We caught up with Chris Hickman, Criterion’s new Business Development Manager, to discuss the challenges he’s ready to tackle and gain his perspective on the power of standards - insights shaped by over a decade at Iress.
As our newest joiner, what attracted you to the role, and which Industry challenge are you most passionate about addressing?
I’m very pleased to join Criterion. It was evident from my first conversation that the business has strong aspirations. With over 20 years of experience in the UK financial services market, I’m eager to help the team realise those goals.
I was drawn to Criterion’s leadership in shaping standards that enhance consistency and trust across the industry. I’m particularly inspired by its collaborative approach - working with technology and product providers to align standards that can drive real progress.
One key industry problem I’m passionate about tackling is improving personalised quote premiums for end clients based on their health position. Giving advisers and clients more aligned quotes at the first engagement is key to addressing the protection gap in the UK market. While portals have made great strides in protection, there’s more we can do – both in protection and annuities – to offer clients better choice and meet their needs.
By contributing to Criterion’s standards work, I aim to support a more connected, efficient, and accountable ecosystem for suppliers and end users, and ultimately, the end consumer.
With new tech and entrants coming into the market at increasing speed, where do you think standards can help?
Standards act as a common language that enables the financial services industry to effectively communicate, exchange data and operate efficiently at scale. Without them, every organisation would develop its own standards framework, leading to incompatibility, inefficiency, and duplication of effort, as well as incurring significant costs.
In a simplified connected industry, standards ensure that systems and services can integrate seamlessly, reducing barriers between suppliers, manufacturers, and end customers. Using the Criterion standards build trust and transparency allowing providers to focus on innovation rather than constant redefinition of basic requirements. Ultimately, standards help support the industry stay agile, resilient and able to adapt to change – critical for areas like protection, where accuracy and consistency matter most.
From a tech supplier’s perspective, what do standards offer?
From a supplier’s perspective, standards are both an enabler and a differentiator. They streamline processes and ensure effective communication between manufacturers and the adviser community. By adopting these standards, suppliers reduce needless data duplication across multiple streams, saving time and cost.
In short, working with Criterion positions manufacturing providers as trusted partners in an interconnected financial services ecosystem, driving efficiency and strengthening industry collaboration.
I’m really looking forward to helping Criterion achieve its goals and working alongside colleagues and partners - both familiar faces and new ones. If you’d like to connect, please don’t hesitate to reach out: [email protected].
