Meet Our Speakers: IPA Roadshow | Leeds 2026
Our Host
Amanda Wade, Deputy-Vice President, IPA, Director, Grant Thornton UK Advisory and Tax LLP
IPA Goals and Priorities for 2026
Marcial Boo, Chief Executive Officer, IPA
Marcial Boo has been Chief Executive of the IPA since 2024. He was
previously the CEO of three other regulators and worked as a senior
civil servant in government. He also chairs the professional body for
regulators, the Institute of Regulation
The Economic Outlook-An update from the Bank of England on inflation, economic growth and interest rate prospects for the UK economy
Paul Mount, Deputy Agent for Yorkshire and Humber, Bank of England
Paul is an experienced economist and financial analyst whose career has spanned the civil service, the National Health Service, management consultancy and investment banking. He has experience of working in several sectors of the economy, including transport, energy, telecoms, health and education.
From 2013 to 2019, Paul worked at NHS England/Improvement. His most recent role with the organisation involved providing training and development for NHS frontline staff on quality improvement methods. Prior to that he co-led a large-scale transformation project to improve business intelligence, finance and other business support services available to NHS commissioners.
Paul holds an MSc Leadership (Quality Improvement) from Ashridge Business School and an MSc Economics from Warwick University.
He lives in Sheffield and enjoys walking in the nearby Peak District, trail running and football.
From Bounce Back to Payback: The Insolvency Service’s Response to COVID Scheme Misuse
Duncan Smith, Investigations Manager, Insolvent Investigations Northern Team, Insolvency Service
I joined the Insolvency Service in 2004, when I started working in the Official Receiver’s office. In 2012 I became a Senior Investigator in the Investigations directorate, investigating the conduct of directors in complex cases, such as the IVA provider Varden Nuttall and the SIPP provider Avacade Investment Options.
In 2019 I started managing a team of Investigators, including training, and developing many new Investigators. I’ve overseen a wide range of cases, including the investigation which led to the disqualifications of the ‘Singing Waiters’ directors featured on Rip-Off Britain at the beginning of the year. Earlier this month I was promoted to Chief Investigator, becoming 1 of 3 in the Insolvent Investigations North region.
Is 16% too high or too low: the IP Complaints Gateway
Simon Nobes, Senior Regulation Officer, Insolvency Service
Simon is a Senior Regulatory Officer within IP Regulation Section, for the last five years of his 20-year career in the Insolvency Service, where he currently leads on the new data-led, risk-based approach to Oversight regulation. He has also worked within both the Official Receivers and Insolvent Investigations departments of the Insolvency Service. His current role includes managing the IP Complaints Gateway whilst his previous roles have included high profile director investigations, including into 1st Land Limited and Colonial Capital Group PLC, that resulted in high profile disqualifications. His career has seen him engage regularly with the IP profession.
Payment by Payment: Why IPs Can’t Ignore Bank Liability
Richard Fergusson, Associate Director, Manolete Partners PLC
Richard joined Manolete in October 2025, bringing over three decades of experience specialising in insolvency and restructuring. He qualified as a solicitor in 1991, passed the JIEB exam in 1994. He has held senior management positions in his two previous firms and also served as a MLRO in his last role. Richard has a wide-ranging practice and has led on many complex cases, including matters that reached the Court of Appeal. He is known for his proactive approach and collaborative working style, always focused on delivering strong outcomes.
Sarah Cheetham, Head of StepChange Subsidiaries at StepChange Debt Charity
Sarah Cheetham is an accomplished leader in the financial solutions sector, currently serving as the Head of StepChange Subsidiaries at StepChange Debt Charity since February 2023. With over two decades of experience at StepChange, Sarah has held various key positions, including Head of Operations Support, Product Manager, and Senior Operations Manager, where responsibilities included monitoring debt solution performance and overseeing significant operational teams across multiple locations. Sarah’s expertise encompasses client support management, transformation programs, and product development, underpinned by a postgraduate certificate in Business Administration from the University of Chester.
Insolvency Employee Claims- Pitfalls to be Aware of
Eleanor Potter, Senior Associate, Evolve IS
Eleanor has over 30 years of experience in dealing with employment claims arising in insolvency
cases. Starting in 1988 at Deloitte Haskins & Sells (later evolving into PWC), via Moore Stephens and
Begbies Traynor – she has currently been working at Evolve IS for 10 years as an Insolvency
Practitioners’ ERA Specialist – an Agent acting for Insolvency Practitioners. Assisting numerous IP’s
from around the UK with their ERA claim processes; the calculation of balancing claims for dividend
purposes; liaison with Employment Tribunals regarding Protective Awards and other claims, dealing
with IPS and claim process and managing payrolls and RTI submissions
Key Legal Developments and Practical Implications for IPs
Jon Chesman, Director, Squire Patton Boggs
Jon Chesman is a director in the Restructuring & Insolvency Practice Group based in theLeeds office.
He has a broad restructuring and insolvency practiceand provides contentious and non-contentious
insolvency adviceto management teams, insolvency practitioners, sponsors,companies and
creditors.
In particular, Jon has extensiveexperiencein advising PE-backed groups in stressed or distressed
scenarios,as well as acting for PE-houses, PE-portfolio entities and trade buyers in bolt-on
acquisitions of distressed assets.
Jon was shortlisted in the Young Lawyer of the Year category of theInsider Young Professional
Awards 2024 and has been ranked in Chambers UK for thelast fiveyears. Commentators say Jon
“can only be described as a practitioner with brilliant legal knowledge,and yeta very personable
individual. He deserves thesuccess heachieves,and works hard for his clients”, “fantastic client
handling and communication;clear and articulate — working with him has been fantastic” and
“hard-working,client-focused and extremely knowledgeable — exactly whatyou need on deals”.
Hidden Risks in Failing Businesses: Cyber Security Lessons from Three Key UK Sectors
William Taffe, Chief Operating Officer, Lockdown Cyber Security
William is the Co-Founder and COO of Lockdown Cyber Security, who sees Cyber Security through the eyes of a finance professional, delivering world class training products and technical solutions. William has dedicated himself towards his passion of cyber security, a topic of interest since his early teens. An accomplished presenter, William has spoken on behalf of major British retail banks, the British Dental Association, Bathroom Manufacturers Association, Builders Merchant Federation and is a regular contributor around cyber fraud within the UK anti-fraud sector, delivering masterclass training sessions to industry practitioners.
Beyond Box-Ticking: Effective compliance and regulatory realities for 2026
Paul Valentine, Inspector, IPA
Paul is an Inspector in the IPA and carries out routine and targeted visits and reporting as part of the inspection team, in line with the IPA’s regulatory objectives.
Before joining the IPA in 2024, Paul amassed over 20 years’ experience in corporate and personal insolvency. Paul is part qualified at JIE and has managed insolvency teams across a number of national and boutique practices, including at Begbies Traynor for 6 years.
Paul is a loyal ‘Lilywhites’ supporter, holding a season ticket at Preston North End. It is purely coincidental that they have failed to secure promotion to the Premier League whilst he has been a fan.
David Holland, Chief Inspector, IPA
David is the Senior Monitoring Manager at the IPA. He has oversight and management of the inspection team, ensuring adherence to policies and procedures of the IPA and in making sure that the regulatory objectives are met via onsite monitoring visits. David is the IPA’s Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO) and heads up the IPA’s responsibility as an Anti-Money Laundering Supervisor. He is the IPA’s representative at the Accountancy AML Supervisors’ Group and Anti-Money Laundering Supervisors Forum. David is a qualified Insolvency Practitioner and has worked at the IPA for seven years. Prior to this he worked at Grant Thornton for five years, in Bristol, on corporate insolvency and spent seven years at KPMG dealing primarily with court work appointments. David’s sporting achievements on the local cricket and hockey pitches are largely behind him and he can only occasionally be seen coaching and playing hockey for his home side. He now has an enforced interest in regular dog walking and a mis-selling claim against his two daughters.