Meet a Committee member: Neil Bennett, member of the Regulation and Conduct Committee

Other articles (Insolvency Practitioner, March 2021):

• Michelle Thorp, CEO
• Kevin Hellard, President
• IPA events update
• IPA examinations – entry closing date approaching
• A reminder from the Insolvency Service on filing a report of an approval of an IVA with the Secretary of State
• Guidance for Anti-Money Laundering Supervisors on submitting better quality Suspicious Activity Reports
• Updated Statements of Insolvency Practice
• Vacancy for a Business Development Lead
• Guest article: Insolvency Practitioners – how to prepare for 2021

What is your career background?

I entered the insolvency world purely by chance. After I left school at 18, my mum told me to get a job and so I started in a very small insolvency department at Dearden Farrow in 1984. I joined Stoy Hayward (now BDO) in 1987 and then finally went to Leonard Curtis in 1992. I passed my JIEB exams in 1998 and was then made a partner in 2001 when I started taking appointments.

How did you join the Regulation and Conduct Committee?

I think that my former partner Keith Goodman first volunteered me for a past PR Committee. I was then asked by the Chairman, Steve Goderski, to join the Membership and Authorisation (M&A) Committee in 2006. Nick O’Reilly succeeded Steve as Chairman, a role which I eventually took on in 2012. The M&A and Investigation Committees merged in 2019 to become the Regulation and Conduct Committee, and I am now Co-Chair with John Newgas.

What is the value to you of being on this Committee?

From my own experience, the work of the various Committees is invaluable and helps to support the integrity of the insolvency profession. Obviously as Co-Chair of the R&CC, I have first-hand experience of the work involved and valuable input from so many in the profession, and also from lay members. Indeed, the diversity in the current Committee has increased over the last few years, and lay members help to provide a balance of outside perspective whilst also demonstrating a good understanding of our profession. I have always been impressed with the fair and balanced way matters are dealt with by the Committee, ably supported by the Secretariat.

If you weren’t an Insolvency Practitioner, what would you be doing?

Well I always wanted to play football for Arsenal but a lack of talent put paid to that. I also love to travel so maybe I would combine that with Arsenal and become their travel director, but as someone already has that job I guess I will have to stick with insolvency for a few more years!!