Who would have thought it?
On 1 July 1985, I started working full time in insolvency. I didn’t know then that it would become my life’s work. I just knew I wanted to help businesses and people through difficult times.
Forty years later, I still do.
Much has changed since then – technology, legislation, the pace and pressures of practice. But the core of this profession has stayed the same. At its best, insolvency is about clarity in chaos, empathy in distress, and practical support when it’s needed most.
Lessons from the Inside
In recent months, I’ve written a blog series called ‘40 Years in Insolvency – Now Let’s Talk Honestly.’ In it, I’ve spoken plainly about the profession I love, its strengths and its shortcomings.
We’ve explored:
- Why directors delay asking for help.
- How vulnerable clients are often overlooked.
- The ethical problems with commissions and assetless CVLs.
- The disconnect between insolvency fees and real-world outcomes.
- The burden of needless complexity.
- The broken panel system that limits choice and breeds complacency.
- And how regulators and enforcement bodies are often too slow to respond to a fast-changing world.
It’s been honest, at times uncomfortable, but it’s been necessary… because this is still a good profession – and like all good professions, it can and should be better.
Saying Thank You
This milestone isn’t just about what I’ve done. It’s about the people, firms, and clients who’ve shaped me.
First, to the firms that moulded me – thank you.
Some nurtured me with supportive cultures that taught me how to lead with integrity and care. Others, frankly, showed me how not to behave. I’m grateful to both. In different ways, they helped define who I wanted to be as a practitioner, and who I didn’t.
To the clients who let me into their lives and into their trust, even briefly – thank you.
Whether you were a director facing a business failure, a creditor looking for answers, or someone quietly trying to do the right thing in a tough situation, you reminded me again and again that people matter more than processes. That behind every case file is a human story. You’ve touched me more than you know.
To those who mentored me:
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Roy Adkins, who taught me that technical excellence must always be grounded in humanity.
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Dave Taylor, who led by example, never seeking the spotlight, but always getting things done.
You may no longer be in the profession, or indeed with us, but your legacy lives on. I carry your lessons with me every day.
A Profession That Still Matters
Despite the pressures, the changes, and the moments of frustration, insolvency still gives me hope.
Why? Because done right, it makes a difference, often a huge difference.
It gives people space to breathe. It helps directors draw a line and begin again. It recovers money for creditors. It preserves jobs. It upholds trust in business. It gives clarity where confusion once reigned.
Yes, it has its flaws, but what profession doesn’t? But I’ve seen too many lives changed for the better to ever stop believing in the good it can do.
Looking Ahead
I don’t know how many more years I’ll still be doing this – but I’m not ready to stop.
There’s more to learn. More to improve. More people to help.
And with tools like VAi now at my side – oh, and another tool that will blow your socks off coming soon – we have the chance to make insolvency not just more efficient, but more humane.
So here’s to forty years – of learning, growing, and serving.
And here’s to what comes next.
Paul Brindley FCA
Licensed Insolvency Practitioner
Midlands Business Recovery
That picture is of a much younger me, receiving a cheque from Geoff Harrison, a partner of Grant Thornton, for passing my JIEB back in the late 80s.