and essential service sectors. Chris has also co-created industry-wide tools for working with vulnerable customers such as TEXAS, IDEA, and BRUCE, as well as co-founding award-winning Vulnerability Academies with UK Finance (for firms) and the UK Regulators' Network (for regulators). 

Previously Chris was a Research Fellow and Head of Policy at the Royal College of Psychiatrists where he led research programmes and national mental health policy development, and prior to this, a Researcher at Imperial College Medical School where he worked on international WHO and United Nations research studies and public health projects in the areas of drug injecting, sex work, and HIV and STD prevention.