The secret aspirations of a director general

clock

Chris Cummings, director general of Aifa and Ami, greeted me in a shirt and jeans on Friday morning - apparently in preparation for the Aifa Christmas party - declaring: "I've actually dressed up today - usually I'm wearing very casual clothes!"

It's a sharp contrast to the image I had of a man dressed in a business suit and purely focused on the world of IFAs and it seems his sense of humour is just one of many surprises behind the top man at the Association of IFAs. Outside of the office environment, Cummings reveals he has a passion for writing rather than regulation, and describes his latest venture into comedy/drama TV scriptwriting as “northern Only Fools and Horses meets Chocolat” while declaring his great ambition is to write at least one successful script or novel, which will “pay for an Aston Martin DBG and a round-the-...

To continue reading this article...

Join Professional Adviser for free

  • Unlimited access to real-time news, industry insights and market intelligence
  • Stay ahead of the curve with spotlights on emerging trends and technologies
  • Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletters
  • Make smart business decisions with the latest developments in regulation, investing retirement and protection
  • Members-only access to the editor’s weekly Friday commentary
  • Be the first to hear about our events and awards programmes

Join

 

Already a Professional Adviser member?

Login

More on Your profession

The banks are back: What does this mean for advisers?

The banks are back: What does this mean for advisers?

Banks ‘uniquely positioned’ to provide advice to mass market

Sophia Panayi
clock 24 August 2026 • 6 min read
Social media investment advice leaves investors out of pocket - research

Social media investment advice leaves investors out of pocket - research

Over half who acted on social media financial advice regretted it

Isabel Baxter
clock 21 August 2026 • 3 min read
New sexual harassment duty: Can adviser firms show they've taken 'all reasonable steps'?

New sexual harassment duty: Can adviser firms show they've taken 'all reasonable steps'?

'Employers will be expected to take all reasonable steps'

Emily Bradshaw
clock 19 August 2026 • 4 min read