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StepChange Connected 2025

Thursday 16 October

The Queens Hotel, Leeds

Our annual partner event, StepChange Connected will return on Thursday 16 October, once again welcoming leading professionals from a range of sectors to debate the emerging trends affecting consumers in financial difficulty.

We’re delighted that this year’s event will take place at The Queens Hotel, Leeds. Having recently undergone a £16 million renovation, the venue offers fabulous conference facilities and accommodation.

Our 2025 agenda and speakers

StepChange Connected brings together experts and thought leaders from a range of sectors to explore key themes and challenges affecting those in financial difficulty, and how, together with partners, we can bring better long-term outcomes to more clients.

We’ll cover topics ranging from financial inclusion and building resilience to AI and strategic partnerships. Find out more about the fantastic speakers and panellists driving the conversation at the event.

View the full agenda  

Attendees at the 2025 event

What happened at the latest event?

StepChange Connected 2025 brought together sector leaders, partners, and clients to explore the future of financial support and inclusion. The day opened with Vikki Brownridge bringing to life our refreshed strategy.

A powerful session followed, featuring clients sharing their personal journeys of overcoming stigma and seeking help.

Technology’s role in transforming client and partner experiences was highlighted by Gail Arkle, Chief Growth Officer and Martin Clift Chief Operating Officer, while an expert panel tackled the ethical opportunities and risks of AI in financial services. The afternoon focused on financial inclusion, with policy leaders and sector experts discussing the national strategy and its practical implications.

A standout session on energy debt showcased how strategic partnerships between advice services and energy providers are driving better outcomes. The event concluded with reflections from our Chair of Trustees Lesley Titcomb and sponsor Tony Mott, tying together the day’s themes of innovation, collaboration, and impact.

Attendees were invited to continue conversations during after-event drinks, with a final announcement of Debt Awareness Week 2026, taking place 16–22 March.

The event was a powerful reminder of the real lives behind the work — and the collective drive to create lasting change.

Our 2025 speakers

Vikki Brownridge

CEO,
StepChange

StepChange’s CEO since 2023, Vikki is soon celebrating 20 years at the charity. She has previously held several senior leadership positions across operations and client experience, playing an instrumental role in the launch and evolution of our online debt service, strategic relationships and funding, and shaping the wider sector alongside other debt advice charities.

Martin Clift

Chief Operating Officer,
StepChange

With a background in financial services, Martin joined StepChange in 2024 to lead our client-facing Operations department, which covers Debt Advice and Client Support, physical estates and facilities, health and safety, and sustainability. He’s passionate about ensuring good client outcomes enabled by digital first services backed by trusted experts, taking the lead as executive sponsor for our Digital Transformation programme.

Charlotte Chambers

Chief Technology & Information Officer, StepChange

Charlotte is accountable for all Digital & Change Services across the group including the charity’s digital transformation, IT operations and support services, which is key to underpinning StepChange’s long-term strategic outcomes, as well as delivering our existing products and services. She’s also passionate about coaching and mentoring, empowering women and girls in tech.

Alex Pitcher

Chief Risk Officer,
StepChange

As Chief Risk Officer, Alex is responsible for ensuring that threats to delivering StepChange’s strategy are well-managed and that we deliver good outcomes for all clients. He leads our risk management, governance, legal, data protection and regulatory compliance functions, and is also a trustee at C3 Life Church and Oasis Community Housing.

Gail Arkle

Chief Growth Officer,
StepChange

Gail joined the charity in 2019 and has since held positions as Head of Insight, Strategy and Business Development, Director of Client Experience, and Chief Growth Officer. Now leading insight and strategy, strategic partnerships, business development, bid management, and commercial and innovation, her role is integral in driving StepChange’s long-term growth and delivering good long-term client outcomes.

Martin Coppack

Professor of Practice in Financial Inclusion and Consumer Policy, CHASM,
University of Birmingham

Martin uses research and advocacy to create change for consumers, placing low income and vulnerable consumers at the heart of policymaking within essential services. He’s held a range of positions at organisations including the Financial Conduct Authority, Big Lottery Fund and Fair By Design, and is a member of the government's Financial Inclusion Committee.

Peter Tutton

Head of Policy, Research and Public Affairs,
StepChange

As Head of Policy, Research and Public Affairs, Peter plays a critical role in StepChange’s efforts to champion the consumer voice, proactively shaping the debt policy agenda. Over the last two decades, he has driven change across a wide range of debt policy issues including credit and mortgage market regulation, debt management practice and financial inclusion, to name a few.

Sophie Morris

Campaigns and Public Affairs Manager, StepChange

Sophie joined StepChange as a Public Affairs Adviser in 2023. Now, as Campaigns and Public Affairs Manager, she oversees the charity’s public affairs activity, including the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Debt and Personal Finance. Sophie’s broad experience includes roles within public affairs at The Wine and Spirit Trade Association and as a political consultant at WPI Strategy and Hanover Communications.

Steven Donovan

Consumer Vulnerability Lead,
OVO Energy

Steve is the Consumer Vulnerability Lead at OVO, focusing on enhancing customer experience for those in vulnerable situations. His work with the Extra Support Package ensures that customers can access vital resources tailored to their unique needs, while the Priority Services Register (PSR) identifies and prioritises those who require additional assistance.

Vanessa Northam

Partnerships Director,
StepChange

Vanessa has held her position as Partnerships Director at StepChange for over five years, leading the Partnerships function, securing strategic relationships, driving significant funding increases, and developing market-leading propositions with energy suppliers. Her previous experience includes Open Banking innovation and leading E.ON’s award-winning support strategy for vulnerable customers.

Fiona Cameron

Risk & Customer Vulnerability Director,
British Gas

Fiona is Conduct, Risk & Customer Vulnerability Director of British Gas Energy, having joined in 2023 with a focus on applying consumer protection principles effectively to drive good outcomes for customers. She has over 20 years’ experience managing regulatory and conduct risk in financial services.

Jamie Evans

Research Fellow,
University of Bristol

Jamie is a social researcher with a background in human geography, who focuses on issues related to financial wellbeing, financial inclusion, financial technology and consumers in vulnerable situations. In collaboration with StepChange and Ofgem, he’s involved in a project seeking to improve referrals from energy suppliers into debt advice.

Martin O’Donnell

Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer,
Debt Stream

Martin is one of the co-founders of DebtStream, which launched to market in March 2020, providing white label self-serve solutions to the collections and debt management industry through an award-winning platform, offering businesses an end-to-end digital service capability across the life cycle. Previously, he led the digital strategy at Arrow Global.

Paul Chong

Co-Founder,
Ophelos

Paul spent 16 years at IBM before taking on a variety of Sales & Executive Leadership positions overseeing divisions in the UK, Europe, and EMEA. He is also the co-founder of Ophelos. Since 2019, the company has been using cutting-edge AI to help thousands of customers move towards a more stable future and improve business outcomes for clients across multiple industries.

Kate Pender

Chief Executive,
Fair4All Finance

Fair4All Finance supports the financial wellbeing of the most vulnerable groups in our society by increasing access to fair, affordable and appropriate financial products and services. As CEO at the organisation, Kate brings her passion for financial inclusion and background in scaled programme development and delivery, economic development and supporting organisations to improve and grow. 

Muna Yassin

CEO,
Rooted Finance

Rooted Finance is a London-based specialist debt advice Charity which provides friendly, professional and inclusive advice for all. It helps individuals with personal debts, support with budgeting and maximising income, Access to Charitable grants and assistance, and more to those who need support. Muna has over 20 years’ experience in community-embedded financial inclusion services and was awarded an MBE in 2021 for charitable Financial Services to Disadvantaged People during Covid-19.   

Patrick Gould

Senior Policy Manager,
Ofgem

Patrick has worked on policy for Ofgem for the last six years, with a particular focus on energy policy, regulation, vulnerability and debt. He holds a PhD in Sociology from the University of Manchester and has an interest in energy poverty, a fair transition, anti-poverty research and lived experiences. 

Dan Holloway

Founder & CEO,
Rogue Interrobang

Rogue Interrobang, a spinout company from the University of Oxford’s Humanities Division, helps individuals and organisations use creativity to solve problems. After two decades of campaigning and consulting on inclusion in financial services, publishing, innovation, and other sectors, Dan brings a wealth of experience and a unique perspective to StepChange Connected. 

Caroline Darnbrook

Chief Client Officer,
StepChange

As Chief Client Officer, Caroline leads the charity’s policy, campaigning, communications and digital functions, as well as the development of all StepChange's products and services to meet evolving client need. Before her current post, Caroline was Head of Digital and Marketing and came to the charity with diverse experience from banking, consultancy, and charitable institutions.