The 2026 Annual Conference explored how to ensure the UK maintains its position as a world-class international financial centre and continues to be a powerful enabler of UK-wide growth.

With insights from our expert speakers and drawing on some of the findings and recommendations from our ground-breaking 'No time to lose' report, topics discussed on the day include:

how technology is redefining the competitive landscape for financial and related professional services
the steps needed to simplify and modernise regulatory supervision
how innovation drives growth, and discuss the role of policy, regulation and capital markets in making this possible.

Location:

The QEII Centre, Broad Sanctuary, London, SW1P 3EE

Conference

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Agenda

09:00 - 09:05	Chief Executive Officer’s welcome Miles Celic OBE, Chief Executive Officer, TheCityUK
09:05 – 09:15	Chair's address Anne Richards DBE, Leadership Council Chair, TheCityUK
09:15 - 10:00	Panel session: Leading from the front in financial technology This panel will discuss how technology is redefining the competitive landscape for financial and related professional services Suchitra Nair, Partner, Head of the EMEA Centre for Regulatory Strategy, Deloitte (Chair) Valerie Bannert-Thurner, Executive VP, Chief Revenue Officer, Fintech Division, Nasdaq Paul Landless, Partner, DLA Piper Trevor Mallinson, Head of Strategic Relations, Bloomberg L.P. George Marcotte, Senior Managing Director and Chief Strategy Officer UK&I, Accenture
10:00 - 10:05	Speech introduction The Rt Hon Sir Mel Stride MP, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
10:05 - 10:30	Keynote speech The Rt Hon Kemi Badenoch MP, the Leader of the Opposition Followed by an in conversation with Miles Celic OBE, Chief Executive Officer, TheCityUK
10:30 – 11:00	Coffee break
11:00 - 11:45	Panel session: Building a dynamic and competitive economy This panel discussion will build on existing narratives around the steps needed to both simplify and modernise regulatory supervision Roshni Prasad, Director of Capital Investment and Financial Services, Canada, British Consulate Toronto (Chair) Deputy Rhona Humphreys, States of Guernsey Darren Ketteringham, UK Leader of Industry for Financial Services, Partner, PwC David Shone, Partner, Financial Regulation Group, Slaughter & May Atul Sodhi, Chief Executive Officer, UK, Credit Agricole CIB
11:45 - 12:00	Keynote speech Stephen Welton CBE, Chair, British Business Bank
12:00 - 12:45	Panel session: Driving growth through global competitiveness This panel will focus on how innovation drives growth, and discuss the role of policy, regulation and capital markets in making this possible Alderman Sir William Russell, The City of London Corporation (Chair) Stephen Berger, Managing Director and Global Head of Government and Regulatory Policy, Citadel Bruce Carnegie-Brown, Chairman, Rothesay Life Nazareen Gilbertson, Head of Corporate Development, ICE Clear Europe & ICE Futures Europe and TheCityUK Next Generation Leadership Council member Sharon Lewis, Partner, Sector Leader of Financial Institutions & Co-Chair of Digital Assets & Blockchain Practice, Hogan Lovells Dan Neidle, Founder, Tax Policy Associates Ltd
12:45 - 13:00	Keynote speech Ceri Smith, Director General, Office for Investment
13:00-13:05	Closing remarks Miles Celic OBE, Chief Executive Officer, TheCityUK
13:05 - 14:00	Networking lunch

Highlights from our Annual Conference 2026

Keynote speeches:

The Rt Hon Kemi Badenoch MP

The Leader of the Opposition

Followed by an in conversation with:
Miles Celic OBE, Chief Executive Officer, TheCityUK

Ceri Smith

Director General, Office for Investment

Stephen Welton CBE

Chair, British Business Bank

Anne Richards DBE

Chair, TheCityUK Leadership Council

The Rt Hon Sir Mel Stride MP

Panel sessions:

Building a dynamic and competitive economy

- Roshni Prasad, Director of Capital Investment and Financial Services, Canada, British Consulate Toronto (Chair)

- Deputy Rhona Humphreys, States of Guernsey

- Darren Ketteringham, UK Leader of Industry for Financial Services, Partner, PwC

- David Shone, Partner, Financial Regulation Group, Slaughter & May

- Atul Sodhi, Chief Executive Officer, UK, Credit Agricole CIB

Leading from the front in financial technology

- Suchitra Nair, Partner, Head of the EMEA Centre for Regulatory Strategy, Deloitte (Chair)

- Valerie Bannert-Thurner, Executive VP, Chief Revenue Officer, Fintech Division, Nasdaq

- Paul Landless, Partner, DLA Piper

- Trevor Mallinson, Head of Strategic Relations, Bloomberg L.P.

- George Marcotte, Senior Managing Director and Chief Strategy Officer UK&I, Accenture

Driving growth through global competitiveness

- Alderman Sir William Russell, The City of London Corporation (Chair)

- Stephen Berger, Managing Director and Global Head of Government and Regulatory Policy, Citadel

- Bruce Carnegie-Brown, Chairman, Rothesay Life

- Nazareen Gilbertson, Head of Corporate Development, ICE Clear Europe & ICE Futures Europe and TheCityUK Next Generation Leadership Council member

- Sharon Lewis, Partner, Sector Leader of Financial Institutions & Co-Chair of Digital Assets & Blockchain Practice, Hogan Lovells

- Dan Neidle, Founder, Tax Policy Associates Ltd

Highlights from TheCityUK Annual Conference 2026