More than just consultants.

We help insurance firms stay compliant, competitive, and customer-focused—without drowning in red tape.

 

We know every business is different. The market moves fast, regulations shift, and internal processes don’t always keep up. That’s where we come in: practical advice, clear actions, quick answers, and a human at the end of the phone who actually understands your business.

What we do

  • FCA authorisations & readiness: Applications, frameworks, and “what good looks like.”
  • Compliance set-up & reviews: Procedures, systems & controls, documentation, complaints.
  • Consumer Duty: Evidence, oversight, MI, and outcomes you can stand behind.
  • Health checks & audits: Straight answers, risk prioritisation, action plans.
  • Training & workshops: Role-relevant, outcomes-driven, delivered your way.
  • Ongoing support: A flexible retainer or as-needed help when something changes.
No “one size fits all.” We tailor support whether you’ve got an in-house compliance team that needs a critical friend, or you want us to build it with you end-to-end.

Mike Cranny

FCII CHARTERED INSURANCE PRACTITIONER
COMPLIANCE CONSULTANCY – DIRECTOR

Karen Shenton

ACII COMPLIANCE AND TRAINING AND
DEVELOPMENT – DIRECTOR

Malcolm Williams

COMPLIANCE CONSULTANT
AND INDEPENDENT AUDITOR

Tracy Norton

CONSULTANT

Matthew Cranny

COMPLIANCE & TRAINING EXECUTIVE

Irving Peiris

CONSULTANT

Linda Catterall

CONSULTANT

Éilis Sweeney

CONSULTANT

Allison Belben

CONSULTANT

Claire Ward

BUSINESS SUPPORT ASSISTANT

Deborah Leech

BUSINESS SUPPORT ASSISTANT

Our Associates

Create Health & Safety Ltd

Cost-effective, practical health & safety support for the workplace—consultancy, implementation, management, and maintenance. A common-sense approach that keeps you compliant and confident, whether it’s a short project or long-term partnership.

Contact: Paul Shenton
Mobile: 07506 863857
Email: paul@createhealthandsafety.co.uk

Actus Oversight
(with Create Solutions)

We’ve partnered with Actus to shape Actus Oversight,
a Consumer Duty tool built with real insurance insight.

Why it matters

  • Real-time oversight:
    Clear MI and dashboards that show if outcomes
    are being delivered.
  • Less admin:
    Reduces the burden on compliance and senior management.
  • Proves it works:
    Evidence, tracking, and accountability you can rely on.

It’s the tool you’ll use every week—the compliance equivalent of a drill and spirit level: reliable, precise, and essential.

Want a walkthrough?

Contact Create Solutions
on 0161 870 6637 and ask for
Karen Shenton ACII
Email: Karen@createsolutions.co.uk
Or contact Actus directly to discuss implementation.

Real stories.
Real support.
Real impact.

We’re proud to support firms across the industry — but don’t just take our word for it. Here’s what some of our clients have to say about working with us.

HELP PEOPLE, NOT JUST POLICIES

Ready to Create Solutions Together?

Let’s talk about how we can help you achieve your goals - whether
that’s compliance, training, or business growth.

Mike Cranny

FCII CHARTERED INSURANCE PRACTITIONER
COMPLIANCE CONSULTANCY – DIRECTOR

Mike has over 50 years’ experience in the general insurance arena and has worked for both companies and Lloyds; working in Management, Training , Underwriting and Claims. He has 20 years of regulatory and compliance expertise.

 

He is a Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute and past president of the Insurance Institute of Manchester.
Mike is a regular contributor to the Insurance press. He has served as a technical author, insurance lecturer and correspondence course tutor.

 

He has received a number of awards including the CII Exceptional Service Award, the IIM Lifetime Achievers Award and the President’s Award.

 

Mike has worked with Karen for over 30 years and together they founded Create Solutions.

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Karen Shenton

ACII COMPLIANCE AND TRAINING AND
DEVELOPMENT - DIRECTOR

Karen’s extensive experience over the last 30 years in the general insurance market includes Underwriting, Claims, Customer Service, Management and Training and Development and FCA Compliance.

 

She has a vast experience of helping firms with their compliance requirements. Karen is past president of the Insurance Institute of Manchester, currently chairs the wellbeing committee and is a holder of the national Exceptional Service Award from the CII.
Karen has many passions; work, family, learning, the outdoors, trying new things and well-being to name a few.

 

She is highly active on numerous committees supporting charities and well-being, she is highly regarded and loved by all that know her.

 

Karen is the dynamo that runs Create Solutions.

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Malcolm Williams

COMPLIANCE CONSULTANT
AND INDEPENDENT AUDITOR

Malcolm has over 40 years’ experience working in general insurance and has a wealth of knowledge of risk management, internal audit, corporate governance and all aspects of general insurance compliance.

 

Malcolm is one of our senior compliance consultants and conducts regulatory health checks and reviews. He is also an experienced auditor working for Insurers and Brokers, focussing on specific areas like sales, claims, customer service, complaints handling etc.

 

He is a Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute.

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Tracy Norton

CONSULTANT

Tracy has worked in General Insurance regulation for over 10 years and is CeMAP qualified. She has extensive experience in helping firms and individuals apply for FCA authorisation and dealing with FCA notification requirements, including complex applications for Change in Control, Variation of Permission and applications for authorisation.

 

Her previous roles were mostly in international/export sales and marketing and has a degree in French and German from Salford University, along with a Certificate in Management from the Open University.

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Matthew Cranny

COMPLIANCE & TRAINING EXECUTIVE

Matthew is our technical expert, and focusses on regulatory change. Knowledgeable and skilled at reviewing all types of documentation, from sales processes, letters, websites and financial promotions, to all forms of policies and procedures.

 

He has over a decade of compliance experience, coupled with extensive experience gained whilst working for both retail and commercial brokers.

 

He also writes our regulatory bulletins, designs and develops our online training programme (Workout), conducts health checks and delivers training.

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Irving Peiris

CONSULTANT

Irving is an experienced compliance professional with over 20 years in the field including 10 at the FCA.

 

He has experience of working with different types of firms, extensive knowledge of vulnerable customer practices and has led Consumer Duty and Outcomes projects. His expertise focuses on Consumer Duty, Risk Management, Training, Compliance Strategy, Vulnerable Customers, Consumer Credit, Motor Finance, Insurance, Financial Crime and has experience with FCA Section 166 reviews.

 

Irving is passionate about helping firms stay on the right side of regulations but also helping businesses to grow and succeed.

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Linda Catterall

CONSULTANT

Linda Catterall is a highly motivated and experienced compliance professional with over 25 years’ experience in the General Insurance Industry.

 

She started her career working for an insurance broker and progressed to be an Operations Manager (with key roles in training, HR and Compliance) for a firm that had over 450 employees. Following this she became Head of Risk & Compliance for a large growing Group which had over 40 regulated entities.

 

Linda is a Consultant of Create Solutions specialising in training and development, the creation, implementation and monitoring of compliance frameworks, mergers & acquisitions and auditing.

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Éilis Sweeney

CONSULTANT

Éilis has over 15 years’ of extensive operational management experience. She holds a vast operational and business knowledge in business development, efficiency planning, quality control and compliance, sustainable profitability and has demonstrated the ability to act as a change agent to support both business & cultural changes. She has a keen eye for identifying synergy across business units to increase performance, drive cost efficiencies and drive teams to overcome barriers to change whilst managing the associated risks.

 

Éilis has worked in the General Insurance industry since 2016, holds PRINCE2 and MHFA L2 qualifications and is working towards her Cert CII.

 

In addition to helping regulated firms implement effective compliant processes and procedures, Éilis also helps firms and individuals apply for FCA authorisation, approved persons, change in control, variation of permission applications and supports firms with their regulatory reports, returns and attestations.

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Allison Belben

CONSULTANT

Allison has over 21 years’ industry experience as a Compliance Officer in a variety of businesses encompassing insurance brokers, corporate finance, national IFA’s, accountants and Bankassurance.  Performing various compliance roles including internal business consultancy Allison has extensive experience in financial services and holds vast knowledge of compliance, corporate governance, conduct regulation and risk management.

 

Having worked for the Financial Conduct Authority for 10 years; in supervision, policy and training, she also holds a valuable insight into how firms are expected to meet regulatory expectations.

 

Allison works with clients to help them meet their regulatory requirements, develops training webinars, courses and other programmes (technical, regulatory, personal and business development) and delivers training.

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Claire Ward

BUSINESS SUPPORT ASSISTANT

Claire has over 17 years’ experience in supporting clients and without her the wheels at Create wouldn’t turn!

 

Claire corresponds with clients, helps with their queries, manages course bookings, manages the online training system, arranges Health checks and helps with anything and everything.

 

She is highly effective, dedicated to what she does and cares about our clients as if they were family.

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Deborah Leech

BUSINESS SUPPORT ASSISTANT

Deb holds vast experience in supporting clients, without her the wheels at Create would not keep turning!
She helps clients with their queries, manages their course bookings, arranges appointments and helps to support clients wherever she can.

 

Deb is dedicated to what she does, cares about our clients as if they were family and is highly effective in ensuring our clients training needs are met.