What’s your career background?
My career so far has been quite varied. I studied Accountancy at university, graduating in 2007. I then worked in retail management for 7 years before moving into the big four in 2014 as an internal risk management analyst.
In 2020, following a move from South Wales to the Midlands, I took the opportunity to change direction and move into restructuring. I changed firms and joined my current team as a senior associate where I completed my ACCA accounting qualification and was promoted to manager last year.
What made you take the ICAEW Certificate in Insolvency?
Being new to insolvency, I was looking for a qualification that would assist me to develop my career and build on the knowledge I had gained working on insolvency projects. I was also looking for a qualification that was flexible around my work commitments.
The course was around 2 hours a week of virtual live classroom sessions which were also recorded. This allowed me the flexibility to watch recordings if I was unable to make the session live. The flexibility to take the exam online at any time also enabled me to have a reasonable work-life balance while studying.
Another benefit was that once I had registered for the Certificate, I had free membership to the ICAEW Restructuring & Insolvency Community for the year of study and the following year which helped me keep up to date.
What were the key learnings from the course?
A key learning for me was the number of statutory requirements and filing deadlines there are in corporate insolvency. Before the course I didn’t appreciate how many there were and the knowledge of these will definitely make me more effective on projects.
Another key learning area for me was the aspects of the course covering statement of affairs and estimated outcome statements. I found this really useful as it built on what I had seen during project work and has given me more confidence in how to approach these in my day-to-day role.
How do you think it’s added value to your career?
Overall, I feel the course has helped me become more well-rounded and given me the knowledge to be more effective in my role, as I have a greater understanding of the subject matter and statutory requirements involved.
What’s your career path from here?
As a newly promoted manager, I am looking to gain as much insolvency experience as possible and put my learnings from the Certificate in Insolvency into practice. In the longer term, I aspire to develop my knowledge further and complete the Joint Insolvency Examination Board (JIEB) exams with a view to hopefully becoming an insolvency practitioner one day.
What do you think it takes to be a good insolvency practitioner?
Due to the varied nature of insolvency, each case is different, and I think a good insolvency practitioner needs strong problem-solving capabilities. They also need strong commercial awareness and the ability to balance the legal aspects of insolvency and employment law with the best interests of creditors and stakeholders to achieve the optimal outcome.
Strong communication skills are also key, as it is essential to be able to relate to and empathise with stakeholders while building trust and buy-in.
What do you enjoy most about working in insolvency?
I really enjoy working in insolvency due to the varied nature of the role as no two days or projects are the same.
Also, you never know what sector you will be working with next which I find energising as I am really interested in how different businesses work.
Study for the Certificate in Insolvency
The ICAEW Certificate in Insolvency is the most flexible learning programme of the UK insolvency regime.
