Speaking
Emma Boardwell is one of Financial Services’ most distinctive voices on the human dimensions of financial advice.
Occupying a unique position at the intersection of psychotherapy and financial advice, Emma brings her empowering, thought provoking perspectives to conferences, firm events and workshops across the UK and beyond.
From large scale industry gatherings to intimate in-house events, audiences leave her sessions with a fresh lens on the relationships that define their work - and the practical tools to strengthen them.
Emma speaks across a range of event types, both publicly and privately, customising her talks to her client needs.
Here are some of her most recent and upcoming speaking engagements:
EBI Webinar ‘Supporting Vulnerable Clients: A Practical Relational Approach’. January 2026
Financial Solutions AR and Adviser Community Event. March 2026.
Standard Life Ireland Network Conference. April 2026.
Money Marketing Interactive (Leeds). May 2026.
Advisor 3.0. May 2026.
CISI Financial Planning Conference. October 2026.
CATS Annual Conference. November 2026.
Emma’s Signature Keynote:
The Relationship Is The Work
From Well Intentioned to Well Executed: Building Client Relationships That Redefine Financial Advice
Financial Professionals know that relationships are their differentiator. As technical expertise becomes commoditised and the information asymmetry that once justified an adviser’s fee gets dismantled, relationships themselves become the product that clients will value and pay for.
And yet, for all the rigour financial services brings to investment strategies, compliance and planning, there is remarkably little attention paid to what exception client relationships actually look like and how to build them intentionally. They are treated informally, instinctively and invisibly. And as a result, most advisers default to reactive and default behaviours and patterns that feel natural, but ultimately limit their value. Well intentioned relationships are not the same as well executed ones.
What if the profession that knows the most about building exceptional human relationships could teach us something? In psychotherapy, you can’t guarantee outcomes. The relationship IS the work.
In this inspiring and empowering session, Emma Boardwell - founder of Emotional Finance and a qualified psychotherapist turned financial services consultant and trainer - translates the insights, principles and skills from psychotherapy into practical tools for financial professionals.
Attendees walk away with:
A new lens on the default patterns most financial professionals fall into - and why good intentions aren’t enough
A clear, practical model for what exceptional client relationships are actually made of
Immediate, actionable steps to move from well-intentioned to well-executed relationships
For Event Planners:
I always aim to be professional and easy to work with. I will communicate clearly through the process and provide materials promptly to make sure your preparation is straightforward and ensure the day runs as smoothly as possible.
Headshots:
Link to a few headshots.
Bios:
For Print and Online Bios:
Emma Boardwell is the founder of Emotional Finance - a consultancy, training and speaking -practice bringing emotional literacy and relational intelligence into the heart of financial advice. Drawing on her background as a psychotherapist, she offers financial professionals a fresh and distinctive lens on the relationships that define their work, and on the practical tools to strengthen them.
An award-winning voice in the industry, Emma is Money Marketing's resident agony aunt and is trusted by advisers, firms and providers across the UK for her proprietary frameworks and empowering talks - helping redefine what it means to be a truly trusted financial professional.
A/V Logistics:
Emma kindly requests the following for in-person talks:
Lavalier/ lapel microphone
Wireless presenter clicker
Stage-facing confidence monitor which shows the same slide view attendees see
What people say