Stuart Gregory, Deputy Director - Corporate Tax, HM Treasury

Stuart is the Deputy Director for Corporate Tax at HM Treasury, responsible for the UK’s domestic and international corporate tax system, financial services taxation, and stamp duty on shares. He has played a central role in negotiating OECD/Inclusive Framework international tax reforms and previously served as First Secretary Taxation at the UK Representation to the EU. Stuart began his Treasury career in 2008, focusing on asset management taxation and the government's response to the IMA/KPMG competitiveness reports.

Natalie Reeder, Deputy Director (VAT Reliefs & Financial Services and Insurance Premium Tax), HM Revenue and Customs

Natalie is the Deputy Director for VAT Reliefs & Financial Services and Insurance Premium Tax policy at HMRC and Chair of the Finance Liaison Group.

Natalie joined HMRC from HM Treasury in September 2024, where she was Head of Domestic VAT and Excise. Prior to that, Natalie has held a number of other roles in the Civil Service, including in HMRC, HM Treasury, Cabinet Office, Department for Exiting the EU and 10 Downing Street.

Thomas Pope, Deputy Chief Economist, Institute for Government

Tom is the deputy chief economist at the Institute for Government, a non-partisan think tank working to make government more effective. He works within the public finances team and leads the Institute’s work on local growth. He also leads and contributes to projects on public services, fiscal policy and regulation.

Tom has an MSc in economics and was previously an economist at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, working on tax policy and public finances, before joining IfG in 2019.

Grace Stevens, Director of Group Tax, Legal & General

Grace has been the Chief Tax Officer at Legal & General Group since 2015 having joined the L&G tax team in 2011. She is a member of the CBI Tax Committee, chairs the IA Tax Strategy Committee, chairs the advisory panel for the Winmark Tax Directors Network and is a member of the CBI Financial Services Council.

Grace has expertise across UK and international tax specialising in real estate and financial services. Before joining L&G Grace worked at RSA, Deloitte and qualified with Arthur Andersen. Grace is a Trustee and Treasurer of the charity Women In Prison.

Alan Paterson, Head of Indirect Tax, aberdeen

Alan Paterson is the Head of Indirect and Operational Taxes at aberdeen having been with the company for the last eight years.

Alan graduated from Sheffield University with a Masters Degree in Mathematics and subsequently qualified as a Chartered Tax Adviser at PwC in Edinburgh. Over a thirteen year career at PwC in London and Sydney, Alan worked with a broad range of Financial Services clients on VAT, GST and other indirect tax matters

Alan is the current Chair of the IA VAT Committee, and has spent recent months in that role engaging with both HM Treasury and HMRC around the conclusion of the Investment Management VAT Review. Alan is a member of the EFAMA VAT Taskforce.

Jo Crookshank, Partner, Simmons & Simmons LLP

Jo leads the firm’s indirect tax financial services advisory practice and is also the lead tax partner for a number of financial services clients, including some of the world’s leading banks and investment advisers. She has more than 20 years of experience advising clients on complex domestic and cross-border tax issues, including thirteen years at a Big Four practice prior to joining Simmons & Simmons.

Rachel Vandervord, Head of Product Tax Europe, Vanguard

Rachel is European Product Tax Lead at Vanguard and has >10 years of experience within asset management tax. Rachel maintains responsibility for all tax matters impacting the Vanguard European fund range, providing strategic support on product launches and changes, as well as becoming heavily involved in operational taxes management. Before joining Vanguard, Rachel was a manager in the asset management tax team at Deloitte, specializing in investor tax reporting.

Roger Exwood, Group Tax Expert, Pictet Asset Management

Roger has worked in asset management taxation since 1994. In roles for Deutsche Asset Management, UBS Asset Management, BlackRock and now Pictet Asset Management he has particularly focussed on product taxation (for both listed and private assets) , but also covered corporate, VAT and M&A tax aspects. He has held regional responsibility for Europe, Asia and Latin America. He has a long standing involvement in tax public policy work, covering issues round the world and working in particular with EFAMA, where has was chair of the tax committee for many years.

Thomas Daffern, Tax Director, PwC United Kingdom

Tom has been a Director in the PwC Asset & Wealth Management Tax team since 2022, specialising in operational taxes matters impacting investment funds, managers, custodians and investors.

Prior to that, Tom was the Head of UBS Asset Management Tax – EMEA. The EMEA Head of Tax position covered all operational tax matters globally for over 500 funds domiciled principally in Ireland, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and the UK. This included European investor tax reporting and technical analysis across all key investment jurisdictions for withholding tax, capital gains and transactions taxes.

Tom joined UBS in September 2018 and prior to that, he worked as an investment funds tax specialist at Northern Trust and Aviva Investors. Tom has been a Chartered Accountant for over 10 years and is a member of the Tax Committee at the UK Investment Association.

Gavin Kan, Partner, KPMG

Gavin has experience and expertise in fund product and investment related tax matters across public and private assets. He joined KPMG in July 2023 from a leading UK asset manager where he led the Product tax team for 9 years and gained deep practical experience on the design, implementation and operation of different fund structures. Prior to this he spent almost 10 years at another leading accountancy firm where he qualified as a Chartered Accountant and worked in the investment management tax team.

John Powlton, Head of Investment Management Tax, M&G

John joined M&G in 2018, his present role is Head of Investment Management Tax. He is responsible for tax in relation to M&G’s real estate funds, alternative funds (excluding infrastructure) and traditional funds worldwide including tax advisory, compliance and tax issues relating to product development. Prior to joining M&G, John worked for Qatari Diar, the real estate development and investment arm of the sovereign fund of the State of Qatar, for 5 years in Doha and London with tax responsibility at various times for matters across Europe, Asia and the UK. John also acted as Finance Director for the Europe & Americas region towards the end of his time at Qatari Diar. Earlier in his career, John spent 9 years with Deloitte in London and Luxembourg primarily focussing on providing advice to private equity and institutional clients investing into international real estate.

John is a graduate of the University of Sheffield, Heriot-Watt University, a Chartered Accountant and holds an Advanced Diploma in International Tax.

Teneal Venter, Head of Tax Technical Research, WTax

Teneal Venter is the Head of Tax Technical Research at WTax, where she leads a team of specialists focused on delivering technical expertise to support global withholding tax relief services, particularly for clients in the asset management industry. With a strong background in international tax law, Teneal’s core expertise lies in cross-border withholding tax research and interpretation. She is a Chartered Accountant (SA) and holds a Master of Commerce in Taxation.

Karen Northey, Director of Corporate Affairs, The Investment Association

Karen leads the Corporate Affairs function at the Investment Association (IA), which includes Communications, UK Government Affairs and European and International Regulatory Affairs. Karen joined the IA from the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) in March 2022 where she was Head of China, International Markets and Head of Government Relations, Asia Pacific. Prior to LSEG, Karen worked at the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) where she held a number of roles including leading the FCA’s international relations function and the asset management and funds policy team.

Karen holds a JD/LLB and a BA from the University of Ottawa in Canada and an LLM from the London School of Economics. She is a qualified solicitor in both the UK and in Ontario, Canada.

Simon McIntyre, Global Head of Tax, aberdeen

Simon leads the tax function at aberdeen, overseeing tax matters for the group and its global fund range. He has over twenty years of experience advising financial services organisations and multinational groups on UK and international tax matters. Simon joined aberdeen in 2007, having previously worked with Ernst & Young, HSBC and Deloitte in London and Edinburgh. Simon is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales, and a Chartered Tax Advisor.

Malcolm Powell, Head of Tax, Ninety One

Malcolm has been Head of Tax at Ninety One since 2012, having previously worked in accounting firms, JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley. At Ninety One he has responsibility for all tax matters for the group and fund products, including in particular product tax matters and AEOI. He is a former chair of the IA Tax Committee.

Rachel Buggle, Tax Director EMEA, BlackRock

A Director within the EMEA Product Tax team of BlackRock, Rachel Buggle plays a pivotal role in delivering expert tax advice and support to the firm's diverse client base and product platforms. A graduat of Reims Management School, Rachel hold a dual degree in European business and has firmly established herself in the asset management sector, gaining a deep understanding of its scope and the role of financial markets. Based in London, Rachel's expertise focuses on international tax and UK product offerings. Her contributions are far reaching, supporting product platforms and clients throughout Europe. Rachel's meticulous attention to detail and unwavering commitment to excellence have been key drivers in advancing significant projects and initiatives at BlackRock.

Among her notable achievements, Rachel has been instrumental in shaping the UK CCO policy, enhancing tax reporting processes through automation, and fortifying governance and control frameworks. As a proponent of innovation and continuous improvement, Rachel is always exploring new avenues to refine the tax function and uphold the highest quality standards for clients. Her efforts have been crucial in defining BlackRock's policy stance in the UK and shaping the firm's response to the evolving UK Funds regime. Rachel's recent projects include advancing the Long Term Asset Fund, carefully considering tax implications and operational models for these new products.

Suzi Evans, Managing Director, Alpine Edge Consulting

Suzi is a recognised expert in international transfer taxes such as UK stamp duty, stamp duty reserve tax and similar regimes overseas as they apply to the financial services industry. With over 20 years "Big 4" experience in London, Birmingham and Luxembourg, Suzi now runs her own consulting firm, Alpine Edge. With a deep specialism in global investment structures, Suzi’s work focusses on supporting institutional investors, investment managers, custodians and other asset servicers with in kind transitions such as complex (cross border) fund reconstructions and investor product switches. Suzi participated in the design of the UK Authorised Contractual Scheme and continues to support HMRC and HMT with the design of new UK Stamp Taxes on Shares and the IA tokenisation of funds initiative. As an active member of the UK Chartered Institute of Tax Advisors (CIOT), Suzi is a global conference speaker, published author and a member of both the UK Government’s Stamp Taxes on Shares Working Group and CIOT Stamp Tax Practitioners Group. 

Martin Shah, Partner, Simmons & Simmons

Martin Shah is a Partner in the corporate tax team at Simmons and leads the financial services tax practice. Martin’s broad-based practice encompasses advisory, transactional and disputes work, with an emphasis on clients in the asset management and investment funds sector. His focus includes advising on funds and other investment products, together with structural tax issues for banking, asset management and insurance clients. He also has extensive experience advising on tax issues arising from mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, integrations and spin-outs in the investment management and wealth management space. Martin is a member of the Tax Committee of the Law Society of England and Wales and chairs its VAT and Duties Sub-Committee. Clients praise him as “incredibly well rounded” and “extremely commercial'.

David Wren, Partner - Operational Tax, KPMG

David has worked in operational taxes and information reporting for 20 years. His work includes tax policy, business change and implementation of technology, through to reporting, remediation, and engagement with tax authorities. He has extensive experience of implementing tax technology for reporting, governance, and reconciliation purposes.

David advises on a wide range of operational tax issues, including all aspects of Automatic Exchange of Information for banks, asset managers, digital platforms and cryptocurrency, withholding taxes under the US QI regime, international reclaims and reporting, and domestic regimes in the UK including savings and pensions.

David leads the UK’s Financial Services work on anti-tax evasion and the UK’s Corporate Criminal Offence requirements and supports clients with developing risk mitigation and control frameworks to manage both customer tax evasion and tax avoidance risks.

David has an increasing focus on new reporting regimes including crypto assets, withholding taxes and fintechs as well as the role of the financial services sector in successful anti-tax evasion.

David Currie, Global Head of Indirect Tax and Deputy Global Head of Transfer Pricing, BlackRock

David Currie is BlackRock's Global Head of Indirect Tax and Deputy Global Head of Transfer Pricing.

David is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland ("ICAS"), a Fellow member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation ("CIOT") and has a postgraduate MSc by Research (Taxation) degree from The University of Birmingham for his dissertation on 'The VAT exemption for the management of Special Investment Funds: a review of their design, impact and alternatives'.

David is a member of Investment Association’s (“IA”) VAT Committee and Tax Strategy Group, the European Fund and Asset Management Association’s (“EFAMA”) VAT Task Force , the Irish Funds VAT Working Group, and the ICAS Tax Board.

Dan Evans, Director, PwC

Daniel Evans is a Director who joined PwC’s VAT practice in 2004 and leads PwC’s VAT services in the Asset and Wealth Management sector. He is a prizewinning member of the Chartered Institute of Tax and an active member of the Investment Association’s VAT Committee.

Supporting a substantial number of businesses across the financial services sectors, primarily in Asset Management and Pensions, Daniel advises multinational mainstream asset managers, UK focussed wealth and alternatives managers and acts for many of the UK’s largest pension schemes. This includes overseeing the delivery of managed services and end-to-end compliance services across many of these clients.

Daniel has been involved in negotiations with HMRC in relation to the evolving policy regarding VAT and pensions, and has applied this knowledge in implementing efficient and agreed solutions to the VAT challenges faced by pension schemes.

His extensive network and knowledge of VAT in the asset management sector allows Daniel to provide commercial and robust advice. Areas of particular experience include the application of VAT exemptions for asset management businesses, international structuring, VAT in transactions and alternative investments made by pension schemes.

Harry Stead, Tax Director, Deloitte LLP

Harry is a Director within Deloitte's Investment Management Tax practice. He has over 15 years of experience as a tax adviser, working with clients to deliver tax efficient fund structuring solutions. He specialises in providing taxation advice to investment managers, pension schemes and asset servicers; with a specific focus on the structuring and operation of large, typically traditional funds. An area of specialism is tax transparent funds ("TTFs"), including the UK Authorised Contractual Scheme ("ACS"), although he advises institutional investor clients (e.g. local government pension pools) on a wide variety of fund structures and asset classes in the UK and overseas. Harry has also recently been working with a number of clients to design and operate open-ended alternative funds with a retail focus.

Anshita Joshi, Head of Tax – Europe, Vanguard

Anshita Joshi is Head of Tax for Europe at Vanguard, responsible for leading tax strategy, governance, and risk management across the Vanguard European Group and its managed funds. She joined Vanguard in April 2025, following seven years at the Investment Association as Director of Risk and Tax, where she shaped policy on UK, EU, and international tax and regulatory matters impacting the investment management industry. Prior to that, Anshita spent over a decade at PwC in asset management tax roles across the UK and India. With over 20 years of experience, Anshita brings deep technical expertise and a global perspective to her work. She is an active contributor to industry dialogue through technical and policy-focused working groups.

Tori Mackman, Head of Group Tax, Schroders

Tori Mackman is the Head of Group Tax at Schroders, responsible for overseeing the organisation’s global tax matters. Tori began her career on the graduate scheme at PwC within the Financial Services VAT team, where she spent eight years advising a range of clients. She joined Schroders as European VAT Manager in 2016, and over the past nine years her remit has expanded to cover all tax matters in EMEA and, subsequently, indirect taxes globally. Most recently, in April, Tori was appointed Head of Group Tax and now leads the team managing Schroders’ tax affairs across asset management, wealth management, and private assets.

Pam Gordon, Global Head of Securities Services Tax Product, J.P. Morgan

Pam is the Global Head of Securities Services Tax Product at JP Morgan.  She has over 20 years’ experience in Financial Services Taxation at both banking and professional service firms, with a proven track record for business transformation and a strong focus on risk management, controls and regulatory compliance.  Pam holds an MA in Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge and is a qualified Chartered Accountant (ICAEW) and Chartered Tax Advisor (CIOT). 

Hannah Marwood, Head of Government Affairs, The Investment Association

Hannah Marwood leads the Investment Association’s government affairs strategy, ensuring that policymakers and regulators understand the vital role of the UK asset management industry. Since joining the IA in 2018, Hannah has driven engagement with government and stakeholders on key policy issues affecting investment firms.
Prior to this, Hannah was Associate Director at Teneo Blue Rubicon, advising major financial services clients on public affairs and reputation management.