The Yorkshire Financial Awards is pleased to welcome back Emma Vernon, joint president of the Insurance Institute of Leeds, to the judging panel for the 2026 event.
Emma has been a long-standing member of the Insurance Institute of Leeds council, becoming president in 2024–25 before moving into her current role as joint president on Leeds’s first ever presidential committee for 2025–26. Her previous positions include chairing the Harrogate committee for two years and serving as deputy president of Leeds in 2023.
Her presidential theme of ‘consistency’ has centred on maintaining the region’s strong professional development offering for insurance and financial services professionals, alongside fundraising for the Leeds South & East Foodbank.
Emma, who has worked at Marsh Ltd for the past 11 years and is currently the Senior Client Advisory Leader for the North Yorkshire region, was also shortlisted for ‘Team Leader of the Year’ at the 2024 Women in Insurance Awards. She is passionate about developing people and supporting colleagues in their careers.
Speaking about returning to the judging panel, Emma said: “It was fantastic to be part of the judging panel for the 2025 Yorkshire Financial Awards; reading through the applications highlighted the high level of talent we have in our region. I’m sure this standard will continue to grow in 2026 and I’m looking forward to having the opportunity to celebrate more fantastic businesses and professionals in our industry next year.”
The Yorkshire Financial Awards 2026 will take place on Thursday 7 May at New Dock Hall, Leeds. Entry registration is open Friday 22nd August and closes on Friday 6 February 2026.
