2025 Judges

Emma began her career in financial journalism in 2003 as pensions reporter on the Financial Times’s weekly Financial Adviser newspaper. Between 2003 and 2019 she edited several of the FT's award-winning titles for intermediaries, including Financial Adviser, Mortgage Adviser and FTAdviser.

As well as winning multiple awards over the course of her career for breaking exclusive news as well as in-depth reports, she has spoken at the Conservative party conference and appeared on BBC radio programmes talking about personal finance.

In 2019 she joined the Chartered Insurance Institute as communications director and was responsible for the production of its publication for insurance professionals The Journal and CII Radio podcasts. She joined Insurance Post as their 21st Editor in November 2022.

Melissa Collett is Professional Standards Director at the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII), leading its professional standards, ethics and conduct activity as a united profession across insurance and financial planning. She is also responsible for the professional body’s legal affairs, risk management, disciplinary matters and governance. She is keen to raise awareness of best practice and drive ethical behaviour through engagement with the profession and external stakeholders.

Melissa has an extensive background in consumer and legal issues. She spent over a decade at the Financial Ombudsman Service, was a Director at Fairer Finance and sits as a Tribunal Judge. She is also qualified solicitor, specialising in insurance law at Hogan Lovells. She is a frequent speaker at conference and events, sits on judging panels, and is the author of numerous articles and publications on consumer law subjects.