Emma Vaughan, Managing Director of Omni Protect, brings warmth and candour to this episode of Just Covered. She talks to Wayne and Georgia about her journey through financial services, and the pivotal moment very early in her career that’s kept her steadfastly committed to protection – particularly income protection.

Emma explains her role running the protection division Omni Protect, where she helps advisers with every kind of protection need. She talks about why education is still essential where many advisers still avoid the protection conversation. Plus she shares her insights on adviser mindsets and skillsets, protection opportunities and building client trust.

Wayne, Georgia and Emma also discuss:

• The importance of sales quality and Emma’s top tips on how to ensure firms keep on top of it.
• Examples of how AI can drive efficiencies for advisers, and the ways in which Omni is trialling its use – without losing the human touch.
• The post-budget protection opportunities for advisers including tailored support for more effective protection sales.

This conversation is a great reminder of how protection should underpin everything an adviser does. And Emma’s personal stories shared during this episode underscore her drive for its wider adoption.

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In this special International Women's Day episode of Just Covered, hosts Wayne and Georgia sit down with two inspirational senior leaders from L&G – Victoria Jefferies, Market Development Director, and Jo Coan, Strategic Partnerships Director.

Vikki and Jo share their career journeys into financial services, from Vikki's early days in insurance sales, to Jo's "wild card" job application that led her to implementing over £1 billion in assets within her first year.

They open up about the challenges they've faced as women in the workplace, including pregnancy discrimination, the pressure to return from maternity leave early and being the only woman in the room. The conversation tackles the harsh reality of financial services' 27% pay gap and explores why vulnerability has become their superpower, rather than a weakness.

The discussion also explores the crucial role mentorship and male allyship can play in amplifying women’s roles in the workplace. Vikki and Jo share practical advice for young women entering the industry, and their optimistic vision for a more diverse, authentic future in financial services.

This episode also covers:

• The importance of how diversity in financial services can bring new experiences, relatability and authenticity to the “people business”.
• Why "saying yes and worrying later" and "running your own race" are essential mindsets for career growth.
• Actionable ways men can support women in the workplace, from backing up their ideas in meetings to calling out poor behaviour and unconscious bias.

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In this episode of Just Covered, we meet Georgia Perkins, Marketing Development Manager here at L&G and our new co-host!

Last year Georgia took the gong for Woman of the Year – Intermediary Support at the 2025 COVER Women in Protection and Health Awards, so we’re in great company. She talks to Wayne about getting started in her financial services career in protection before moving into underwriting and finally, sales. With her formal education being in Literature, she talks about how this passion for storytelling underpins her work with financial advisers.

Wayne and Georgia’s inaugural chat explores Georgia’s role in growing the market and looking for innovative ways to help advisers get the best outcomes for their clients. They discuss the two key themes for the Marketing Development Team in 2026 – legacy and income – and how her team is planning to upskill and equip advisers to meet upcoming market changes through these lenses.

This episode also covers:

• The importance of building trust and relationships to encourage clients to share their life story.
• The work L&G is doing to give advisers the confidence to walk clients through a holistic financial plan across disciplines.
• The actionable content advisers can look forward to this year in the brand new on-demand Adviser Academy.

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In this episode of Just Covered, we meet Dave Chamberlain, Chartered Financial Planner and Director of Better Future Financial Planning, and Alex Gager, his Adviser Associate. Apprenticeships are unusual in the industry. So, when Alex approached Dave through LinkedIn with a proposal to become a sponsored apprentice at his self-built, independent firm, it was certainly a surprise. His background wasn’t in financial services, but he was keen and passionate to learn. We delve into their experience of the scheme, how it’s benefitted Dave’s organisation, Alex’s progression – and why the industry could use their example to resolve some of its not-so-distant challenges…

This episode also covers:

· The impending succession crisis in financial advice and how apprenticeship schemes can attract more young people into the industry.

· The structure of Alex’s Skills Edge apprenticeship, how apprentices are trained, and the funding options available.

· The importance of soft skills, alongside more formal financial education, and how firms can disseminate this knowledge to future generations of advisers.

In this episode of Just Covered, we meet Rachel Eason-Whale, Head of Impact and Inclusion, and Amy Potter, Senior Advice Manager, at L&C Mortgages. Both of them have spent a large part of their recent lives focusing intently on how to make the financial industry more representative, inclusive, and supportive. We discuss their career progression, including formative experiences, personal hurdles, and confidence building. And, how they’ve used these lessons to start their Journey to Management initiative that aims to encourage a wider range of employees into leadership roles. It’s a refreshing vision for the future of financial services, so be sure to listen…

This episode also covers:

• The impact of their initiatives on employee retention, innovation, and industry collaboration, as well as the pathway for continuous improvement and inclusive practices.
• How to recognise and cultivate leadership skills in the workforce, and how to value both extroverted and introverted employees.
• Building diversity and inclusion best practices right from day one and maintaining it across everyday business operations.

In this episode of Just Covered, we meet David Mead, founder of multi-award-winning protection specialist, Future Proof. From humble beginnings, David started Future Proof in 2011, and in their early days they began managing orphan clients for a major provider that closed. By 2018, St. James’s Place (SJP) had acquired them, and today, they’ve handled over 25,000 referrals from over 2,600 advisers. He also now sits as Head of Protection for SJP. We dig into his journey, the organic growth of his business and his passionate philosophies around protection. He even helped pioneer the ‘write it, or refer it’ approach, so take notes…

This episode also covers:

• David’s 25-year journey in financial services, and how he’s successfully expanded his business along the way.
• The importance of pre-sales support, regular and ongoing communications and back-office support.
• The impact of Consumer Duty on the protection industry.

In this episode of Just Covered, we meet Andrew Jenkins – an inspirational individual with a background in sales and business leadership. He’s also well known as a contestant from BBC One’s popular series, The Traitors. In 1999, Andrew’s life was turned completely upside down by a horrific road accident. The experience and subsequent recovery led him to become a dedicated advocate for wellbeing and personal growth. Today, he works as a mental health coach and motivational speaker, while supporting numerous charities. Remarkably honest and open about his struggles – his story is powerful, thought-provoking and universally relevant. Don’t miss this one.

This episode also covers:

· Steps and considerations for properly supporting the other people in your life, whether that’s relatives, colleagues or friends and having honest and meaningful conversations.

· Building a growth mindset, overcoming fear of failure and being your most-authentic self, both personally and professional.

· Breaking down traditional stigmas around counselling and mental health support, especially for men.

Matt Brown | Recognising opportunity: Supporting the next generation of intermediaries

In this episode of Just Covered, we meet Matt Brown – HL Partnership’s new Propositions Director. Already a respected figure in the mortgage sector, Matt has 20 years’ experience working at firms like PRIMIS Mortgage Network, eConveyancer and NatWest. We were delighted to discuss his career so far, as well as the challenges and opportunities he currently sees in the intermediary space. We also heard about HLP’s success at our BQA awards. And, we got to uncover some of his key tips for new advisers and intermediaries, especially around training and embracing emerging technologies.

This episode also covers:

· Balancing risk and customer needs when developing propositions.

· The importance maintaining a balance between work and personal life and the role of discipline in achieving this.

· The role of new technology, including AI, in enhancing adviser efficiency and customer interaction, as well as supporting personalised advice.