IPA announces new Presidential appointments

Kevin Hellard, Partner and Insolvency and Asset Recovery Practice Leader at Grant Thornton UK LLP, has been announced by the Insolvency Practitioners Association (IPA) as its President for the next 12 months, serving as Chair of the Association’s Board of Directors and acting as key representative of the Association.

Hellard has more than 25 years’ experience in contentious insolvency. Having pioneered the use of insolvency powers as a tool to trace and recover assets on an international basis, he oversees what is now the largest dedicated contentious insolvency team in the UK focussed solely on asset recovery. He has been appointed in numerous matters concerning losses suffered through corruption, fraud or malpractice, both in the UK and internationally. Hellard has also presented internationally on corruption and asset tracing, and he has published a number of articles on these subjects.

Hellard was formerly the organisation’s Vice President. His Presidency means that Samantha Keen, former Deputy Vice President, is the new Vice President of the Association. Keen is a practicing Insolvency Practitioner at EY based in London and for the past 15 years has focussed on solvent restructuring and exit management. Samantha is also the COO of EY’s Transaction Advisory Services business in UK & Ireland, comprising over 1400 people operating across five business areas, including corporate finance, strategy and restructuring.

IPA Board member Paul Davis has been elected to the position of Deputy Vice President. Davis is a Partner at Macintyre Hudson and focuses on both corporate and personal insolvency work. Paul’s specialisms include construction, manufacturing, retail, leisure, engineering, professional services, health, asset tracing, travel and tourism, and property.

Commenting on his appointment, Hellard said “It was a pleasure to serve as Vice President for the last year, supporting the fantastic work of Carrie James, Immediate Past President. I particularly liked the Charity of the Year initiative that Carrie introduced, and I look forward to further progressing this effort, with Crisis as the IPA Charity of the Year for 2020/2021.”

“People from across the IPA have been hard at work embedding our transformation and modernisation programme over the last year or so, and the results are already demonstrating a positive impact across the insolvency profession. My thanks to all the team, and of course to Carrie, who has helped steer our collective efforts with her expert insolvency knowledge. The business environment we currently find ourselves in is unprecedented, and I look forward to overseeing the continued development of the IPA as a modern, agile and robust insolvency regulator with its members at its heart and working for the benefit of the wider business community.”

Outgoing President Carrie James said “I am delighted by the progress we have made over the last year. Finishing my Presidency amid the Covid-19 repsonse situation in the UK was certainly not how I foresaw the end of my term, but I am proud of the IPA team’s determined efforts, during this difficult and uncertain time, to continue serving our members to the standard expected of us, as well as keeping members abreast of developments in terms of support for Insolvency Practitioners and business.”

Michelle Thorp, IPA CEO, said “In 2019/2020, we achieved a considerable amount in terms of the changes to how we regulate and the streamlining of processes across the organisation, assisted in no small part by our excellent Committee and Board members. Their devotion to the organisation is remarkable, and I would like to say a huge thank you to Carrie, Kevin and Samantha, our Office Holders over the last year.”

“I look forward to welcoming Paul as Deputy Vice President. Paul does a fantastic job as chair of our Finance and Risk Committee, and I wish him every success with his new, additional role at the IPA! And of course, congratulations to Kevin on his Presidency. In what is doubtless an IPA first, Kevin will begin his term by carrying out his duties virtually!”