Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) Group President, Callum Beaton FCII unveiled his presidential theme for 2026 in the latest episode of The Journal podcast. ‘EQUIP: Educate, Qualify, Unify, Investigate, Participate’ will drive this year’s focus, a framework Callum describes as both a reflection of his own career journey, and a roadmap for the future of the profession.
Speaking to Luke Holloway, editor of The Journal, Callum said: “I see my own career as being built around the pneumonic ‘EQUIP’. ‘Educate, qualify, unify’. Because we work in a unified financial services sector. ‘Investigate’. I think it's important, even once qualified, to keep on investing, asking questions. And then, significantly, ‘participate’ - putting something back. I know it's simplistic, I know it's cliche, but I think if you look at those words, that's very much what's delivered for [my career], and I think it's what the CII can assist in delivering to its members, and in turn its members can deliver to the community at large.”
The 2026 presidential theme supports the Institute’s values of lifelong learning, high professional standards, and collaboration.
Reflecting on how his work will build on the presidential themes of his predecessors, Nicola Stacey ACII and Ian Callaghan FCII, Callum said: “Both of their themes have been around membership, and I think membership is the thing because individual members are the lifeblood of the Institute, whether in the PFS or CII. It's vital that these people feel part of a member organisation and the sense of belonging. So, I'm very, very committed to see into the roles of individual members, to what they can do and how they can develop both themselves and the profession as a whole.”
Callum Beaton FCII will serve as the CII Group President for 2026, alongside Debbie Mitchell DipPFS, who will serve as Deputy President.
The full podcast episode is available on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.