Bim Afolami Keynote Speaker

Bim Afolami is a dynamic leader whose career bridges politics, law, finance and strategy. He served as Economic Secretary to the Treasury and City Minister in the UK Government from 2023 to 2024, acting as deputy to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and overseeing major developments in financial services and economic policy. From 2017 to 2024 he was the Member of Parliament for Hitchin and Harpenden, during which time he held key parliamentary and ministerial roles that shaped regulatory reform and economic growth.

Educated at Oxford University, Bim began his career as a corporate lawyer at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, before moving into banking as a senior executive at HSBC. His rare combination of legal, financial and political experience gives him a uniquely broad perspective on the challenges of leadership, regulation and global markets.

After leaving government following the 2024 general election, Bim was appointed Head of Strategy & Execution at US-based financial services firm Acrisure in early 2025, and he joined the board of HSBC UK plc as its youngest ever UK banking director. He is also a published author; his 2023 works include The Dictators: 64 Dictators, 64 Authors, 64 Warnings from History and Kings and Queens: 1200 Years of English and British Monarchs.

As a speaker, Bim brings deep insight into how government, business and finance intersect in today’s complex global economy. He engages audiences with clarity and strategic vision, drawing on his first-hand experience of policy-making, regulation and corporate transformation. Whether challenging assumptions or equipping organisations to navigate change and disruption, he delivers thought-leadership that inspires actionable outcomes.