Meet a Committee member: Frances Coulson, member of the Regulation and Conduct Committee
Other articles (Insolvency Practitioner, September 2020):
- Michelle Thorp, CEO
- Kevin Hellard, President
- IPA Virtual Roadshow Series
- Crisis Race to End Homelessness: An interview with Secretariat members Lisa O’Hara and Stephanie Miles
- Membership and licence renewals
- Further website updates
- Joint Insolvency Examination – still time for candidates to enter
- Call for evidence: Recognition of professional qualifications and regulation of professions
- Five minutes with…
- Guest article: Companies in voluntary liquidation authorised by the FCA can pose difficult and complex challenges for Insolvency Practitioners
What is your career background?
Slightly unusual in that, after King’s College London and Chester College of Law, I trained with Moon Beever and am still here 35 years later. I got into insolvency like everyone else – slightly accidentally. This is largely perhaps because I qualified in 1986, a good year for the insolvency profession! I have so far thoroughly enjoyed the practice area, which has everything – from tackling rogues and helping victims, to rescuing businesses and jobs. An extraordinary variety of sectors and entities add to the mix. There is never a dull day.
How did you join the Regulation and Conduct Committee?
I had previously been Chairman of Appeals at ACCA, and once my 10-year stint had been completed, I wanted another regulatory role in the insolvency area. I was pleased to be invited and to participate with a good Committee. It is rewarding to continue to meet different stakeholders in the profession and surrounding it, and take on board the experiences of others as well as contribute a voice.
What is the value to you of being on this Committee?
It is important to contribute to the reputation and ethics of the profession you are involved in and, as a lay member, to bring some wider perspective. I am keen to maintain the standards of the legal and insolvency professions, which are things we should hold very dear.
If you weren’t Senior & Managing Partner, Head of Litigation & Insolvency at Moon Beever, what would you be doing?
Not resting I would think. I am rather hyperactive so something with challenges and variety, and to keep me busy, but also outdoors – in my braver self, an eventer (horses).