Join us as the BTS L&D experts chat to special guests Jon Dunckley and Hayley Brown about how neurodiversity affects the experience of studying for regulated exams and breaking into a career in financial planning; the challenges, the benefits and the study techniques that have worked for others. Plus find out about available help and support.

About our guests:

Jon Dunckley is Founding Director of ‘About…’ Consulting, a group of training, consulting, and coaching businesses with the single goal of ‘helping ordinary people do extraordinary things.’ A self-confessed psychology geek, he’s constantly looking for ways to help advisers improve outcomes for clients. Having always known that he looked at the world differently to other people, he was formally assessed as Asperger’s in his early 40s. The diagnosis gave him a new way of understanding himself and a passion for helping other neurodivergent people excel in the workplace. He holds the extremely rare distinction of being a Fellow of the LIBF, PFS, CII and CISI as well as being both a Certified and Chartered Financial Planner. He’s also a Fellow of the Institute of Leadership and Management and a Member of the Association for Coaching. He has particular interest in the later life space, with expertise in IHT planning, long term care and later life lending, but he writes and speaks widely on a variety of topics covering all things financial planning. He contributes to no fewer than 7 CII textbooks and tutors for STEP.

Hayley Brown is a Corporate Development Manager at the Chartered Insurance Institute. Her current role involves working alongside CII’s largest corporate clients to enhance the knowledge, skills and behaviours of their employees. Hayley has over ten years’ experience in financial services, working with global regulators, firms and bodies alike to further the professionalism of the sector. Prior to working at CII, Hayley held the position of Senior Associate in the FCA’s Culture and Governance Team where she led a project on the importance of Purpose in financial services.