Compliance
about us...
Real people with
Real expertise
Annabel Gray
Annabel is the driving force behind Sentinel, a business-minded compliance professional with a clear belief that compliance should be a tool for growth, not fear.
With over three decades of experience across UK financial services, Annabel has helped reshape what meaningful compliance support looks like in practice. Her approach is practical, proportionate and human, helping firms embed strong governance and risk management while supporting their people to thrive.
A long-standing champion of Training & Competence done properly, Annabel believes that well-designed T&C frameworks do far more than meet FCA requirements. They reduce people risk, build confidence, and create the foundations for sustainable success. Her focus is on helping firms see T&C not as a tick-box exercise, but as a platform for development, progression, and the future strength of the profession.
Beyond Sentinel, Annabel plays an active role in the wider profession. As Regional Chair of the Personal Finance Society in Birmingham, she leads one of the UK’s most engaged regional committees, delivering high-quality CPD and building a strong professional community. She also sits on the Birmingham Insurance Institute Committee, is a member of the Academy of Life Planning, and mentors through the Chartered Insurance Institute, supporting the next generation of professionals entering and progressing within financial services.
Driven by purpose and genuine care, Annabel blends deep hands on expertise with a forward-thinking business mindset — demonstrating that compliance, when done well, can inspire confidence as much as it protects.
Outside of work, Annabel values time with her family, friends and the apple of her eye her grandson, and has a strong passion for health, fitness, and lifelong personal growth.
Clearly Independent Financial Planning
I have worked closely with Annabel Gray and can unreservedly recommend her as an outstanding compliance consultant. Annabel provides credible, clear, and highly practical support, with particular strength in advising on SMF3, SMF16, and SMF17 responsibilities. Her guidance has been invaluable in ensuring that governance, compliance oversight, and financial crime frameworks are robust, proportionate, and aligned with FCA expectations.
Annabel delivers compliance support and training to an exceptional standard, making complex regulatory requirements easy to understand and implement in practice. Beyond this, she offers continued, ongoing support and advice across all compliance matters, providing reassurance and clarity as regulatory expectations evolve.
She is professional, approachable, and personable, building strong working relationships while maintaining the independence and rigour required of an effective compliance adviser. I have complete confidence in her advice and integrity and intend to work with her on a long-term basis. I would recommend Annabel unconditionally to any firm or senior manager seeking high-quality, dependable compliance support.
MAIA Asset Management Limited
I have known Annabel for a while through my involvement with the PFS. Over the last year we have cemented this relationship appointing Annabel to undertake a full independent compliance audit for our company. Annabel has taken a proactive approach with us, helping us to improve our existing policies and procedures to ensure that we remain compliant with all of the FCA and COBS rules.
Annabel has further demonstrated a sound understanding of all of the regulations, and has helped us not only improve on the implementation of our procedures but also to cross check these to test that they are effective, have been embedded, and are delivering consistent outcomes.
Superfanbase
I decided to undertake training with Annabel and Sentinel Compliance as my start-up Superfanbase is an investor and production matching platform and I want to be prepared for regulatory scrutiny. I expected the training to be quite dry: after all, the topic is financial regulation - but Annabel made the sessions interactive and engaging, and we worked through several real-life examples of scenarios where good governance and good investor relations mean good business.
Annabel was able to adapt the training as the need of the business pivoted even within the 8 weeks of training. We worked through all of the responsibilities of running a regulated investments business. It's helped me to improve my investor relations practise as an individual, which will reflect into my core business. Annabel is a patient and thorough teacher and a great advocate for her clients!
3R Financial Services
We have worked with Annabel as our compliance consultant for the past seven years, and she has been an invaluable part of our operations. Annabel is incredibly pleasant, approachable, and down to earth, making it easy for our team to engage with compliance matters that can otherwise feel overwhelming.
She has a real talent for explaining even the most complex requirements in a simple, clear, and practical way. Nothing is ever too much trouble for her — she is always helpful, responsive, and exceptionally reliable.
Annabel has been instrumental in guiding us through our obligations with the FCA, ensuring we stay compliant and confident in our processes. Her support has brought clarity and reassurance, and we know we are in safe hands with her expertise.
We would not hesitate to recommend Annabel to anyone seeking professional, friendly, and dependable compliance support.
MBH Wealth Management
We engaged Sentinel two years ago after working with big and small compliance firms over the years. The service we get now is outstanding.
What really differentiates Annabel’s approach from the others is the way she matches our needs with our regulatory responsibilities, which makes such sense and makes everything so much more manageable.
Annabel’s experience and knowledge is plain to see and has benefited us - and been hugely appreciated by us - from day one.