Big Picture Theatre agenda
This year’s city-inspired event introduces the Big Picture Theatre, a cinema-style stage where the industry’s leading stars will debate and dissect the hottest topics in commercial finance.
Check out our blockbuster conference agenda below and see you there - popcorn at the ready...
10:45 - 11:00
Plenary
The Opening Scene: A vision for the journey ahead
NACFB CEO Jim Higginbotham opens this year’s NACFB Expo with reflections on his first ten months in post. He’ll share how the Association is evolving to stay relevant, responsive, and ready to better support the SME lending community.
Starring:
Jim Higginbothan, CEO, NACFB
11:00 - 11:15
Plenary
The Numbers Game: Insight. Influence. Intermediaries
The trade body’s head of advocacy, Kieran Jones, reveals what the NACFB’s latest data really tells us - and why it matters. From shaping policy conversations to championing the broker-led route, discover how insight becomes influence in the fight for better SME access to finance.
Starring:
Kieran Jones, Head of Advocacy, NACFB
11:20 - 11:45
Fireside chat
Borrower’s Instinct: Inside the small business decision process
Dame Teresa Graham and FSB’s Caroline Lovell sit down in this keynote address to explore what really drives small business owners when seeking finance. From mindset to motivations, this conversation reveals how brokers and lenders can stay one step ahead of evolving SME needs.
Starring:
Dame Teresa Graham, Chair SME Advisory Group, UK Finance
Caroline Lavelle, COO, Federation of Small Businesses
11:50 - 12:15
Fireside chat
Changing Lanes: The Champion’s mindset
In an exclusive sit-down with NACFB headline sponsor NatWest, Olympic legend Linford Christie OBE shares what really fuels a champion’s mindset. From world-class athletics to life beyond the track, this conversation unpacks lessons in focus, reinvention, and how finance professionals can apply that same drive to take bold new strides.
Starring:
Bob Hanlon, News Manager, NatWest - Host
Dave Furnival, Head of Broker, NatWest
Linford Christie OBE
12:20 - 12:40
Plenary
The Growth Signal: Spotting tomorrow’s successes, today
What if you could see SME growth before it happens? Red Flag Alert’s Richard West unveils the Growth Score - the data behind it, how it works, and how brokers can use it to uncover high-potential clients hiding in plain sight.
Starring:
Richard West, CEO, Red Flag Alert
12:45 - 13:10
Panel
The Thin Line Deal: Navigating margin, risk, and reward
In a historic show of unity, two of the UK’s leading finance trade bodies – the NACFB and the FLA – come together on stage to recognise shared standards and confront the pressures facing intermediary-led asset finance. With margins tightening and expectations rising, this timely session explores whether the current model still delivers fair value for all parties.
Are brokers being properly rewarded for their role? Could longer-term, outcome-based returns hold the key? Join senior industry figures for a candid conversation about trust, transparency, and the future shape of asset finance distribution.
Starring:
Ed Peck, Asset Finance Connect - Moderator
Jim Higginbotham, CEO, NACFB
Wayne Gibbard, Partner, Shoosmiths
John Phillipou, Chair, FLA
Mike Randall, CEO, Simply Asset Finance
Ylva Oertengren, Chief Operating Officer, Simply Asset Finance
13:15 - 13:40
Panel
The Broker Identity: Defining value
Against an industry backdrop in flux, how can brokers better define - and defend - their value? This panel explores how today’s brokers navigate regulation, earn trust, and drive SME growth, whilst tackling the impact of commission disclosure head-on.
Starring:
Evette Orams, Managing Director, Hilton-Baird Financial Solutions - Moderator
Haydn Thomas, CEO, Cornerstone Finance Group
Angela Norman, Managing Director, YBS Commercial Mortgages
Marc Champ, Managing Director, Wharf Financial
13:45 - 14:10
Panel
It’s a Wonderful Loan: The Rise of CDFIs
Discover how CDFIs are backing the businesses mainstream finance often overlooks. This session explores their growing role in supporting underserved SMEs - and the brokers helping connect finance with social purpose.
Starring:
Theo Hadjimichael, CEO, Responsible Finance - Moderator
Reinald de Monchy, Co Chief Banking Officer, British Business Bank
Stephen Deakin, CEO, BCRS Business Loans
Stephen Waud, CEO, Business Enterprise Fund
14:15 - 14:40
Panel
Brick by Brick: Property, policy and possibility
Labour’s pledge to build a million homes could reshape the commercial property landscape. This session explores how brokers and lenders can prepare for shifting demand, evolving risks, and new funding opportunities in a changing market.
Starring:
Alex Hammond, Director, Square 1 Media - Moderator
Emma Cox, Managing Director Real Estate, Shawbrook Bank
Ian Humphreys, CEO, Brickflow
Andrew Robinson, CEO, Arc & Co.
Stuart Davidson, Director of Strategy and Products, Redwood Bank
14:45 - 15:15
Plenary
The Usual Pitfalls: Five compliance traps to avoid
NACFB’s Sarah Cunningham shares five common compliance blind spots that hold brokers back - from slower processes to muddled outcomes. Drawing on experience across broking and lending, she’ll share clear takeaways before sitting down with Propel’s Charlotte Mathieson to explore how brokers can work with greater clarity, pace, and confidence.
Starring:
Sarah Cunningham, Head of Compliance, NACFB
Charlotte Mathieson, Head of Compliance, Propel Finance
