For those of you who may remember way back in March of this year at our We Are Live event, we launched four brand new ambassadors as part of The Verve Foundation initiative. Hayley, Head of Verve Services championed education, Maddie, Head of Regulatory Support took on the challenge of making the industry a profession, Natalie, Director of Culture and Engagement advocated for recruiting and retaining talent, and finally, our fearless leader Cathi vowed to support new businesses.

Although it has only been nine months since then, it feels like a lifetime in terms of progress for our ambassadors with all that they have achieved. Check out their missions and progress below…

Incredibly passionate about educating the masses on all things finance, Hayley wants nothing more than to support people to improve their financial health, and support vulnerable people to become more financially independent.

Her 2022 mission was…

• Encourage people to break the taboo and talk more about finance.
• Help financial education be more accessible in education facilities.
• Run a session to help vulnerable people become more financially independent.

So, how has she done? Where do we start?! From launching her #BreakTheTaboo campaign which involved sharing people’s money stories on social media (and her own in the press!), to hosting educational workshops with Mind and the YMCA for vulnerable people.

Not only that, but she brought her knowledge internally to The Verve Group, supporting the team on the basics of money trauma, debt, and savings. Finally, she’s about to launch her brand new ‘book a speaker’ facility, matching up expert volunteer speakers with schools, colleges and workplaces, to further spread the word and help educate the masses.

A true professional and ambassador of all things financial services, Maddie is on a mission to change the narrative of the industry and drive an improvement in behaviours and governance so it’s reflective of a positive profession to be part of.

Her 2022 mission was…

• Encourage a better perception of the industry we operate in.
• Build each other up and become a united profession.
• Work with providers and the regulator to encourage change.

Maddie’s main impact this year has coincided with the launch of the new Consumer Duty regulations. And boy what an impact she’s made! From writing guides that break all download records, to creating new support services to better help firms understand an implement the requirements into their own businesses, ultimately meaning better outcomes for their clients. Her impact has been so great in fact, that she even won an award for her hard work, passion and dedication! In addition to this, Maddie is also working hard on an industry survey, to help get a better picture of what’s going on for people and how she can unite them into a positive profession.

An advocate for talent development and positive and engaging culture. Natalie is on a mission to use her skills to both attract and retain fresh new talent into the industry.

Her 2022 mission was…

• Shine a spotlight on the wide range of careers available in financial services.
• Shout loud and proud about the industry (and get others to do the same!).
• Champion modern culture changes to ensure diverse talent is retained.

As head of our people department, Natalie oversees all of the above internal to The Verve Group, however this year she has taken her expertise on the road! Speaking at intelliflo’s annual conference on modern workplace cultures, Dynamic Planner’s roadshow on all things We Are Change and even collaborating on webinars for local universities to name but a few, it’s safe to say she’s been spreading her knowledge far and wide across the UK.

A tenacious entrepreneur, Cathi gets her kicks supporting people and helping businesses thrive. She’s keen to share her personal experience of creating (and still managing!) a group of businesses to support and enable others who are at the start of their journey.

Her 2022 mission was…

• Build a business incubator to springboard new start-ups.
• Resource new start-ups with new financial services entrants via We Are Change.
• Change the face of finance.

As with all things Cathi does, she’s absolutely smashed her mission this year. From raising more money than ever to get new students through our We Are Change initiative, to becoming a mentor for several entrepreneurial professionals in the industry, she’s managed to share her story whilst also continuing to run several successful businesses. Oh, and we mentioned a brand new business incubator to springboard new start ups? Well keep your eyes peeled for some exciting news in the new year 😉.