Yin Lee, President

IPA Insolvency Practitioner newsletter, January 2026

I hope everyone feels fortified from the break and ready to step into the new year with purpose and clarity. January always brings that blend of renewal and reflection. In particular, it is a moment to remind ourselves why we do this job in the first place. 

Breaking Glass Ceilings

I am proud to be the first ethnic minority President in the IPA’s 63‑year history. As well as pride, I feel responsibility. Because I want to make a difference during my time as President and to represent the diversity of the insolvency profession. 

As you can see from the photo in this newsletter of the Past Presidents’ Lunch, which I had the great pleasure of hosting last month, I don’t look like any of the IPA presidents who came before me. As the saying goes, a picture tells a thousand stories. My hope is that I will be able to open more doors, because the future of our profession depends on welcoming everyone. The insolvency profession’s strength is its people, and we should no doubt increase its diversity and inclusion. 

Listening to Our Members

The other thing I am proud of from my tenure is my focus on the needs of IPs in small firms. The IPA is for everyone, in firms big and small. However, some practitioners from smaller firms have feel that they do not have a voice. I have worked in both large and small firms, and I recently set up my own practice. I will do my best to make sure that all voices are heard.  As such, the IPA held a first discussion group for IPs from small firms in November. The next one will be on 5 February online at 11.00am. No travel needed, so please come along to tell us about your own needs, whether it’s about regulation, guidance, expectations or the pace of change. We want you to help shape the future of our important profession, and to ensure the IPA is a fair, practical and inclusive regulator. I hope you can spare an hour of your time. You can register your interest by emailing membership@ipa.uk.com.

Introducing the Small Practitioner Roadshow

And, later in 2026, we will follow up with a dedicated Roadshow for IPs in smaller firms. It will help you to navigate compliance and find ways to understand and meet the rules without drowning in red tape. The focus will be on the real, everyday challenges of running a small practice.

Change

The IPA is an ambitious organisation. We aspire to be the UK’s best membership organisation and regulator for the insolvency profession. There are other changes afoot, so the IPA can be the leading voice of the sector, whether it’s on the prospect of firm regulation, changes to personal insolvency or AML supervision, or on the need to cut regulatory burdens. The IPA will lead the way. We will meet the needs of all our members. We are proud to have members from some of the UK’s largest firms, and we want those to grow. In my own time as President, and after I step aside in May, I’m determined to be a champion of IPs from smaller firms too. Together, we can make change happen. But only if we try our best, show up, speak up and be kind to each other. 

If I can break a glass ceiling, so can you. Let’s together build a high-performing profession that adds value to the UK and where no one feels like an outsider.