Navigating Change: How Today’s Insolvency Experts Stay Relevant

Change, Trends, and Relevance

Why is strong regulation so important in the insolvency profession – and how does it shape the role of practitioners?

Andy Deere Insolvency has always been very heavily regulated as an industry, and rightly so, so that stakeholders in an insolvency process can have confidence that things are being done as they should.

How does Aryza ensure that its training programmes stay aligned with regulatory and industry developments in real time?

Andy Deere Our insolvency exam training programmes keep up with regulatory and industry developments – we update our manuals for each course each year to ensure they are correct, both with what is going on in the industry, and the syllabuses set by the exam boards. If any relevant changes come out during the exam year, we will then provide updates via Aryza Develop (formerly known as CPD TAP and part of Aryza Comply).

Which economic developments are currently having the greatest impact on insolvency trends?

Andy Deere The cost of living and the economy in general is still having a big impact, particularly in personal insolvency. Debt Relief Orders (DROs) went through some big changes in 2024, which means that they are open to more people, and there is no fee now. That has meant that Bankruptcy numbers have dropped slightly in response, as have IVA numbers.

What are the career prospects for insolvency professionals today?

Andy Deere Insolvency is a rewarding career. While a lot of people who work in insolvency will say they ‘fell into it’, I found the mixture of law and accountancy to be the most interesting. When I was in practice, every case I worked on was different. That makes it a really varied, challenging and interesting profession.

Our programmes guide insolvency professionals through their learning journey, from our ITIQ introductory programmes, all the way through CPI, CPPI or CII, to JIEB where they might eventually obtain their insolvency licence.

Target Audiences, Reach, and Learning Approach

Aryza Comply offers a mix of app-based and face-to-face training, and even bespoke CPD solutions. Can you tell us more about how you design and deliver continuing professional development in the 21st century?

Andy Deere We keep our ear to the ground with regulatory and other announcements, and keep an eye on released case law. If there’s anything we think is important for our clients to know about, we will do a webcast on it.

Do you see a shift in learning preferences across generations of trainees—and how are you adapting?

Andy Deere We are the only training provider with our own app, which our students all say they love. For our exam training programmes, manuals are also available in electronic and hard copy, and we have a comprehensive series of modular and other webcasts that cover the whole course for each qualification.

Are the programmes aimed exclusively at professionals based in the UK?

Andy Deere CPI and CPPI are the Insolvency Practitioners’ Association (IPA)’s qualifications, and we follow the England & Wales syllabus. We do get some students from overseas studying those courses, as it gives them a good grounding in insolvency internationally – many other jurisdictions’ insolvency law is based to some degree on English & Welsh law. For example, we had a student in our Manchester group for CPI this year who works in the Cayman Islands for a global insolvency firm. We sometimes get students studying JIEB who are based overseas, but that is rarer. The exam is intended that you would eventually obtain your licence to practice as an Insolvency Practitioner in England & Wales.

Training Programmes – Overview and Entry Points

Aryza offers several training programmes. Can you briefly explain the differences?

Andy Deere Yes, we offer four core programmes, each designed for a different stage in an insolvency professional’s development. CPI and CPPI are often considered the industry’s benchmark qualifications for professionals beginning or progressing their career in insolvency and restructuring. We provide dynamic training for those wanting to study towards the CPI or CPPI qualification, which includes the key principles and processes of both corporate and personal insolvency law and practice, as well as insolvency numbers, ethical standards and practical application. CPPI is the personal insolvency-only version of the CPI.

There is also CII, the Certificate in Insolvency, which is run by the ICAEW. That is similar in terms of standard to CPI or CPPI. The difference there is that instead of two set sittings per year for CPI (or one for CPPI), you can sit CII whenever you are ready, based on following our six-month study planner.

JIEB is then for those who have been working in insolvency (usually) for a number of years and are perhaps at senior manager level in their firms, and aspire to one day obtain their insolvency licence to be a licensed IP in the future, and take their own appointments.

Let’s start with those new to the industry. What would you recommend?

Andy Deere For anyone starting out, the ITIQ is ideal. It’s a structured, jargon-free introduction to insolvency and restructuring. It covers key concepts, procedures, and terminology in a practical way and is often used during onboarding. The ITIQ+ version adds live webinars and professional development sessions – great for those who want a bit more context and support.

What comes after that?

Andy Deere The next step is the Certificate in Insolvency (CII) or Certificate of Proficiency in Insolvency (CPI), as I mentioned a moment ago. It’s for early-career professionals looking for formal recognition. Our CPI (and CPPI) and CII courses include structured webcasts, mock exams, and access to a Learning Mentor.

How did you turn that expertise into the internal training programme for Aryza?

Andy Deere Now we are part of Aryza, we have also designed, recorded and are presenting a ten-module internal training programme for other parts of the business on Personal and Corporate Insolvency to ensure all team members’ knowledge and sector vocabulary is up-to-date and accurate.