The Finance Group is the forum for Marketing Professionals to share best practice in the marketing of financial products, finance and fundraising. It is the largest market interest group for the finance industry in the UK, with over 1,000 members who enjoy a range of eclectic and tangible benefits.
It is open to those who work, study and/or marketing interests involve activities such as retail banking, credit, loans & mortgages, lending, investment, fund management, stocks & shares, venture capital, asset management, security brokering & future trading, financial transactions & processing, fundraising, and management consultancy related to these activities or finance institutions.
The Finance Group
 Comprises banks, building societies, finance organisations, credit card companies, fund managers, investment banks, stock market trading, accountancy & management consultants, financial transactions and processing (such as: electronic payment systems eg BACS, ATM networks and outsourcing operations such as cheque clearing etc).
Core products include; credit, loans, savings and cheque accounts, investments, mortgages, venture capital, asset management, security brokering and future trading. Other products cross-sold include insurance and risk management.
The Chartered Institute of Marketing
 The Chartered Institute of Marketing is the leading international professional marketing body with members worldwide. First established in 1911 it defines the marketing standards that operate in the UK and is the global champion of best marketing practice. The Institute exists to develop the marketing profession, maintain professional standards and improve the skills of marketing practitioners, enabling them to deliver exceptional results for their organisations. It does this by providing membership, qualifications and training to marketing professionals around the world.
The Chartered Institute of Marketing currently has over 50,000 members world wide. For more information please visit: www.cim.co.uk
Members’ Profile
 Our members comprise mainly of highly skilled, qualified marketers. The majority (61%) work in senior management positions or above, with 39% working in Director, CEO, and Chairman positions.*
They represent a range of sectors within the finance industry, with the majority (61%) of members* from banking, investment and finance, with some from insurance (16%) accountancy (12%) and consultancy firms (12%).
 Our members take their professionalism seriously. Just under half (47%) are currently studying post graduate Marketing qualifications and 7% are currently Chartered Marketers. The Chartered Institute of Marketing is the only Marketing Body which awards a Chartered status to Marketing professionals.
In addition to our full membership, we boast an additional 13% professional or company affiliated members, and 15% associated members.
 Most of our members reside in the UK, with 48% living and working in London and the South East. Our international members, currently 14% of our membership, span Europe, Asian and Australasia, including Australia, Singapore, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Ghana, Malalysia, Poland, Republic of Ireland and Sri Lanka.
The majority (94%) of our members elect to receive both electronic and hard copy (postal) communications. Our face to face events are highly attended, with ‘attendance’ about to increase through greater use of electronic broadcasts.
Membership is equally divided between female (53%) and male (47%) members.
* Of those members identified.
Finance Group Committee
 The Finance Group is run by members for members, and comprises of qualified marketers working within the finance industry, along with a student representative, who combine their personal experience and expertise to provide other Finance Group members with;
- A valuable channel for communicating member needs to a wider audience, including CIM staff and trustees,
- An opportunity to develop, deliver and share better marketing practice,
- A range of networking opportunities, including high profile,
- High calibre speakers for CPD events, seminars and training courses,
- Exclusive deals and discounts on events, publications and training courses,
- Easily accessible knowledge and opportunities to learn, such as case study material and webinars,
- Student representation to further the understanding of student member needs, and
- Support when entering marketing/communications/sales roles in finance organisations.
Committee members meet six times a year, set the group's business strategy, implementation plans, and budgets, along with liaising with other membership organisations and businesses to provide exclusive deals, organising events, and representing marketers within the finance industry and academic Institutions.
Becoming a committee member
Nominations to the committee take place throughout the year and positions are filled on a merit basis of those best placed to fulfil the needs of the committee. If you are interested in becoming a committee member and would like to know more about the responsibilities and expectations when serving, then please contact Kathy Lewis, Chair of the Finance Group, on 07961 317 621 or email kathy.lewis@cimfinancegroup.co.uk
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Meet the Committee |
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Kathy Lewis BCApSc, MBA, MSc, FRSA, CMCIM
Chair of the Finance Group
Kathy.Lewis@cimfinancegroup.co.uk
Kathy has worked in a range of banking organisations (trading floors, fund management and retail banks). She currently holds a number of Non Executive Directorships at various organisations, as well as sitting on a number of committees in several professional institutes, including currently chairing the CIM MIG Board. Her experience includes strategic communications and internal marketing at board level. |
Kathy currently provides bespoke consultancy services in promoting and communicating organisational fitness and wellbeing, particularly during M&A and major change programmes, to the finance industry. She is well qualified and holds several degrees in business, health and psychology, along with Chartered Marketer status at the Chartered Institute of Marketing.
Kathy is also an author of a number of guide books and a variety of articles in popular press and professional journals, with guest media appearances on numerous radio shows. She enjoys public speaking on a range of topics. |
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Michael Warne
CIM Regional Director, South East
Michaelwarne@cim.co.uk
Mike is our CIM representative. His experience includes marketing, sales, advertising and new product development in a range of industries. After running a small manufacturing business in the Southwest, he became a director of an enterprise agency, set up his own recruitment business and studied for the C.I.M. diploma. Before taking up his post at The Chartered Institute of Marketing, Mike ran a consultancy and training partnership. |
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Garry Heath
Parliamentary Envoy
Garry.Health@cimfinancegroup.co.uk
Garry is a Leading Chairman and CEO in the financial services sector and formerly Director General of the IFA Association. He is the winner of several financial services and marketing awards in the Financial Services and Furniture industries.
He has successfully initiated radical change both internally within organisations and as a major player within the industry has represented |
| the industry in parliamentary forums and as a media spokesperson with regular press and TV appearances. Garry has built up and sold two national financial services businesses and is currently embarking on a portfolio career. He has been a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing since 1982 |
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Deepa Patel
Relationship Manager
Deepa.Patel@cimfinancegroup.co.uk
Deepa Patel joined the Finance Group as our Relationship Development Manager in 2006. Deepa is recognised and respected for launching successful campaigns and developing fruitful partnerships. She has previously helped to raise significant one-off funds for a number of charities. Recently, Deepa raised £85,000 at the Diwali Charity Ball, Birmingham in conjunction with Coutts. Deepa has also developed and launched the award winning campaigns such as the ‘Spirit of Seva’ Campaign in 2002 which won the Charity of the Year for 3 consecutive years, as part of her previous role |
as the International Development Manager at Help the Aged.
Deepa is also a member of Women in Banking and Finance Toast Masters Public Speaking Club and a Board member of the Dynamic Asian Women’s Network. She obtained her MSc Marketing post completion of her LLB and currently works as a free-lance Consultant. |
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Dawn Wills
Secretary
Dawn.Wills@cimfinancegroup.co.uk
Dawn is an innovative Chartered Marketer with 20 years of experience within the marketing industry, 13 of which have involved developing her own marketing services business.
Originally working within Banking and Insurance, Dawn worked for British Gas for eight years in a variety of marketing roles before embarking upon self employment. |
| Her commercial acumen and versatility have been demonstrated within a wide variety of business sectors, and she has achieved both local and national recognition of her marketing work. As well as providing training and published articles regarding setting up in business and marketing, Dawn also runs a fitness business based in Hertfordshire. |
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Brian Sweeney
Interim Treasurer
BrianSweeney@cimfinancegroup.co.uk
Having completed his MBA at the Open University he was Director of Education at the Institute of Financial Planning from 2003 – 2007 with responsibility for running the Certified Financial Planner licence programme, recognised ad the leading professional qualification for Financial Planners in the world. Brian is one of only 700 CFP licensed individuals in the UK. He joined Pivotal Consulting, part of the National Australia Bank group as National Business Consultant in April this year and is recognised as the UK’s leading expert in the field of professional financial planning education. |
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Abeke Idowu
Research Officer
Abeke.Idowu@cimfinancegroup.co.uk
Abeke currently holds the post of Research Officer for the CIM finance group. Her remit includes member and customer profile management, case study research and design, implementation and statistical analysis of survey based research.
Prior to joining the Finance Group Committee, Abeke has had six years experience in marketing which has included a number of international |
financial institutions. An experienced fundraiser, principally for disabled children, Abeke also enjoys the challenge of supporting CIM events for good courses.
Abeke is an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing. She holds the CIM Professional Diploma in Marketing and is currently studying for an MBA in International Marketing. |
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Tania Swasbrook
Student Representative
Tania.swasbrook@cimfinancegroup.co.uk
A current student at the University of Westminster, Tania is perusing her masters degree in Marketing Management. She has worked in marketing for seven years and began her studies of Marketing at New York University (NYU) before moving to London in 2005.Her marketing career has been within the travel industry and roles include marketing within the US, Latin America and the Caribbean. |
| In 2007 she has gone from the travel industry to financial services. This change has allowed her to utilise her travel industry experience and combine them with new skills and experiences learnt from her masters and current new industry. Recent projects includes the design and implementation of a bespoke marketing plan for a new sector within Corporate Banking at the Royal Bank of Scotland. |
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Njuguna Ndirangu
Regional Coordinator
Njuguna gained experience of working in the hotel sector before coming to the United Kingdom five years ago. He has since changed his career and gained a CIM Diploma in Marketing. Having worked in retail, finance and within the public sector, Njuguna is currently working for Siemens Energy Services as an Administrator. At the same time, he is studying for the CIM Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing and has also been a student representative for CIM Marketing students in Nottingham Trent University. |
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