CM July_August 2019

CREDIT MANAGEMENT
CM
JULY / AUGUST 2019 £12.50
THE CICM MAGAZINE FOR CONSUMER AND
COMMERCIAL CREDIT PROFESSIONALS
Below the
waterline
Pressure grows on
the Pre-Pack Pool
80
YEARS
Sean Feast FCICM
speaks to Court
Enforcement Services
Pages 16-19
Growing concern
around online
card fraud
Pages 24-25

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24
FRAUD SPECIAL
ADAM BERNSTEIN
NICK MOTHERSHAW
JULY/AUGUST 2019
www.cicm.com
CONTENTS
30
OPINION
ANGELIQUE ASSAF
9 – COVER STORY
Stuart Hopewell FCICM takes a closer
look at why engagement with the
Pre-Pack Pool is at an all-time low.
16 – INTERVIEW
Sean Feast FCICM speaks to the
founders of Court Enforcement
Services.
24 – FRAUD SPECIAL
Online card fraud is on the rise but a
new authentication process could make
the difference.
30 – OPINION
Artificial Intelligence: can credit
analysis be accurate when no real data
is available?
40 – TECHNICALLY
SPEAKING
Members of the CICM Think Tank reveal
the tech they cannot be without.
50 – HR MATTERS
Gareth Edwards explores the most
recent employment tribunal cases.
52 – QUESTION TIME
SMEs need to ask the right questions to
get the best candidates.
CICM GOVERNANCE
16
INTERVIEW -
SEAN FEAST FCICM
President Stephen Baister FCICM / Chief Executive Philip King FCICM CdipAF MBA
Executive Board Pete Whitmore FCICM – Chair / Debbie Nolan FCICM(Grad) – Vice Chair
Glen Bullivant FCICM – Treasurer / Larry Coltman FCICM, Victoria Herd FCICM(Grad), Bryony Pettifor FCICM(Grad)
Advisory Council Sarah Aldridge FCICM(Grad) / Laurie Beagle FCICM / Kim Delaney-Bowen MCICM / Glen Bullivant FCICM
Lauren Carter FCICM / Larry Coltman FCICM / Victoria Herd FCICM(Grad) / Philip Holbrough MCICM / Laural Jefferies MCICM
Diana Keeling FCICM / Martin Kirby FCICM / Christelle Madie FCICM / Julie-Anne Moody-Webster MCICM
Debbie Nolan FCICM(Grad) / Ute Ogholoh MCICM / Bryony Pettifor FCICM(Grad) / Allan Poole MCICM / Phil Rice FCICM
Chris Sanders FCICM / Paul Taylor MCICM / Pete Whitmore FCICM.
View our digital version online at www.cicm.com. Log on to the Members’
area, and click on the tab labelled ‘Credit Management magazine’
Credit Management is distributed to the entire UK and international CICM
membership, as well as additional subscribers
Reproduction in whole or part is forbidden without specific permission. Opinions expressed in this magazine do
not, unless stated, reflect those of the Chartered Institute of Credit Management. The Editor reserves the right to
abbreviate letters if necessary. The Institute is registered as a charity. The mark ‘Credit Management’ is a registered
trade mark of the Chartered Institute of Credit Management.
Any articles published relating to English law will differ from laws in Scotland and Wales.
Publisher
Chartered Institute of Credit Management
The Water Mill, Station Road, South Luffenham
OAKHAM, LE15 8NB
Telephone: 01780 722900
Email: editorial@cicm.com
Website: www.cicm.com
CMM: www.creditmanagement.org.uk
Managing Editor
Sean Feast FCICM
Deputy Editor
Alex Simmons
Art Editor
Andrew Morris
Telephone: 01780 722910
Email: andrew.morris@cicm.com
Editorial Team
Imogen Hart, Rob Howard and Iona Yadallee
Advertising
Grace Ghattas
Telephone: 020 3603 7946
Email: grace@cabbell.co.uk
Printers
Stephens & George Print Group
2019 subscriptions
UK: £112 per annum
International: £145 per annum
Single copies: £12.50
ISSN 0265-2099
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 3

EDITOR’S COLUMN
Check-out the
double standards
Sean Feast FCICM
Managing Editor
I
had to chuckle last month when I
was alerted to an article that said
that six grocery retailers, including
Aldi, Lidl, and Morrisons, had
been contacted by the Business,
Energy and Industrial Strategy
(BEIS) Committee to establish why they
have not signed the Prompt Payment Code
(PPC).
Rachel Reeves MP, chair of the
committee, had apparently sent letters
to the heads of each of the companies
to question why they had not become
signatories of the PPC, the voluntary
code which sets standards for payment
practices for suppliers and is, as we know,
administered for BEIS by the CICM.
Other retailers contacted by Reeves
included Iceland, Ocado and B&M.
Currently only half of the 12 regulated
grocery retailers in the UK – Asda, Co-op,
Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and
Waitrose – are listed as signatories.
In the letters, Reeves has written: “Only
six of the 12 regulated retailers under the
Groceries Supply Code of Practice are
signatories to the Prompt Payment Code,
and I am writing to ask you why (the
retailer) is not one of those signatories?”
So why was I chuckling? Surely this
is a sensible and praiseworthy move by a
respected committee and chair intent on
promoting best practice and improving
the lot of small businesses in the supply
chain? Surely all good retailers who are
committed to their respective supply
chains should most certainly be evidencing
that commitment by being signatories to
the Code?
I was laughing because this is the very
same Rachel Reeves who back in November
of 2018 wrote to the Small Business
Minister, Kelly Tolhurst, and described
the Prompt Payment Code as being ‘wholly
ineffective’. If Ms Reeves truly believes that
the PPC is ‘wholly ineffective’ then why
should the retailers she has now written to
pay any heed to her words, and why would
she insist that they should join? It’s like
telling someone a restaurant is rubbish one
minute, and then in the next breath asking
them why they haven’t eaten there yet!
I don’t mind a few inconsistencies in
what our politicians do and say. I don’t mind
politicians who also change their minds
once given the full facts or an opposite view.
Perhaps that is what has happened here?
Perhaps Ms Reeves’ immaculate conversion
from arch detractor to staunch supporter is
because she has now been properly briefed
and understands the purpose of the Code
and what it can achieve.
And perhaps, just perhaps, it will be a
lesson to others to do their research before
opting for what seems like petty political
point-scoring (nice alliteration – my old
English beak would be most impressed)
that does a disservice to all those who
are genuinely committed to breaking the
scourge of late payment.
It’s like telling someone a restaurant
is rubbish one minute, and then in
the next breath asking them why
they haven’t eaten there yet!
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 4

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CMNEWS
A round-up of news stories from the
world of consumer and commercial credit
Written by – Sean Feast FCICM and Alex Simmons
CICM highlights success of Code
in changing payment behaviour
FIFTEEN of the seventeen
businesses highlighted
for poor payment practice
in May have filed action
plans or are preparing
submissions to improve their treatment
of smaller suppliers, demonstrating the
effectiveness of the Prompt Payment
Code.
Philip King FCICM, Chief Executive
of the Chartered Institute of Credit
Management (CICM), says firms have
responded positively to approaches by
the CICM and the PPC Compliance Board:
“Businesses clearly see the value in
being a signatory to the Code and, more
importantly, the potential damage to
their reputation if they fail to honour the
commitments that the Code demands.
“What is most pleasing is the innovative
way in which firms are addressing
the challenge and demonstrating best
practice.”
New initiatives which show best
practice have come from:
* Engie Services Ltd – which has
launched a new policy to mandate the
use of purchasing cards for all purchases
of £500 or less, giving suppliers
immediate payment and reducing
invoice volumes by 20 percent.
* Kellogg Brown & Root Limited –
which is embarking on an awareness
programme and further training for all
staff with a procurement role to reinforce
the need to settle more than 95 percent of
all supplier invoices within 60 days.
* DHL – which is re-setting its payment
runs to a full ten days below the
contracted payment terms (to 50 days)
to guarantee that suppliers are paid early
or on time. This overcomes a previous
complication with payment runs being
fixed on a particular date in every month,
and what happens when a date coincides
with a weekend or bank holiday.
“The purpose of the Code has always
been to promote a culture of best practice
in the treatment of suppliers, and this is
proof positive that the Code is working,”
Philip added.
Companies who sign up to the Code,
administered by the CICM on behalf of
Government, pledge to uphold its best
practice for payment standards. This
includes the commitment to pay 95
percent of all supplier invoices within 60
days.
The Prompt Payment Code
Compliance Board, chaired by Philip
King and including the Small Business
Commissioner Paul Uppal, regularly
reviews the data reported by large
companies under the Payment Practices
Reporting Regulations to ensure they are
upholding their commitments.
Businesses suspended from the
Code are invited to produce an action
plan setting out how they will achieve
compliance within an agreed period.
When they have achieved compliance
their status as a Code signatory is
reinstated. If they do not, they are
removed.
Philip says the actions of a minority
who continue to treat their suppliers
unfairly, however, remains a concern:
“We will continue to challenge
signatories to the Code if the obligatory
Payment Practice Reporting data, or a
specific challenge from a supplier or
representative body, suggests that their
practices are not compliant with the
Code.”
Meanwhile, Stephen Bowcott,
Chief Executive of John Sisk, defended
his company’s removal, claiming to
be ‘one of the best payers in the
industry’. He said that as many as half
of the ‘small ticket’ invoices sent to the
firm had some kind of error and that his
company ‘did not have a problem’ with
late payment. John Sisk reported 72
percent of invoices were paid within 60
days in its last PPR submission to end of
December 2018.
“Whereas incorrect invoices and
disputes are always a cause of late
payment, they are also used by some
firms as a convenient explanation that
can sometimes be exploited,” Mr King
added. “Either way, they highlight the
need for smaller firms to adopt bestpractice
credit management and for
larger firms to take responsibility in
helping the supply chain to understand
the process they need to follow to get
paid on time.”
STOP PRESS: The CICM has welcomed
proposed new powers for the Small
Business Commissioner to tackle
late payment, including a further
strengthening of the Prompt Payment
Code and a new fund to encourage
businesses to use technology to
simplify invoicing, payment and credit
management.
A full report in our next issue.
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 6

StepChange supports calls to
revisit social tariffs
STEPCHANGE Debt Charity says that
vulnerable customers of energy firms are
still being let down, and that clients who
had an additional vulnerability were more
likely to be behind on their household bills
than clients who did not.
Responding to a report by the Commission
for Customers in Vulnerable Circumstances,
Peter Tutton, Head of Policy at StepChange
Debt Charity, says that there is a clear
link between vulnerability and financial
difficulty: “The Commission are right to
call for Ofgem and suppliers to revisit the
question of social tariffs. We believe there
Manufacturing slump
THE UK manufacturing sector slipped
into contraction in May – the first time
it has done so since July 2016, according
to the latest PMI. Manufacturers reported
increased difficulties convincing clients
to commit to new contracts, reflecting
already high levels of inventories following
stockpiling activity in the run-up to the
original Brexit date. The IHS Markit/CIPS
UK Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’
Index slumped to 49.4 in May, down on 53.1
in April and against the neutral reading of
50. ihsmarkit.com
is a need for a wider Government review
of fuel affordability as part of a strategy to
ensure that no household with a vulnerable
person has to resort to credit or fall into
debt to pay their bills. “We are also pleased
to see the Commission’s support for the
Government’s breathing space scheme,
which we have long campaigned for, as
well as the recognition that bailiffs should
never be used to chase debts from clients in
vulnerable circumstances.” stepchange.org
StepChange’s Phil Andrew discusses his
first year in charge of the Debt Charity in a
news special on page 10.
Triple jeopardy
INVESTMENT scams involving
cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin and foreign
currency trading have tripled in a year, with
the average victim losing £14,600, according
to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
The regulator and the police-run body
Action Fraud are warning the public to be
wary, with the scams typically promising
high returns and carried out via bogus
online trading platforms. More than £27
million was lost to frauds involving socalled
crypto-assets and forex investments
in 2018-19, said the FCA. fca.org.uk
ACCA calls for increased audit quality
PROPOSALS to deal with the perceived
audit expectation gap need to be framed
around increasing audit quality for the
benefit of capital markets and economies,
says ACCA in its official response to the Sir
Donald Brydon’s independent review.
Consistent with feedback to previous
reviews, including those conducted by
the Business Energy and Industrial Skills
Select Committee, Sir John Kingman and
the Competition and Markets Authority
(CMA), ACCA has again emphasised its
long-held belief that any new proposals
must focus primarily on increasing audit
quality.
ACCA believes that change is needed,
but that the successful reform of audit
is dependent on the implementation of
reforms across the wider reporting and
governance ecosystem.
Maggie McGhee, ACCA’s Executive
Director – Governance and author of
ACCA’s response says audit can ultimately
only meet the needs of the user if
reporting requirements also evolve to
meet their needs: “The responsibilities
and accountability of directors and audit
committees are critical and those who fall
short of these responsibilities must be held
properly to account.” accaglobal.com
>NEWS
IN BRIEF
Plastic meltdown
MORE than seven million people in the
UK were left unable to use their debit
or credit card due to an IT or technical
system crash in the last year, according to
research from Which?. A survey of more
than 2,000 people found one in seven
respondents were left unable to use their
card due to an outage in the last year –
with half of them (49 percent) saying they
couldn’t pay for goods and services at the
point of sale as a result. Some one in 10 (11
percent) of those left unable to use their
card or make a payment told Which? they
suffered a financial penalty as a result
and the same proportion (nine percent)
said their credit score was damaged
because they missed a bill or payment.
which.co.uk
Home and Away
A former customer services officer at
Stockport Homes Limited (SHL) has been
found guilty of unlawfully accessing
personal data. Wendy Masterson spent
time looking at anti-social behaviour
cases on SHL's case management system
when she wasn’t authorised to do so. She
accessed the system a total of 67 times
between January and December 2017.
Masterson pleaded guilty to unlawfully
accessing personal data in breach of
s55 of the Data Protection Act 1998 at
Stockport Magistrates Court.
ico.org.uk
New Ombudsman
Chair
BARONESS Zahida Manzoor CBE has
been appointed Chair of the Financial
Ombudsman Service. The appointment
was made by the FCA Board with the
approval of HM Treasury. Baroness
Manzoor will take up the role on 2 August
2019, succeeding Sir Nicholas Montagu
who is stepping down after more than
seven years in post. Baroness Manzoor
was appointed to the House of Lords in
2013, where she served as House of Lords
Government Whip and Minister. Before
joining the Lords, she served as The
Legal Services Ombudsman for England
and Wales and The Legal
Services Complaints
Commissioner.
financialombudsman.org.uk
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 7

NEWS
IN BRIEF
Financial union
FINAL analysis of data collated by the EU
Federation for the Factoring and Commercial
Finance Industry (EUF) shows that in 2018
factoring and commercial finance volumes
in the EU grew overall by 7.9 percent to €1.73
trillion, 80 percent of which was domestic
business and 20 percent international. This
equates to more than €240 billion of funding
that is supporting around 220,000 European
businesses. euf.eu.com
Precision investment
DORSET-based engineering company,
Finetec Precision Engineering, has secured a
£100,000 funding boost from invoice finance
specialist, Gener8 Finance. Finetec Precision
Engineering was established in 1992 to
provide high quality precision components
at competitive rates. It specialises in CNC
Sliding Head Turning using Citizen machines,
machining small turned and milled parts,
with bar capacity up to 32mm diameter. The
owners turned to invoice finance as a solution
to free up cashflow, allowing them to accept
growing orders with confidence, as well as
invest in new materials and machinery.
gener8finance.com
Quality finish
BIBBY Financial Services (BFS) has provided
a £250,000 Invoice Finance facility to Thomas
Loughlin (Liverpool) Ltd, a high-quality print
finisher working with the UK’s finest printers
and globally recognised brands including
Nike, FIFA, Coca Cola and O2. The funding
will also help the business alleviate cashflow
challenges and allow it to consolidate its
market position in the North West. BFS was
introduced to Thomas Loughlin by PMD
Business Finance. bibbyfinancialservices.com
Asia report
TRADE credit insurer Atradius has published
an economic report on Asia, analysing the
risks and opportunities of trading within the
region. The Atradius Country Report on Asia
was prepared as an intelligence tool designed
to equip businesses with vital political and
economic insights as well as a performance
outlook across individual industries. The
report analyses the main Asian economies,
including China, India, Japan, Indonesia
and Vietnam and also features Malaysia,
Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and
the Philippines.
To read the Asia Country Report in full visit
atradius.co.uk. atradius.co.uk
CICM Essentials
RECENT briefings include details of the two
winners of the CICM Meritorious Service
Award, the Institute’s response to the HMRC
consultation ‘Protecting your taxes in
Insolvency’, and three bite-sized webinars on
credit and collections.
CICM chooses Shoosmiths
as new legal partner
UK law firm Shoosmiths has
been chosen by the Chartered
Institute of Credit Management
(CICM) as its new exclusive
legal partner for 2019-20.
CICM is Britain’s largest and oldest
recognised body for the credit management
industry, and the largest body of its kind
in the world. Together with Shoosmiths,
recognised market leaders in the field of
recovery solutions, it will be working to help
raise the profile and increase membership of
the CICM the length and breadth of the UK.
Paula Swain is one of three Shoosmiths
partners who will be driving forward the
partnership with the CICM alongside
Andrew Foyle (Edinburgh) and Jason Byrne
(Belfast).
Paula, who leads Shoosmiths’ national
B2B debt recovery team from Southampton,
says that the CICM sets the standards of
professionalism in the credit management
industry: “The Institute is a byword for
excellence, so working more closely with
them makes absolute sense to us and will,
I believe, be great for both our respective
organisations. “Shoosmiths handles the
debt recovery for some of the UK’s largest
corporates so we have a shared outlook of
excellence and our UK-wide office network
maps exactly with CICM’s own scope of
operations. We have great hopes for the
tremendous synergies this represents.”
Sue Chapple FCICM, CICM Director
of Strategic Relationships, says she is
delighted to be working with Shoosmiths as
the CICM’s new legal partner: “We recognise
fellow enthusiasts when we see them,
and have been impressed by the energy,
ambition and spark of the Shoosmiths team.
For us, it’s one of those partnerships where
one plus one will definitely add up to more
than two.”
Philip King, Chief Executive of the CICM,
added his welcome: “Shoosmiths has a
deserved reputation for excellence and
its decision to become our exclusive legal
partner will be one that will be welcomed
across our membership.”
Shoosmiths is a national law firm
operating from a network of 13 offices, and
with client companies on every part of the
business growth cycle. The company is
a national market leader in business-tobusiness
debt recovery, providing advice
and recovery solutions to companies in
a wide range of industry sectors in all
legal jurisdictions of the UK. Its teams
work closely with credit teams to recover
commercial debts as quickly and efficiently
as possible; they also deliver a range of
consultancy services designed to improve
cash flow and to reduce cost.
shoosmiths.co.uk
“The Institute is a
byword for excellence,
so working more closely
with them makes
absolute sense to us and
will, I believe, be great
for both our respective
organisations.”
CIVEA to cease involvement
CIVEA, the Civil Enforcement
Association, will no longer
review complaints on behalf
of its members as part of
streamlining of the process for
complaining about enforcement agents
(bailiffs).
All complaints about enforcement
agents acting on behalf of local
authorities will go straight to the Local
Government and Social Care Ombudsman
for independent adjudication after local
processes have been exhausted.
The enforcement industry has been
the subject of scrutiny by the House of
Commons Justice Committee, which
identified a disparity between the
numbers of complaints recorded by debt
advice groups and industry groups. Debt
advice groups claimed that 2.2 million
people had been contacted by bailiffs
since 2014, who reported 850,00 cases of
rules being broken.
Industry figures show much lower
levels of complaints. CIVEA reviews
around 250 complaints each year and in
a survey, 22 enforcement firms processed
approximately 2,500 cases between 2014
and 2018. The Local Government and
Social Care Ombudsman upheld just 50
complaints in the last four years where
the bailiffs themselves were at fault.
Separately, the civil enforcement
industry is calling on the government to
establish a joint committee in the House
of Commons and House of Lords to review
the draft Public Service Ombudsman
Bill, which would provide a procedure for
adjudicating on public service providers,
including enforcement agents when
acting on behalf of public bodies.
Russell Hamblin-Boone, Chief
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 8

UK Search claims ‘first’ in Open
Banking Solution
UK Search has claimed to be the first to
adopt Open Banking technology to help
customers in arrears to reach realistic debt
free solutions in a timely way.
With a customer’s permission UK Search
can now view bank account transaction
information to understand the customer’s
monthly incomings and outgoings, so an
informed decision can be made about what
repayments will be affordable.
Cliff Poole, Managing Director of UK
Search, said that customers often prefer to
avoid awkward conversations about their
personal finances: “Many of the customers
we engage with want to repay their debts,
but find themselves in financially difficult
circumstances. Talking about it can
become embarrassing and confusing.
“The Open Banking solution we have
developed and introduced allows us to work
with customers in a different way, to get
real accurate views on both their finances
and their circumstances. It becomes very
NOVA APPROACH
INTRUM and Tieto have extended their
partnership across the Baltic region to
modernise and automate credit management
services for Intrum clients and customers.
The deal will see Intrum deliver innovation in
areas such as digitalisation, analytics, robotics
and AI, through Tieto’s collection platform
Nova. Now with greater synergies between
its operations, and sharing resource, process
and knowledge, Intrum claims it can offer a
wider range of services with greater scalability.
Already deployed in Sweden, Intrum has
extended Nova to its businesses in Latvia
and Lithuania. intrum.com
in bailiff complaints
Executive of CIVEA, believes the
changes will streamline the process
for complaints redress: “The expertise
and independent adjudication of the
ombudsman gives an impartial picture
of the scale of any problems in our
industry. Three trade associations, local
authorities, the courts service, the Local
Authority Civil Enforcement Forum and
the Local Government and Social Care
Ombudsman have all recorded low levels
of complaints.”
Michael King, Local Government
and Social Care Ombudsman says that
he supports any efforts to streamline
the current process: “We already provide
independent redress for complaints
about the recovery of local taxation and
parking debts by enforcement agents.
Where a firm is acting on behalf of a
local authority, their actions fall within
quick and simple and we can agree an
affordable programme of repayments.”
Cliff believes that a fair outcome can
be reached with most customers, often
by setting an affordable and sustainable
payment plan for those customers who can
afford to pay something and that way helps
them to get out of debt: “Open Banking
gives both parties the opportunity to do this
in the fairest way possible,” he adds.
Likewise, he says, Income & Expenditure
(I&E) cannot and should not be a substitute
for intuition or human instinct: “With the
help of Open Banking and the customer’s
permission collectors should know
instantly when an arrangement isn’t
suitable, through picking up the clues in
the conversation and by seeing for real
the customers true position. The need to
sign post free money advice or return the
account to the Client is made that much
easier.”
uksearchlimited.com
our jurisdiction.
“Clear routes of redress are all the
more important for people who want to
raise concerns about debt issues they are
facing, so we strongly believe complaints
processes should be accessible, easy to
understand and simple to use. We expect
local authorities to ensure that they
have a clear process for dealing with
complaints when they contract services
out to enforcement firms, as we would
with any commissioned service. It’s
important this system is not protracted,
does not require people to go through
multiple complaints processes and also
ensures there is appropriate signposting
– including to our service – if a person
remains dissatisfied with the outcome of
their complaint.” civea.co.uk
See interview on page 21.
>NEWS
IN BRIEF
Government
implements
new E-invoicing
standard
THE UK government has implemented
an EU directive on electronic invoicing in
public procurement through The Public
Procurement (Electronic Invoices etc)
Regulations 2019.
A Procurement Policy Note (PPN) from
the Cabinet Office said: ‘Contracting
authorities and other contracting entities
(utilities) are now required to receive and
process supplier invoices that comply
with the technical e-invoicing standard
developed under the Directive.’
The requirements apply to central
government with immediate effect, while
local government and utilities have
until 18 April 2020 to comply ‘but may
voluntarily do so earlier’, said the PPN.
The Directive aims to address the use
of varied e-invoicing formats across the
member states through the introduction
of a standard. The varied formats cause
unnecessary complexity and additional
operating costs for businesses, public
contracting bodies and contracting
entities.
ec.europa.eu
Quay Expansion
PHILLIPS & Cohen Associates, the
international deceased account
management specialist, is expanding
its UK operations. It has renewed its
existing lease on premises in Exchange
Quay, Manchester, and taken an extended
lease on an additional 4,200 square feet
on the same site. Nick Cherry, COO, said
the decision reflected the company’s
desire to grow both domestically
and internationally, and establish
the Manchester office as a centre of
excellence.
phillips-cohen.co.uk
End of lease
PETER Thomas has stepped down from
his role as executive director of the
Leasing Foundation to establish a global
network looking at the future of finance.
He will be working with many former and
current Foundation colleagues on a range
of issues that are beyond equipment and
asset finance.
leasingfoundation.org
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 9

NEWS SPECIAL
Solid Foundations
Phil Andrew speaks to Sean Feast FCICM about his first
full year as Chief Executive of StepChange Debt Charity.
657,930
clients contacted us
+
6.1%
6,315
Debt relief orders set up
+
40%
306,391
clients completed a
debt advice session
+
0.3%
£432m
of debt repaid by our clients
+
0.8%
Phil Andrew
56,660
clients started a
managed solution
-
8.3%
£110m
written off with our support
24,310
became debt free with
our support
+
7%
+
15%
THE need for debt advice
in this country is growing
– and growing rapidly. By
2022 it is estimated that
more than two million
people in the UK will need
debt advice every single year. At present
the entire debt advice sector has the
capacity to help less than one million
people.
Phil Andrew believes there is a moral
obligation to meet the needs of those
struggling with problem debt; it’s why
he’s set out ambitious plans to double the
number of people StepChange can help:
“Inextricably linked to this,” he says, “is
the need to help people before they fall in
to crisis and also to ensure we continue to
provide consistent advice, of the highest
quality, at a cost that allows us to help as
many people as possible with the limited
funding we receive.”
In its latest impact report, published in
May, StepChange revealed the huge strides
it is taking towards helping more people,
reflecting also on the people it has already
helped, how they have been helped, and
what steps it is taking to build a more
effective and efficient organisation.
ADVICE AND SOLUTIONS
In 2018, Phil says that StepChange helped
more people than ever, with 657,930
people getting in contact – someone every
48 seconds.
“And we continued to offer that support
right from the first contact through to
someone becoming debt free,” he says.
“We also kicked off a landmark new
We reduced our
client advice cost by
4.2%
We supported the
development of the Single
Financial Statement (SFS)
major policy
4 wins
influential research
8 and data reports
Our partners referred
154,611
clients to us for
telephone advice
initiative to track what difference debt
advice makes. This looks at the wellbeing
of our clients on various measures at
different times after receiving debt
advice.”
Its initial findings set out the real areas
where it has a significant positive impact
for its clients and looks honestly at where
debt advice is less effective, particularly
noting less positive results for vulnerable
clients with negative budgets.
Government introduced the
No Interest Loan Scheme pilot
major FCA interventions
4 matching our goals
We continued to collaborate
with Citizens Advice and
Business Debtline to direct
clients to the right advice
provider for their needs
We continued
to develop our
customer relationship
management system
(CRM) to better
serve our clients
10 consultation
responses
Parliament legislated for
Breathing Space within
the Financial Guidance
and Claims Act 2018
“As a charity we have a responsibility
to manage our money effectively and
efficiently,” he continues. “We want our
partners and funders to have complete
confidence that their contributions are
having the greatest impact possible.”
What is clear, he believes, is that the
sector is significantly underfunded. “In
2018 we’ve been leading conversations
around Fair Share contributions
whilst also calling for an effective and
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 10

NEWS SPECIAL
AUTHOR – Sean Feast FCICM
sustainable funding model for the debt
advice sector that enables us to meet
growing demand.
“We’ve also worked tirelessly to reduce
our own costs. We’ve been able to reduce
our own client advice cost by 4.2 percent,
allowing us to provide advice to more
people without growing our overheads at
comparable rates.”
Phil says that partnerships are
important: “We want to work in
partnership where we can. We know
that working together can amplify our
voice and our impact. That’s why we’ve
continued to collaborate with partners
across the sector. We also received more
than 150,000 client referrals directly to
our services from partners across the
financial industry – so it is clear just how
important collaboration is.”
2.5m
visits to our website*
145,924
subscribers to our
DMP newsletters
Launched our new
Persistent Debt
advice services
* We’ve changed the way we measure web visits in line with industry best
practice: we now only count a web visit when a person has viewed one of
our pages for at least 30 seconds.
5.2m
views of our debt
information and advice
website pages
784,630
unique visits to MoneyAware
our debt advice blog
50% 36
growth in unprompted
press
brand awareness releases
22%
increase in website
visits since 2017
POLICY AND PRACTICE
The charity’s debt advisers were busier
than ever in 2018 but, Phil explains, his
team has also continued to develop its
work to tackle the causes of problem debt
and to influence government policy in
Westminster, Holyrood and the Senedd.
Last year, it published no fewer
than eight influential reports and ten
consultation responses, as well as
registering major policy wins.
“Our campaign for a ‘breathing space’
scheme has spanned many years, but it
reached its apex in 2018 as the government
formally included such a programme in
the Financial Guidance and Claims Act
2018. We’re continuing to campaign to
shape exactly what the scheme will look
like when it’s implemented and have
lobbied hard to make sure it’s at the best it
can be on delivery.
“Our campaign to reform the poor
behaviours we’ve witnessed in the bailiff
industry led to the announcement of a
call for evidence by the Justice Select
Committee. We also saw the launch of a
feasibility study on a ‘No Interest Loans
Scheme’ in the 2018 Budget, a key priority
in our work towards encouraging the
creation of affordable alternatives to high
cost credit. And the FCA acted on several
fronts to tackle unsustainable credit,
reflecting campaigns we have undertaken,
for example on overdraft fees.”
EDUCATION AND AWARENESS
Raising awareness of problem debt across
society continues to be a major challenge,
and one that Phil is not shy to address: “In
2018 we saw 5.2 million views of our debt
279
mentions on
TV and radio
information and advice web pages, with
over three-quarters of a million unique
visits to our MoneyAware debt advice
blog, and over 145,000 subscribers to our
DMP Newsletter.
“And we’re getting the message out
there more widely too. Helped by nearly
2,000 media mentions of the charity, we’ve
grown both our online presence and brand
awareness, with a 22 percent increase in
website visits, and a 50 percent increase in
unprompted brand awareness.”
StepChange’s core aim is to work to
support people earlier with their money
worries: “We launched a pilot persistent
debt initiative, looking to support those
contacting us who may not be in problem
debt yet, but have been directed to us due
to being identified as part of the FCA’s
new persistent credit card debt rules.”
PEOPLE POWER
Phil says that being on the frontline of
debt advice can be tough. Ensuring that
his staff feel rewarded for their hard work
and dedication remains one of his key
objectives, as well as supporting them to
reach even higher levels of achievement.
“Our single greatest resource is our
people, and with a workforce of more
than 1,500 spread out across eight cities
23
broadcast
interviews
1686
pieces of press coverage
in the UK, it’s vital that we listen to our
colleagues and their feedback. We spent
2018 engaging with colleagues through
townhall meetings, roadshows and
feedback forums, to better understand
how we can recruit and retain the kinds
of people we need for the future.
“Between more than 11,000 hours
of employee training and the launch
of our first ever graduate programme,
we’re working hard to develop skills and
development opportunities,” he adds.
FORWARD THINKING
Last year, Phil says, was a real year of
change at StepChange: “I’m enormously
proud of some of the foundations that
we’ve laid on the way to preparing
ourselves for the future of debt advice.
While we’ve made great progress towards
our goal of doubling the number of people
we can help, I know that we have much
more to do.”
On the wall outside Phil’s office in Leeds
is the charity’s vision: to build a society
free from problem debt. “That might feel
like a lofty aspiration,” Phil concludes,
“and I certainly can’t promise that we’ll
achieve that by 2022, but I can promise
we’ll continue to have the greatest impact
we can to help those who need it.”
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 11

NEWS SPECIAL
Shallow Dive
Referrals to the Pre-Pack Pool have taken a
disappointing dip.
THE Pre-Pack Pool (The Pool), as
readers will recall, commenced
operations in November 2015 as
part of the amendments to SIP
16 recommended by the Graham
Report of 2014.
The concept, supported by the Insolvency
Practitioners Regulatory Bodies (RPBs), The
Insolvency Service (IS), CICM and other
Creditors bodies, all of whom are stakeholders,
was that an independent body of reviewers
would give an opinion as to the reasonableness
of a connected party Pre-Pack.
Connected party Pre-Packs had, at the time
of the report, drawn criticism for being in some
cases perceived as merely a debt dumping
exercise leaving unsecured creditors and often
pension funds out of pocket.
The Pools’ remit was to examine such cases
and report on them, but the whole system is
voluntary with applications coming from the
acquirer not the IP. This voluntary system is set
to be reviewed by the IS this year in advance of
the Governments’ deadline of May 2020 when it
will decide whether to continue with a voluntary
system or perhaps set regulatory (mandatory)
parameters for referral to the Pool, or even ban
the practice.
SLOW PROGRESS
As at December 2018, three years and two
months into its existence, The Pool had reached
its century (100 cases.)
In our first 14 months we had 53 referrals
(approx. 24 percent of ‘eligible’ cases.) In 2017
and 2018 referrals were 23 and 24 respectively
representing approximately ten percent of
eligible cases. The first quarter of 2019 has seen
six cases referred.
This disappointing downward trend in
referral rates is something we at The Pool are
keen to understand. Is the low rate as a result of
a lack of interest from those creditors affected by
Pre-Packs or simply that directors see little point
in approaching us, if there are no sanctions for
not doing so?
We still await
any update on
whether the
Government
wish to act
under its ‘sunset
clause’ to make
referral to a
third-party
reviewer (such
as The Pool),
mandatory.
We have seen active interest and action taken
by some major creditors in contentious cases,
notably by the Pension Protection Fund (PPF),
but this is a notably rare event. However, in
general there seems to be little interaction with
the general body of unsecured creditors even
though they have most to lose.
Mention of the PPF is a reminder that we do
have a significant supporter in Frank Field MP,
Chair of The Work and Pensions Committee in
Parliament. He along with Sir Vince Cable has
been lobbying for compulsory referral in the
light of high-profile cases such as House of
Fraser and Johnston Press but these Pre-Packs
were not ‘connected’ in the strictest sense.
(House of Fraser was sold to a third party and
Johnston Press to its lenders).
LOOKING AHEAD
The Insolvency Service has now released its
‘2018 Annual Review of Insolvency Practitioner
Regulation’, which includes a section regarding
Pre-Packs. There were 450 SIP 16 reports (i.e. all
Pre-Packs), advised to The Service, of which 241
covered sales to connected parties, confirming a
referral rate of ten percent.
In terms of the specific review of Pre-Packs,
the report found that while Pre-Pack sales ‘were
a useful business rescue tool’ there was evidence
of ‘less successful outcomes’ where the sale was
to a connected party. The Government hopes to
be able to publish its findings from the review
shortly. We still await any update on whether the
Government wish to act under its ‘sunset clause’
to make referral to a third-party reviewer (such
as The Pool), mandatory.
In other developments, as in the Johnston
Press and Interserve cases I feel a new process
is being developed. That of the ‘secured lender’
Pre-Pack. The latest example being Debenhams.
Having secured a new tranche of secured
lending they have now completed a Pre-Pack
whereby the lenders have acquired the business.
Stuart Hopewell FCICM is a director
Pre-Pack Pool Ltd
BRENDAN Clarkson FCICM, insolvency
expert at insolvency and restructuring
firm CVR Global, is calling for it to
be compulsory that every pre-pack
administration is analysed by the Pre-
Pack Pool. He said: “Bypassing the Pre-
Pack Pool is a missed opportunity for
all stakeholders involved in a pre-pack
administration as it offers peace of
mind and clarity for all involved – the
recent fall out between Debenhams
and Mike Ashley only reinforces this
point.
“And while Debenhams’ deal is
legitimate, is it in the best interests of
landlords, suppliers and employees?
This is why when the Government
reviews the system in May 2020, we
will be supporting calls for it to be
compulsory for every Pre-Pack to
be referred to the pool before it can
proceed.
“People such as Chair of The Work
and Pensions Committee Frank Field
MP along with Sir Vince Cable are
backing the stance to make referrals
to the Pre-Pack Pool compulsory when
the Government reviews the system in
May 2020, where they could even end
up banning the practice totally.”
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 12

INSOLVENCY
Deemed consent
IPs hold the pivotal role of bringing together all
stakeholders and providing them with the ability to
make informed decisions.
AUTHOR – Michelle Thorp
Michelle Thorp
IN last month’s article, I discussed
our work with HMRC on its
planned move to reinstate itself as
a secondary preferential creditor
in insolvencies and the protection
we think those creditors behind
HMRC in the planned new hierarchy
should be afforded. This month, my
focus returns to the IPA and our view on
the important and sensitive matter of
deemed consent and decision procedures
in insolvency proceedings, number six
of our Statements of Insolvency Practice
(SIPs). Our SIPs set out required practice
and harmonise insolvency practitioners’
(IPs’) approach to particular aspects of
insolvency practice. They apply in parallel
to the prevailing statutory framework.
Recently, following the introduction
of the new Scottish insolvency rules on 6
April 2019, Scotland has been included
in SIP 6, joining England and Wales and
thereby making the SIP a UK-wide one.
Scottish IPs now work under this SIP in the
same way as those in England and Wales.
DETAILED PROCEDURE
Sections 246ZF (corporate insolvency)
and 379ZB (personal insolvency) of the
Insolvency Act 1986 detail the deemed
consent procedure – these were inserted
into the Act by the Small Business,
Enterprise and Employment Act 2015. Rule
15.7 of the Insolvency Rules 2016 also sets
out the procedure.
By definition, deemed consent is the
process by which certain decisions can be
made on behalf of creditors in insolvency
proceedings. It’s one of several decision
pathways in insolvency, the others being
correspondence, electronic voting, virtual
meeting, physical meeting and any
other suitable procedure that allows all
concerned to participate fairly.
Under deemed consent, the following
must be communicated to creditors and/or
contributories: the proposed decision and
surrounding matter to which it relates; if
less than ten percent of the applicable
creditors and contributories object to
the decision, the decision in question
will be made as a result; if more than
ten percent object, it is not made; if the
concerned parties seek the same decision,
a qualifying decision procedure must be
used; and the procedure for objecting to a
proposed decision must be adopted.
Deemed consent is likely to be used
when appointing a liquidator, though a
virtual meeting can also be called – as can a
physical meeting, if more than ten percent
of creditors object
to the appointment
of a liquidator, or if
creditors feel a physical
meeting is required
(this must take place
within 14 days of the
objection being made).
It’s important to
note that remuneration
can’t be decided by
deemed consent, and
the Insolvency Act
and Insolvency Rules also state when a
decision must be made not by deemed
consent, but by one of the other decision
procedures. Another key area of insolvency
where deemed consent doesn’t apply is
the approval of both Company Voluntary
Arrangements (CVAs) and Individual
Voluntary Arrangements (IVAs).
I recently wrote about the work
we’ve done to strengthen regulation of
volume providers of Individual Voluntary
Arrangements (IVAs). The mass decision
making processes common to this type of
insolvency proceeding forms a significant
aspect of our basis for enhancing our
regulation in this area. It’s of course
paramount that in an environment that
processes a considerable number of cases,
consent is made certain.
PIVOTAL ROLE
IPs hold the pivotal role of bringing
together all stakeholders concerned with
The window for
responses, in cases
in which deemed
consent applies,
terminates after
the final minute of
that day.
making decisions and providing them with
the ability to make informed decisions.
This is, of course, essential to maintain
trust and confidence in insolvencies, from
both a creditor and debtor point of view, as
is the timely facilitating of participation.
Requests for additional information
should be considered individually by the
IP, based on their merits, and treated fairly
and reasonably. Any additional information
provided should be proportionate to the
case’s circumstances.
Record keeping in this area is also
important. Accurate and contemporaneous
records of deemed consent and decision
procedures must be kept by the IP for
reference and sufficiently explain the
business conducted and the basis upon
which any discretion was exercised.
The window for
responses, in cases
in which deemed
consent applies,
terminates after the
final minute of that
day. In my mind, a
possible future change
to this would be to
bring the window
in line with office
hours in order to keep
things progressing as
efficiently as they can.
It’s important to note that creditors bear
the responsibility to instigate change to
proceedings if they have any objections
or require a meeting. Following the 2017
insolvency rules, which introduced a
move to reflect modern business practice
in the insolvency industry, allowing
electronic communication with creditors
and removing the need to hold physical
creditor meetings, more responsibility
was placed upon creditors to act quickly
to protect their position in insolvencies.
When you also consider the discrepancies
around when deemed consent applies,
the need for all concerned parties in
insolvency to be aware of this sensitive
procedure and its correct use appears all
the more apparent.
Michelle Thorp is CEO, Insolvency
Practitioners Association.
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 13

FROM THE CHAIR
On Your Feet
Honouring those who have dedicated their
lives to the cause.
AUTHOR – Pete Whitmore FCICM
Pete Whitmore FCICM
WHAT do Terry
Pratchett, Winston
Churchill and Gloria
Estefan have in
common? Well, at
face value not a great
deal, but they have each provided me with
a degree of inspiration when deliberating
about how to shape this column.
I recently watched the first episode of
‘Good Omens,’ which was penned by Sir
Terry nearly 30 years ago and it started
me thinking about what good omens we
see in the world of credit management. I
suppose that all too often we focus on the
negative signs out there; who hasn’t paid
me, who is giving me the run around (why
does that word always evoke memories of
the dulcet tones of Mike Reid) and who is
still drawing down dividends even though
they are making losses each year? Those
are valuable and vital considerations,
but we should try to balance them with
the customers who always pay on time
and those who continue to leave profits
in their business and grow. Those are the
customers that we should focus upon and
understand how we can add value to their
business, because that will only bring
increased value back to our own. I am
not suggesting that we ignore those non/
late paying customers as they will soon
drain your cashflow, but let’s not miss an
opportunity by expending all our energy on
them. Let’s look for the good omens.
But how does that relate to Sir Winston?
I was lucky enough to attend the CICM
Fellows’ Celebratory Lunch this year,
which was held in the Churchill War
Rooms. They opened for service around
the same time that Cuthbert Grieg started
the ICM as it was then. The tour itself is
awe inspiring and it allows you to visualise
what it must have been like to manage the
forces of long forgotten regiments, rusted
ships and now disused airfields (that one’s
for you, Sean). During the course of the
day we were treated to hearing about those
individuals who had been selected to be
part of the inaugural ‘Fellows of the Future’
scheme. It set me thinking about how I
wish there had been something like that
when I set out in my own credit career; the
nearest thing would have been informal
mentoring, but even that is nothing like
the valuable mentoring scheme that exists
with the CICM today. I would urge you to
get involved as a mentor or alternatively
take advantage of the extensive experience
and business knowledge that exists
within our membership. I was also given
the honour of presenting this year’s
Meritorious Service Awards to Gary Baker
and David Kerr; two very worthy recipients.
In an underground environment where
people had to battle against adversity just
to survive, it felt pretty poignant that we
were there recognising the past, present
and future of the credit industry.
That just leaves Gloria; where can she
possibly come in to the equation? I went
to see the biopic musical of her life, ‘Get
on your feet!’ and loved it, but the lyrics of
the title track struck a chord with me. ‘Get
on your feet and make it happen!’ If that is
not a sentiment to which you can live your
life, I’m not sure what is. Gloria certainly
did that after suffering horrendous injuries
in a coach crash. I suppose I’m trying
to say that if you want something badly
enough you need to go out there and make
it happen. If you want to change the way
your customers behave, go out and educate
them in how you can help them. If you
want to grow as a credit professional, go
out and explore the opportunities available
to you; there are a plethora of ways we can
help you with the many resources of the
CICM. Be an ambassador and spread the
word about our wonderful Institute and
profession. Get on your feet and make it
happen!
Pete Whitmore FCICM is Chair of the
Chartered Institute of Credit Management.
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 14

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THREE’S
COMPANY
Sean Feast FCICM catches up with
the founders of Court Enforcement
Services (CES).

TOWN & COUNTRY INTERVIEW
AUTHOR – Sean Feast FCICM
When Daren started,
Frank jokes, “…he
couldn’t collect pebbles
off a beach…” and yet
now is the managing
director of one of
the fastest growing
businesses in the High
Court Enforcement
sector.
Daren Simcox
IT’S Friday morning, and a quick-ish
punt from home around the M25 sees
me arrive at the back of an industrial
estate in Essex. On the other side of a
pedestrian passageway are the offices
of Court Enforcement Services (CES),
and I mustn’t be late. One of the founding
directors, Daren Simcox, has delayed his bank
holiday weekend travel plans to accommodate
me, so in the end I’m early.
Frank Millerick, the company Chairman, is
at the door to greet me and I am shown into
the boardroom where we are joined by the
last of the trio, Wayne Whitford. With all of
the founders in the room at the same time,
I’m beginning to wonder if I am interviewing
them, or are they interviewing me?
Between the three of them, they have well
over 100 years’ experience in High Court
Enforcement. Frank has seen the Enforcement
profession from all sides; for ten years he was
a Justice of the Peace and is a former chairman
of one of the industry associations that started
to lobby for change that has led to recent
amendments to enforcement legislation.
Daren has been a Certificated Enforcement
Agent for more than 30 years and is justifiably
proud of how far the business has come in a
comparatively short space of time. Wayne has
worked in enforcement and debt collection –
including doorstep collections – for almost 30
years and, it should be noted, is a Fellow of the
Chartered Institute of Credit Management.
OBVIOUS CHEMISTRY
The Chemistry between the three men is
immediately apparent. There is a confidence
and a trust that comes from building a
business together. When Daren started, Frank
jokes, “…he couldn’t collect pebbles off a
beach…” and yet now is the managing director
of one of the fastest growing businesses in the
High Court Enforcement sector.
Since the business eventually emerged
through a Management Buyout (MBO) five
years ago, it can now claim a £10 million
turnover and something like a (25 percent)
market share. In the calendar year for 2018
it served c20,000 writs – up from 18,000 the
previous year when it was officially listed as
number two in the Ministry of Justice (MoJ)
league table. Since the start of this year (2019),
it has already served 15,000 writs, and keeps
growing. Last year they collected c£35 million
for their clients.
“When we started the business,” Daren
explains, “we decided to focus on Writs. Others
have taken a more scatter-gun approach, but
we agreed that we wanted to be good at one
thing and to be known for it. We now work
for four of the big six energy and utility
companies, as well as the largest property
management company in the UK.”
My visit coincides with a number of
major changes being mooted in the industry,
including the call for independent regulation
of Enforcement Agents. Daren believes the
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 17
continues on page 18 >

TOWN & COUNTRY INTERVIEW
AUTHOR – Sean Feast FCICM
lack of transparency is a concern: “The industry is
currently self-regulated but that means if there is
an issue, our conduct is judged by our peers. Is that
fair?” he asks. Frank agrees: “It’s like MPs voting for
their own pay increases,” he says. “Our industry is a
professional industry and should be independently
regulated.”
BODY CAMERAS
One of the hot topics of the moment is the wearing
of body cameras, and whether this should be
compulsory. “The police, the ambulancemen, and
parking attendants are all wearing them now and we
think having video evidence is a good thing,” Wayne
says. Daren concurs: “An allegation was made recently
against one of our agents and the video evidence
proved all of those allegations to be false. We also use
some of the video footage to train our staff.”
The three men agree that the system can be open
to abuse; Enforcement Agents have been known to
switch their cameras off, but this is the exception
rather than the rule. Video footage also does not always
tell the whole story but at least it’s a start: “It gives us
another way of measuring performance and that has
to be a good thing,” Frank adds. And Daren agrees: “It
reduces the number of complaints we are likely to see
and it also enables us to monitor the performance and
behaviour of our own self-employed agents.”
Another burning issue is a proposal to remove the
current rules that disallow a County Court Judgment
of less than £600 to be transferred to the High Court.
At present, for debts below £600, a creditor is obliged
to request a warrant of execution (at a further cost
of £110) for a county court bailiff (i.e. a civil servant
as opposed to a certificated professional) to enforce.
“You can have little confidence you will ever get your
money back,” Daren explains. He advocates that this
limit should be removed: “It should be the creditor’s
choice whether this debt is transferred to the High
Court,” he says. As Frank adds: “It is one of those
absurd historical anomalies.”
When a debt of more than £600 is transferred, CES
charges a fixed fee of £75 (in accordance with the
Taking Control of Goods Act Fee Regulation 2014) for
enforcement, and gives the customer (i.e. the debtor)
a period of 14 days in which to pay the debt in full or
come to an arrangement. (“The standard period is
seven days but we allow more for postage and receipt,
and to take into account weekends,” Daren says.)
ENFORCEMENT SUCCESS
The success or otherwise of enforcement varies
depending on the debt type. Commercial debts tend
to be the most successful, and for some debts, the
success rate can be as high as 99 percent. When
contracts are shared, CES is constantly the highest
performer. Wayne says this is due largely to the quality
of people they employ; Daren agrees, and says that it
comes down to treating every Writ in the same way:
“Our ‘paid in full’ rates are the highest in the industry,
and we are very proud of that,” he adds.
Success is not only down to the quality of people
or its focus on a particular part of the enforcement
industry. It is also about how CES has been quick to
Frank Millerick
Wayne Whitford
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 18

TOWN & COUNTRY INTERVIEW
AUTHOR – Sean Feast FCICM
embrace and develop new technology.
Enforcement agents are now able to
interact through an award-winning App
which has significantly improved the
experience for the agent and customer
alike. Instructions, documents and
photographs can be seen by the agent
on the App in real-time: “The complete
history of every case can be seen by the
agent through the App,” Wayne explains,
as he shows me an example on his
mobile. The level of information and
data available is impressive, and the App
also gives the agent the opportunity to
take card payments or request additional
information, for example, from the DVLA.
There is a client portal too, to give clients
total visibility of every case.
Court Enforcement Services is
certainly a progressive business and not
one to rest on its laurels. Staff retention
levels are impressive – its current Ops
Director actually started with the three
directors when he was 19 and is now in
his thirties – but it is always looking to the
future. It is proud not simply of ‘churning’
existing business, but actually expanding
the market: “In our first full year we
served 6,000 Writs,” says Daren, “but
many of these were not what you would
consider ‘traditional’ Writs. Many were
from ‘new’ customers thereby creating a
new market.”
RAISING AWARENESS
Visibility of their sector has been
enhanced through various ‘fly-on-thewall’
documentaries on television, but
these are both a blessing and a curse.
“They are positive in that they have raised
the awareness of High Court Enforcement
as an option open to creditors,” Frank
says. Wayne agrees: “Sometimes people
call us and say that they’ve seen us on TV!”
The problem that Daren perceives is
the intrusive nature of the programme
on the customer: “Our job is to execute a
court order and that is the end of it. It is
not our job to then offer on camera our
personal opinions as to the rights and
wrongs of the customer’s circumstances.”
So what next for the team at CES?
In 2018, the directors sold part of the
business to JBW, a larger collections and
enforcement business, although CES still
retains its independence. “Being part of a
bigger group gives us a huge opportunity
for future growth,” Daren says.
CHANGING LANDSCAPE
The landscape for Enforcement is likely
to change with the introduction of a new
independent regulator, but the team
only see this as a positive step. It has
always taken complaints and compliance
seriously and believes that professional
businesses could benefit from the
changes being proposed.
“The three people in this room have
collectively done as much as any to
promote professionalism within our
industry,” Frank adds.
The business started out as a boutique
– an approachable, customer-centric
business that puts relationships at the
very heart of what it does. It has very
much ‘grown up’ as a business and is
never afraid to try new things. Daren is
particularly excited about a new ‘Brand
Sound’, though what this will finally look
and sound like appears as much a mystery
to his fellow directors as it does to me!
Court Enforcement Services goes
above and beyond the ‘traditional’, with
skill-sets and experience that are core to
its success.
This, they are all agreed, will never
change: “The market will continue to
grow, creditors’ choice will improve, and
online decision making will increase the
volumes of judgments being referred to
the High Court,” Daren concludes.
An allegation was
made recently
against one of our
agents and the
video evidence
proved all of those
allegations to be
false. We also use
some of the video
footage to train our
staff.
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 19

UKCCC
2019
CROWNE PLAZA
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE
POWERED
BY
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 20

INTERVIEW
THE COMPLEAT
ANGLER
Sean Feast FCICM speaks to Russell Hamblin-Boone
about civil enforcement, dealing with vulnerability, and
the challenges of landing a 22-pound Pike.
RUSSELL Hamblin-Boone
has never been one to
shy away from what he
jokingly calls ‘issues-rich’
briefs, and as the current
Chief Executive of the
Civil Enforcement Association (CIVEA) he
certainly has a number of issues to juggle.
With the imminent publication of the
Ministry of Justice’s response to its call for
evidence, and the launch of CIVEA’s new
Code to complement the creation of a new
Compliance Board and revised complaints
procedure, he is a busy man. He is also
aware that he has unintentionally been
characterised by some in the media as the
standard-bearer for some of the business
UK’s more controversial briefs: “I am not
sure if I have followed crises around or
they have followed me,” he laughs. “And
I was not sure whether to be flattered or
insulted by once being referred to by James
Moore in the Independent as ‘a disturbingly
effective lobbyist’ when I was making a
case for high-cost credit!”
TROUT FARM
It all seems a long way from the small boy
who grew up on a farm in Hampshire.
Growing up in the countryside, it might
have been expected that the young
Russell may have pursued an outdoors
career: “There was a trout farm on one of
the farms that we lived, and for a time I
thought of becoming a Fishery Manager,
but not getting high enough grades at
Chemistry and Maths it was not to be.”
Instead, on leaving college Russell took
leave of his idyllic rural surroundings to
head for the bright lights of Basingstoke,
where he quickly found employment
in the Civil Service. “I was young, living
in a big town, and needed money,” he
explains. “My mother suggested the Civil
Service and so I joined the Civil Service
Commission as an office adminstrator.
The Commission was part of the Cabinet
Office and a typical sausage factory;
everything was still dependent on pen
and paper, copied in triplicate and letters
were prepared in a typing pool.”
Encouraged through promotion to
move to London, Russell joined the Chief
Whip’s Office, working from Downing
Street: “It was just at the time that John
Major had lost his majority as a result
of revolt by the Euro Sceptics,” he says,
his comment heavy with irony given the
Conservative Party’s current predicament.
“I was also there during the transition to
the new ‘New Labour’ government and
very much enjoyed the ‘cut and thrust’ of
the role. It is an overtly political office so as
a civil servant I had a unique opportunity
to earn my parliamentary spurs.”
WHIP’S OFFICE
After over four years in the Whip’s Office,
and with an ambition to be a Private
Secretary, Russell joined the Attorney
General’s Office, working closely with
the Solicitor General, Lord Faulkner.
This was the time of Kosovo and the
Omagh bombings, and a febrile political
environment. Concurrently he took
on a further role with Baroness Jay, as
Assistant and then Private Secretary to the
Leader of the House of Lords, Lord Privy
Seal and Minister for Women during the
passage of the Lords reform Bill. He took
justifiable pride in being one of the few
private secretaries who had not been fasttracked
out of Oxbridge.
With 14 years of Civil Service experience
under his belt, Russell understood that
detailed knowledge of Whitehall and
the machinations of government were a
priceless commodity: “Having a solid Civil
Service background and quality training
has served me well throughout my career,”
Russell explains.
Now with a young family, and having
moved to the West Country, Russell began
looking for a change in direction, and a
shift from the public to the private sector.
Spotting an advertisement in The House
magazine for the British Retail Consortium
he applied, and was successful, joining
the BRC as its Parliamentary Officer in
December 2000: “The transition from
public to private can be a difficult one,”
Russell concedes, “though the journey
can be eased by first working for a trade
association where my knowledge of
Government was seen as an asset.”
FOOT AND MOUTH
Russell’s arrival was followed soon after
by a crisis of significant proportions –
the outbreak in 2001 of Foot and Mouth:
“It had a devastating impact not only on
the UK farming community but also the
grocery and wider retail sectors,” Russell
says. Russell’s time was also marked by
a happier incident in which he played a
leading role, the introduction of the first
free ‘proof of age’ scheme for younger
people, a scheme that is still very much
alive and well today.
By December 2003, Russell had become
Head of Public Affairs and was presented
with his next opportunity. He was asked
to help establish a new trade association
for the energy sector, the Energy Retail
Association (now Energy UK). His CEO
and mentor was Duncan Sedgwick, a
former senior executive at Powergen, and
the organisation was starting from the
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 21
continues on page 22 >

INTERVIEW
AUTHOR – Sean Feast FCICM
ground up: “I remember we started in an
office no bigger than a broom cupboard
and on the first day I had to go around and
blag some laptops to get us operational!”
Russell soon had his hands full dealing
with media and politicians, as well as
various lobbying groups: “Fuel poverty
and climate change were both issues that
had by then become topical and excited
the politicians and the press, and after the
first hike in gas prices since privatisation
I found myself dealing with yet another
crisis.”
Again, however, this period of change
and uncertainty was balanced with more
positive initiatives, not least the planned
introduction of Smart Metering by 2020,
an issue that Russell felt passionate about.
As Director of Corporate Affairs he played
a key part in lobbying government for
a mandate for a nationwide roll out of
smart meters, as well as campaigning to
raise awareness of the dangers of carbon
monoxide with the transition from Corgi
to Gas Safe.
With the departure of Duncan Sedgwick
in 2008 and the arrival of a new CEO, he
sought to widen his skill sets: “Although
I had experience in media relations as
well as public affairs, I wanted something
more specifically comms related on my
CV,” he explains.
MEDIA RELATIONS
As Head of Communications for the
Finance & Leasing Association, Russell
found the perfect role: “I positioned
communications as a core function of
the Association and doubled our media
exposure in the first 12 months. Working
with the FLA gave me real coalface
experience and understanding of how
to work with journalists and the media
covering Financial Services.”
After three and a half years at the FLA
he was approached to take on an even
more challenging role as CEO of the
Consumer Finance Association – home of
the payday lender.
“Payday lenders were disruptive, techbased
start-ups, usually with US backing,
who took a very different approach to
Financial Services,” he explains. “I quickly
found that it was a vibrant, energetic,
ambitious industry where there was a
clear demand for its product, but where
they hadn’t quite worked out how to work
with the UK Government and so there was
a culture clash.
“Their advertising style was brash and
typically American, and they began by
trying to force-fit their US model into the
establishment of UK finance and there
was understandable resistance from the
big players. The emergence of payday
was a response to the credit crunch,
which was set in the context of a creditdriven
society that was struggling to offer
lending options to all but the most creditworthy
consumers.”
Russell’s brief was open; he was
tasked with creating a fully-fledged trade
association and immediately set about
finding an office and building a top team
to help his members navigate through the
political and media storm that followed.
He likens the reaction to the launch of the
first mobile phones:
MOBILE MASTS
“When mobiles were first introduced,
there were scare stories that a mobile
would fry your brain, or that mobile masts
would send damaging electro-magnetic
fields into your living rooms. Then
consumer power turned the tide, and
people started asking for more masts to be
built so they could get a better reception.
“The problem is that all of the time the
regulators are playing catch up, especially
with new and emerging markets and this
is precisely what happened to pay day
lending. The regulators squeezed the
fledgling industry so hard that they almost
squeezed the life out of the sector. But we
had to go through the storm to come out
the other side in better shape and with a
smarter product.”
Russell’s role was the public face of the
industry and he defended lenders against
a range of detractors. It was challenging
to say the least. He identifies the current
concern as the aggressive approach of
Claims Companies who see the alleged
‘mis-selling’ of payday loans as a cash cow
for their own industry.
“What we forget,” Russell says, “is
the creative thinking and innovative
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 22

INTERVIEW
AUTHOR – Sean Feast FCICM
“There was a trout
farm on one of the
farms that we lived,
and for a time I
thought of becoming
a Fishery Manager,
but not getting high
enough grades at
Chemistry and Maths
it was not to be.”
technology that many of these high-cost
credit providers brought to the Financial
Services community, especially when it
comes to assessing affordability. There
are many unicorn start-ups that have also
done well out of the payday firms that
were early adopters of new technology.”
After almost five years at the CFA,
Russell accepted his current job as CEO
of CIVEA. Many of the issues he managed
at the CFA apply in the world of civil
enforcement, not least the emerging
popularity of affordability assessment:
“It is interesting that few if any Local
Authorities carry out affordability checks
on their customers before enforcing a
debt,” he says.
“When a Local Authority instructs an
agent, it is at the end of the collection
process. The council has been unable to
engage with the debtor and has gone to
court. That is the social justice system in
action. The enforcement rules are there,
and they are prescriptive, which involve
seizing someone’s belongings for sale
at auction. The rules do not say that the
enforcement agent must agree a payment
arrangement. It is not in the regulations,
and sometimes it is not even at an agent’s
discretion.
“The agent acts on behalf of the Local
Authority and it is not always up to him or
her how to respond to vulnerable debtors.
Different councils have different policies
on this matter, though it is interesting how
Local Authorities are often conspicuous
by their silence on the subject. It is much
easier simply to blame the agent for not
being more lenient.”
COUNCIL TAX
Vulnerability, Russell knows, is a big issue.
“Today, the word ‘vulnerable’ has become
desensitised; it is used liberally by people
to exempt themselves from paying tax.
Local Authorities demand evidence that a
debtor is vulnerable; they will not take it
on the say-so of the agent.”
But, he says, that again is both a
challenge and a contradiction: “Our
members want to support the genuinely
vulnerable but are not always able to do
so without the requisite evidence.”
He says his members recognise that
the majority of debtors are not wilfully
avoiding paying their Council Tax, for
example, but that the issue is being looked
at from the wrong end: “Some 97 percent
of Council Tax is collected, and that is the
envy of the world,” he explains. “But it is
far too simple to say that the remaining
three percent are all vulnerable. It can
be much more complicated. The more
pertinent debate is whether the Council
Tax model is still fit for purpose but it
would not be politically expedient for any
government to raise this issue.
Russell is wary of complaints raised by
the debt advice sector and other pressure
groups, but is not afraid to confront their
accusations robustly: “I am not afraid of
going head-to-head but will always do so
with mutual professional respect and an
absolute conviction that I believe what I
am saying. The enforcement process is
fundamentally sound. In my experience
when certain parties complain, they are
actually usually expressing a dislike of the
rules, and not whether or not they have
been correctly applied.
“To bring about change you have
to bring all parties with you. I would
rather work with the industry than be a
campaigner in the wings. My expertise
complements that of my members’ and
we can learn from each other.”
NEW CODE
Russell insists he is not ‘the guy always
representing the bad guys’ but enjoys
the opportunities and challenges that
the ‘issues-rich’ roles have given him. At
the time of our conversation, CIVEA is
about to launch details of its new Code, a
Compliance Board (he is actively recruiting
independent parties to join), and a new
complaints procedure. He engages
closely with other Trade Associations and
membership organisations, including the
CICM: “Sharing knowledge is important
and we work with the broad church of
CICM members,” he adds.
Despite a very busy schedule, Russell
still finds time to relax, if that is the right
word, watching his beloved Southampton
FC: “We stayed up this year, but every
season is a cliff-hanger,” he laughs. “It’s far
more exciting than being a Manchester
City fan anyway.”
As a country man at heart he is a keen
angler: “My record catch was a 22-pound
Pike when I was 14, and I had to wait
almost 40-years before I caught another
one of 20-pound plus. But that’s why they
call it fishing and not catching!”
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 23

FRAUD SPECIAL
Strong-arm tactics
More than £4 billion was stolen as a result of online
card fraud last year, but help is at hand.
AUTHOR – Adam Bernstein
EUROPE has, for some
time, been worried about
online card fraud. As part
of the fight back, from
14 September 2019 a new
process known as Strong
Customer Authentication (SCA) made
under the Revised Directive on Payment
Services (PSD2) will be in place which
itself came into force in January 2018.
SCA is effectively an extra layer of
security designed to prevent payment
fraud. It ensures that online card
transactions become more secure through
‘multi-factor authentication’ – a second
check to demonstrate that both the
transaction and card holder are genuine.
The aim of SCA is to be the ‘chip and pin’
of the online world; and be applied to
transactions over a certain value – €30.
But while SCA targets the online
transaction, Mark Nelsen, Senior Vice
President, Risk and Authentication
Products at card processor Visa, says that
banks and merchants may also need to
regularly check that contactless payments
are made by the correct cardholder too
– by asking for a PIN. “This,” he says,
“might occur after a contactless card has
been tapped five times in succession,
or when €150 has been spent using only
contactless taps.”
SCA could mean any one of numerous
authentication methods such as an online
PIN or password, a device that only the
cardholder can authenticate – say a
smartphone, or a biometric trait such as
a fingerprint or facial recognition that is
clearly very personal.
For some retailers, there are worries
that this extra layer of protection will
add unnecessary complexity which will
irritate customers who subsequently
abandon their ‘shopping carts’ part way
through the buying process – leading to
lost sales.
Just as the GDPR revolutionised
how data protection is managed and
individuals access their information, so
SCA is going to change how retail works.
WHAT IS PSD2?
As the name suggests, PSD2 is an update
on the original Payment Services Directive
(PSD) that was brought into force in 2007.
Its stated goal was for a single market for
payments with easier and more efficient
cross border payments, so that it mattered
not if a payment was made to another
within the same member state or to a
party in a different member state.
PSD2 expands on PSD by permitting
third-parties to access an individual’s
account information via the ‘Open
Banking’ protocol; enhancing consumer
rights, especially in relation to currency
charges; and enhancing card holder
security via SCA.
Change was clearly needed as both
credit and debit card usage is dramatically
on the increase, and with a rising level
of card use comes increasing risks of
fraud. The European Central Bank, in
its Fifth report on card fraud, published
September 2018, found that that cards
issued within Europe saw fraudulent
transactions to the tune of €1.8bn in 2016
and that 73 percent of that sum related to
card not present transactions.
Not everyone is in favour of SCA. In
2016, card processor Visa argued that the
new process would risk disrupting online
shopping while not necessarily increasing
security. The point is well made from
its perspective as its fortune naturally
depends on transaction volume.
MANDATORY COMPLIANCE
Compliance with the new regime is
mandatory. If the online trader doesn’t
comply then all transactions will be
automatically declined by the cardholderʼs
bank when they attempt to make a
purchase. Further, by not planning ahead
and developing authentication processes
that offer the least friction to consumers
traders could see huge falls in sales as
consumers switch off and march with
their feet.
Considering that, according to
Ecommerce Europe in its European
Ecommerce Report 2018 Edition, the
European business-to-consumer online
economy is worth around €602bn in
2018 (up from €307bn in 2013), if only
ten percent of consumers – let alone
a potential 25 percent that could walk
– abandon a transaction because of
complexity or irritation then firms stand
to lose huge sums.
But with new rules comes opportunity
– a chance to market themselves to
customers as both being secure and
trustworthy, as well as having the simplest
way possible of complying with the
new rules. Of course, consumers want
protection, but in today’s modern world,
they also want simplicity and they want it
now.
The rollout won’t be easy. While EU
demands compliance, every member
state will see different interpretations
of PSD2. Whether that’s from the banks,
card issuers or central bank, there will be
differences. On top of this there is the €30
exemption to take into account.
FORWARD PLANNING
The first step for any online trader is
to set their systems to recognise when
transactions need to abide by SCA (i.e.
above the €30 threshold) or when they
don’t. Further, recurring payments will
also be exempt so that needs noting by
the system. Allied to this is the option
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 24

Fraud on Tap
Fraudsters are targeting new areas
but the net is closing in.
AUTHOR – Nick Mothershaw
for a customer to ‘whitelist’ a business
with their card issuer so that future
purchases made from that business fall
outside of the multi-step authentication
regime. That said, some banks won’t
permit this and with the sheer number
of banks in Europe this may not even
be an option for all but the largest of
traders.
The second step is for a business
to consider how SCA is to be operated
within its trading platform. Is it to be by
text, smartphone, email, biometric trait
or other option? Given the size of some
firms such as Amazon the options are
many. But for the smaller independent
a text- or email-based process is
likely to be more appropriate. Visa
suggests that for transactions that
require SCA, a business should have
what is known as 3-D Secure 2.0 (3DS) in
place to enable them to apply exemptions
such as low-risk transaction analysis or
perform two-factor authentication when
needed. The benefit to traders of 3DS
is that it allows issuing banks to verify
credit card owners during the transaction
process – this means that those firms
using this protocol can transfer
liability for fraud disputes away from
themselves.
Lastly, firms need to think about
whether they want to implement SCA
internally – and so become ‘expert’ – or
hire in third-party help to undertake
the task. A conversation with a firm’s
merchant acquirer would be time
well spent.
Just as the GDPR
revolutionised how
data protection
is managed and
individuals access
their information,
so SCA is going to
change how retail
works.
IT’S long been the case that if
you carried out a straw poll in a
busy café in a city or town asking
if anyone had been a victim of
fraud in the last year, a few hands
would go up.
The UK’s main conurbations have
served as a lucrative hunting ground for
fraudsters. The rising popularity of city
living means more blocks of apartments
where mail is often left in communal mail
areas, or simply left lying around. It makes
it easy for fraudsters to drop in unnoticed
and pick up the letter which contains the
credit or debit card they have applied for
in a victim’s name.
Yet the latest Hunter fraud statistics
from Experian show fraudsters are looking
beyond those who frequent trendy high
street cafes, and turning more attention to
those enjoying a drink in the countryside
pub.
There was a 29.5 percent rise in fraud
against well-off homeowners living in the
countryside, who either make lengthy
commutes to work or have retired.
Fraudsters have taken advantage of
mailboxes which sit at the end of long
driveways, where criminals can operate
out of view from the residents.
Suburbanites also experienced a rise in
fraud, with 7.5 percent more cases against
people living in family homes whose
children are either older or have flown
the nest. Fraudsters have also got older
people in their crosshairs – the over 60s
saw an 11.5 percent increase in fraud last
year, more than any other age group, while
people in their 50s were the only other age
group to experience a rise in third party
fraud.
Part of the fraudsters’ logic for targeting
out-of-town locations is that the residents
of the properties are often wealthier
and eligible for higher credit limits, so
make for a more profitable mark. Areas
commutable to London are being hit –
such as Cheshunt in Hertfordshire, Grays
in Essex, and Sevenoaks and Gravesend in
Kent.
FIGHTING BACK
At Experian, we uncover a new fraud
every 15 seconds. While we’re proud of
this number, there’s much more that both
individuals and organisations can do to
frustrate fraudsters.
As a consumer, it’s important to deny
fraudsters the physical documents they
need to make an application in your name.
For people living in blocks with communal
mail facilities, that means keeping a keen
eye on your post and ensuring it’s not left
somewhere where it can easily be picked
up. Think carefully if you’re expecting a
letter and it doesn’t turn up.
It’s also worth considering if your
mailbox is accessible from outside.
A locked mailbox might block an
opportunist, but professional fraudsters
will know which type of keys open the
locks to the mailboxes you can buy on the
high street. If it’s at all possible to have
your post drop through the door, or at least
somewhere it can be seen from your home,
then that’s preferable.
Checking your credit report on a regular
basis can act as an early warning sign to
stop fraudsters from making a string of
applications in your name. Take action at
the first sign of an account opening you
don’t recognise.
For people who have been affected,
Experian operates a free victims of fraud
service which helps people repair the
damage done to their credit history by
criminals.
INVESTING IN TECHNOLOGY
Organisations are always on the lookout for
innovative new ways to identify fraudulent
applications and machine learning is the
latest tool at their disposal. It learns from
previous incidents, whether an application
was found to be fraudulent or not, and
adjusts which cases it flags accordingly.
As a result, lenders’ fraud teams have
a more concentrated set of applications
flagged to them for further review, so they
can work more efficiently. It also means
that applicants are more likely to have a
smooth and complete online customer
journey, rather than needing to wait for
a decision or to ring a lender to provide
more information.
Trends in fraud change over time, as
criminals look to exploit vulnerabilities
in the system, or in human behaviour. A
combination of consumer vigilance and
innovative approaches from lenders is the
key to stopping fraudsters in their tracks.
Nick Mothershaw is UK&I Director of
Identity and Fraud Solutions at Experian.
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 25

TRADE TALK
The more things change…
UK exporters that embrace the changes forced by
Brexit will find opportunities beyond the EU.
AUTHOR – Lesley Batchelor OBE FCICM
Lesley Batchelor
THERE is a great deal being said at
the moment about how the way
we trade with the rest of the world
is due to change significantly
in the years to come. Brexit
will no doubt change several
aspects of trade for UK exporters – including
the introduction of a lot of paperwork for
companies to complete to continue to sell into
Europe, as well as potential new tariffs should
a ‘no deal’ occur. Yet, for those of us who have
been exporting beyond the EU for decades,
customs checks and piles of documentation
will already be familiar. We already know
about customs declarations, rules of origin and
looking through tariff schedules and we should
be assuring businesses who are new to all this
that it’s all perfectly doable, you just need to
apply yourself to it.
Exporting to the EU is about to change for
many businesses, but the processes of global
trade will remain the same. At the Institute of
Export & International Trade, we have a saying
that ‘exporting is easy when you know how’.
Never has such a phrase had more importance.
For those 150,000 companies selling only
into Europe presently, Brexit could of course
have a significant impact on their costs and
administrative processes. Indeed, with global
tariff rates likely to become more mutable due
to rising protectionism and the increase of
trade disputes between major nations, the costs
of international trade could be in for a period of
disruption.
PROCESS IS EVERYTHING
The processes of international trade – or at least
the mindset required to get to grips with them
– will remain the same. You will always need
to ensure you’re on top of the documentation
required to move goods over borders and you
will need to know the tariff code for your
product and the duty and taxes tracked by
that code in the market you’re selling to. When
looking to use a preferential trade agreement
to pay lower duty, you will need to understand
rules of origin in order to prove that the reduced
tariff rate applies to the goods you are moving.
Whatever the changes ahead, these sorts
of processes will remain the same. As with
anything, you will need to approach trade
with a mindset of wanting to do it properly. If
you don’t look into the legal and fiscal
requirements for your goods to be moved into a
new country, then you risk delays at the border,
potential fines and reputational damage.
International trade should be viewed as an
investment. Whatever the climate, you will
always need to understand the market you’re
selling to, do due diligence on the people you
partner with, and have a plan for how you
can grow and sustain your business in that
market. If you’re not sure how to do all this, or
if you are daunted by documentary and legal
requirements which you know little about at
this stage, ask for help and take the time to
learn. There is so much support out there – from
Government to the Chambers of Commerce, to
the training, qualifications and technical help
that we provide at the Institute.
Exporting is an investment and there
is plenty of uncertainty about some of the
specifics in the trading landscape in the coming
years. Yet, it remains a worthwhile investment,
as international trade allows you to spread risk,
reach new customers and increase your profits.
GREATER STABILITY
Brexit does create uncertainty, but it creates
uncertainty in the UK market as much as it
does in Europe or elsewhere. One of the best
ways of mitigating this risk is therefore to look
to markets around the world where there is
growth and relative stability.
Research from HSBC estimated that 70
percent of future world growth will come
from emerging economies while a report from
the ONS showed that most of the UK’s fastest
growing exporter partners for 2018 were also
from emerging markets. The way in which we
trade with several of these markets will remain
the same, whatever happens with Brexit, and
the costs involved will probably be easier
to predict than for the EU in the immediate
future. The duty payable for importation to
several emerging markets will remain at the
‘Most Favoured Nation’ rate lodged by the UK in
that market under WTO rules.
If uncertainty and unpredictability are
stopping you from expanding overseas, we’d
suggest looking at markets where the trading
conditions are likely to remain more stable. As
long as you get to grips with how international
trade operates and do the work and research
required for each market, global trade will
remain a source of opportunity rather than a
threat.
Lesley Batchelor OBE FCICM is Director
General of the Institute of Export and
International Trade.
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 26

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The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 27

INTERNATIONAL
TRADE
Monthly round-up of the latest stories
in global trade by Andrea Kirkby.
HUAWEI AND THE SUPPLY CHAIN
ACTION against Chinese telecoms
manufacturer Huawei has shown that
the trade war can have very specific
impacts on the supply chain, too.
The US has put Huawei on an export
blacklist and that’s led to action from
a number of tech companies. For
instance, Google has said it won’t
supply Huawei with Android updates,
leaving the company high and dry
when pushing updates out to its
user base. The German economics
ministry has taken the situation
JUST when we thought it was maybe the end
of the skirmishes, a whole new chapter of the
US-China trade war has started.
Talks following an end-2018 truce appear
to have fallen apart, and the US has raised
tariffs from ten percent to 25 percent. China
is expected to retaliate – and that could lead
to a sharp deterioration in global trade. One
big problem now is that, like Brexit, the tradewar-or-not-trade-war
has been rumbling on
for far too long, creating uncertainty. Tariffs
have already led to a fall in Chinese trade –
both imports and exports – and US exports
of raw materials and food to China have more
than halved. But these are small hits in terms
of global GDP.
seriously enough to investigate the
impact on German tech companies.
Semiconductor firms and software
firms could easily get caught out. If
you're supplying tech firms, it’s worth
checking whether they’re vulnerable.
More generally? A lesson that
just examining customers’ financial
statements isn't enough. You need to
have a good idea of just where they’re
selling – and you might need to look
several steps up the supply chain, not
just at their direct customers.
TRADE WAR: IT’S ON AGAIN
What’s more serious is that firms are
rerouting their trade flows. For instance, the
US is now importing more electrical goods
from South Korea and Mexico to replace
Chinese supply – but other countries will
lose out on supplying components to Chinese
manufacturers. That will lead to market
turbulence, and as an exporter you’re going
to need to be at the top of your game to track
who's winning and who’s losing.
The new tariff rise could also have a much
more severe impact than last year's action.
One bank believes US earnings could fall by
five percent – that’s a pretty serious decline.
And if that touches off a stock market crash,
life could get very sticky, very quickly.
ATAM GROUP
GREAT Yarmouth based ATAM Group is
another business that finds export markets
rather different from its home base. Its oil and
gas tooling and software are very specialised,
so it has diversified across a number of
geographical markets to try to spread its
risks. Its sales are over 60 percent export.
But it has actually found that the Middle East
offers significantly bigger contracts than
the UK, because there are major new piping
construction projects out there.
You might say ATAM exports because
it has to. But many companies restrict
themselves to a small UK market when
there’s a much bigger export market out
there. Where ATAM has excelled is in getting
to grips with the technicalities of exporting
– whether that's getting the right distributors
in place or managing export paperwork
and regulations – and pushing on into new
markets. That’s meant plenty of travelling, a
lot of missions, a lot of exhibitions – and a lot
of new business.
EN-GIN OF GROWTH
THE UK continues to do well at exporting
alcohol. We exported £8.3 billion of beverages
in the year to February 2019, up seven
percent, creating a trade surplus of £1.6
billion in the sector. India and Japan, in
particular, are showing strong demand, with
both gin and whisky doing well.
Spirit of Harrogate is one exporter that’s
doing well. The company was only founded
in 2014 but it’s already exporting around
the world, and recently signed a deal with a
Chinese distributor. New Zealand, Germany,
Malta, Denmark, Finland and Croatia have
also fallen for its Slingsby gin, including an
unusual rhubarb version.
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 28

Ramadan Mubarak
Algeria’s not a ‘failed state’
THE ‘Algerian Spring’ continues. Former
president Bouteflika has now stepped
down, but the situation remains fluid.
Protestors are currently resisting the
army's call for early elections; they want a
transitional authority to be set up to review
the constitution and create a new elections
overseer first.
While political risk is high, the economy
represents another significant risk. The
economy has been too reliant on oil,
which represents around 80 percent
of total current account receipts; the
collapse in the oil price since 2014 has hurt
government finances, and there has been
no reform to restructure the economy or
kickstart other sectors. This leaves the
country with a budget deficit and a current
account deficit.
What's the good news? Algeria's foreign
exchange reserves, still at over a year
despite recent falls. The economy is still
functioning – Algeria’s not a ‘failed state’ –
and if oil prices do go up, there could be a
boost to the country's finances.
The UK has typically exported heavy
machinery – transport equipment, power
machinery, vehicles – as well as chemicals
and iron and steel. But there are increasing
opportunities in education and training
– despite having been a French colony,
Algeria places high importance on English
language training – and in agriculture.
(The consumer market is not very highly
developed; price rather than branding has
usually been the main selling proposition.)
However, you'll want very tight control of
credit if you're selling into the country.
US-Iran – another worry
THE Middle East has also seen further
destabilisation recently with increasing
tensions between the US and Iran.
There’s no political will to engage in
conflict, but the risk of such conflicts
arising accidentally is what worries the
credit insurer Credendo.
The reimplementation of sanctions
is ratcheting up pressure on the Iranian
economy, which shrank by four percent
last year and will probably shrink a
further six percent this year. That’s
actually helping the hardliners in the
country, who can point to the economic
damage as a reason for escalation.
But it’s not just Iran that’s affected.
Both the US and Iran have a military and
political presence in Iraq. Iran may also
increase support for the Houthi rebels in
Yemen and is involved in Syria and to a
lesser extent in Lebanon. So that’s a large
part of the Middle East that could be put
off its balance.
But the more worrying impact for
most exporters is the potential impact
on the oil price. Out of a list of major
oil producers, there’s a huge slug of
countries with high political risk.
Venezuela – currently out for the count.
Algeria – going through its own delayed
Arab spring. Nigeria – dealing with both
terrorism and a highly disputed election.
And don’t forget Iran could blockade
the Strait of Hormuz. That could easily
send oil all the way up from today’s $60
up to $100 a barrel or more. That would
wipe 0.6 percent off global growth, and
lead to inflationary pressure in major oil
importing economies.
If you add that to the China trade war
escalation, it could create an economic
perfect storm. Or it might just give other
oil producing countries like Colombia a
shot in the arm, while damaging the big
importers, like India.
VIMTO has been exporting for rather longer
than Spirit of Harrogate – it’s been selling in
the Middle East for nearly a hundred years.
Its sales charts are fascinating – low, steady
sales all year, and then a sudden spike as
Ramadan approaches. It sells 25 million
bottles for iftar (fast-breaking) meals during
Ramadan – pretty much as synonymous
with Ramadan as turkey is with Christmas.
It even has its own memes on Twitter.
That's a reminder that your export
markets could be very different from your
market in the UK! Seasonality may well be
different, so applying the same DSOs you
do in the UK might not always work well;
and if you find export markets are using
your product in a completely different way
from what you’d expected, it's probably best
to follow Vimto’s lead and embrace that
difference.
The Philippines
S&P recently raised The Philippines credit
rating to BBB+ – the highest it’s ever been.
It's now investment grade with all three
major credit rating agencies, the result
of fiscal stability under the last three
administrations.
GDP is expected to grow at an average
4.9 percent a year till 2020, and 6.3 percent
this year – it’s one of the fastest growing
economies in the region. It’s slowed
recently, mainly due to budget delays and
lacklustre exports, but that's expected to
be a temporary blip. It also has a growing
consumer base which should attract
consumer goods exporters – some British
retailers have already made it out there.
Another area in which British exporters
are doing well is in infrastructure
investment. There’s much going on – the
‘Build Build Build’ initiative does what it says
on the tin! – and green energy is a particular
focus. But keep an eye on the peso; it hasn’t
always been the most stable of currencies,
though it's behaving itself at the moment.
EXCHANGE RATES VISIT
CURRENCYUK.CO.UK OR
CALL 020 7738 0777
Currency UK is authorised and regulated
by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
HIGH LOW TREND
GBP/EUR 1.1534 1.1196 Up
GBP/USD 1.2953 1.2563 Down
GBP/CHF 1.3057 1.2543 Up
GBP/AUD 1.8659 1.8130 Up
GBP/CAD 1.7445 1.6799 Down
GBP/JPY
CURRENCY UK
142.049 136.533 Up
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 29

OPINION
REMOVING THE
SUBCONSCIOUS
Can we rely on Artificial Intelligence
for credit analysis, especially when no
financial data is available?
AUTHOR – Angelique Assaf
TRANSFORMATIONS in
the workplace, derived
from this technological
epoch that we are all living
through, have provided a
heavy reliance on Artificial
Intelligence (AI) for many tasks. From
menial day-to-day activities such as
sorting emails into spam to more complex
projects such as reading and analysing
medical scans in hospitals.
AI is both complex and simple; it can
provide the perfect platform for businesses
to increase efficiency and productivity, if
managed correctly. Our tech-driven world
begs the question of how is your company
using AI? Rather than is your company
using AI? Credit analysis is one aspect
that AI has shown huge advancements in,
through managing data, assessing credit
risk and providing a scoring system.
Artificial Intelligence can mitigate human
errors in highly data-driven tasks, such as
credit analysis. However, it is important
to understand the limitation of AI, which
further begs the question, how reliable is
the credit analysis?
AI IN THE WORKPLACE
In reaction to the rise in technological
advancements, algorithms have been
created to replace human intervention
for traditionally time-consuming tasks.
Some of these tasks include, but are by
no means limited to, data entry, research
and even analysis and decision-making.
The credit industry is a great example
of AI in the workplace. The value of
creditworthiness is calculated in parallel
with the likelihood that a business
will or can pay back credit. However,
the normative means of assessing this
requires a multitude of factors, each with
a different weight of effect on the final
assessment. Artificial Intelligence used
to accomplish these assessments requires
an automation of calculus and being able
to utilise the quantitative and qualitative
factors, including specifically allocated
weights and scores per assessment.
‘Work smarter, not harder’ is an ethos that
has been widely adopted by companies,
proving to increase efficiency, success
and profitability. Thereby combining past
experiences, statistics and analysis in
order to generate an automated system,
companies can formulate the necessary
algorithms to perform automatically.
Automated algorithms are formulas
that have been created, tested and
applied by researchers, analysts and
strategists in order to develop a functional
process of calculation to form a specific
score or value using the same data
factors. Scorecards act as a template in
which consistent and more reliable
results can be generated, relieving any
guesswork that may have previously
been involved within the process. With
automated AI technology, results only
differ depending on changes to input or
value weight.
Reliability of human intervention
in processes such as scoring has often
been questioned for a variety of reasons.
For example, humans tend to finalise on
numbers that are rounded figures when
producing a score or value after a study
of a variety of elements. Alternatively, and
accurately, AI through the use of formulae
could derive a three digit decimal value
after running the algorithms on the input
data. Therefore, AI also takes out any
subconscious human intervention that
may be inconsistent and lead to biased
results. AI output is purely mathematical
and reliant on data given and the weight
each data carries. Conclusively, reliability
is maintained by sourcing data from
reliable sources and when algorithms are
created on the basis of statistical modules
from experienced analysts.
ADDITIONAL BENEFITS OF AI
The use of technology for credit analysis
has a wide array of benefits; one of
the principle benefits is the ability for AI
to comprehensively provide automated
scorecards for credit ratings. By using
algorithmic methods via formulas applied
on the data, the scoring system becomes
instant, highlighting the efficiency of AI.
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 30

OPINION
AUTHOR – Angelique Assaf
Furthermore, there are a range of other
benefits that we can distinguish:
• Improvements in operational efficiency:
The process of evaluating credit
risk when applying credit scoring is
automated, thereby, eliminating human
intervention that may lead to errors.
• Time and cost efficiency: removing
human invention reduces the
operational costs of credit analysts and
also saves time for the clients.
• Accuracy: AI has a standard, accurate
and consistent means of analysis using
computed rules and calculations.
• Flexibility: It provides a flexible
algorithm that can be challenged and,
therefore, constructively improved by
Data Scientists.
• Consistency: It provides broadly
consistent results which represent a
reliable and optimal estimation.
• Directness: AI reduces guesswork
that may be involved in the process of
making everyday decisions.
• Instant availability: It provides an
automatic determination of the level of
risk that a business has.
• Intuitiveness: AI can assist the client in
what their next steps will be, within a
process. For example, a recommended
level of due diligence.
• Reliability: The process is designed to
be objective, with no human standards
that can create bias.
• Simplicity: AI technology is relatively
simple to follow and easily interpreted.
THE NITTY GRITTY
It is important to understand and assess
what data AI analyses to output the
results. A credit analysis of company data
is a combination of both financial data
and non-financial data. The latter relies
on an input of quantitative and qualitative
data.
Some determinants that effect
creditworthiness could be:
• Country of incorporation – country risk
• Date of the business
• Legal form – type of a business
• Shareholders – owners of a business
• Number of employees
• Premises
• Payment behaviour
• Operations and activities
• Management
• Capital
• Turnover and net profit
• Ratio analysis
RELIABILITY WITHOUT
FINANCIAL DATA
Although many countries, in this day and
age, have complete data transparency
in regards to company data, especially
throughout Europe and the USA, there is
still a major challenge in other areas of
the world. For example, the Middle East
and Africa, where companies have no
obligation to file financial statements,
this could weaken the reliability of AI
credit analysis. Financial data is one of
the main factors of credit scoring and
generating a reliable scorecard. The
Middle East in many jurisdictions still has
a culture of privacy in terms of company
financial data, which puts great strain on
AI algorithmic calculations. So how can
you overcome this barrier?
Some companies have, through several
years of human analysis and research
found a way to assess creditworthiness via
alternative factors. By creating a flexible
scorecard that can consider a range
of other factors, AI technology is still
deemed reliable, if not more reliable, due
to its flexible capacity. When financial
data is absent, alternative factors prove to
be pivotal to create a final scorecard.
WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVE
FACTORS?
A common misconception for data
analysis when assessing creditworthiness
is that financial data is the most important
contributor and that the assessment
cannot be reliably carried out without it.
However, if you have experience within
the Middle East or North Africa (MENA)
region, you would know that successful
AI assessments on creditworthiness can
be performed without relying on financial
data. For example, some companies may
have enough turnover and net profit to be
considered large companies, but, carry
a bad payment behaviour trend. This
has been evident in several countries
including some very high profile recent
cases in the UK recently.
Collecting payment behaviour and
reviews on businesses with their own
suppliers can provide a robust and
concrete basis on which to partially build
your assessment but companies need to
have a multitude of factors in place in
order to be deemed creditworthy. AI is
at its most useful when all of these risk
factors are taken into account.
CONCLUSION
AI transforms the process of analysing
the value of creditworthiness, providing a
more reliable and concrete assessment of
weighted factors. The operational benefits
that come with credit analysis have
proven to be a success on a global scale.
The pinpoint accuracy and objectivity of
AI will always prove to be more reliable
than human intervention for credit
analysis. However, what is vital is that,
where human intervention is necessary,
collecting data from reliable and official
sources has to be relevant. The data
sources you use cannot be outdated or
incoherent; otherwise, no matter the AI or
human intervention, your credit analysis
will be unreliable and inconsistent. AI is
most reliable when human intervention
works alongside, and using the best
features of both models will deliver the
most optimal outcome.
Angelique Assaf is a Data Strategist
for Cedar Rose.
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 31

EDUCATION
L3 Advanced Enforcement
Build expertise in advanced enforcement
by studying for Advanced CICM Award.
THE CICM has partnered with
The High Court Enforcement
Officers Association (HCEOA) to
create a new CICM Level 3 Award
in Advanced Enforcement, with
a new online course on the
CICM Knowledge Hub which helps candidates
prepare for the Award.
The Award has partly been launched
in response to calls from the Debt Advice
charities for better qualified enforcement
agents, and is one of many steps being taken
by the industry to improve standards. The
course is designed to bring about more
sensitive enforcement and better results
without undue imposition on the customer.
The course is aimed at team leaders
and senior enforcement agents who have
experience of collecting the more complicated
debts from accountants or financial directors
of a business that are required to have a
better knowledge of Taking Control of Goods
legislation, rather than more simple council
tax or parking fine arrears from individuals.
“This course demonstrates our commitment
as an industry to try and raise the standards
of enforcement across the board,” says
Andrew Wilson, Chairman of the High Court
Enforcement Officers Association. “Having
Level 3 will make Agents more employable
as a sub-contractor and also in their future
careers.”
Enforcement Agents who would like to
become authorised High Court Enforcement
Officers can use the Level 3 Award as the
starting point for the Level 4 High Court
Enforcement Diploma, which is part of the
requirement for authorisation.
The Level 3 Course builds on the Level 2
Award in Taking Control of Goods, which
is the basic regulatory requirement for
Enforcement Agents and includes pre-course
activities, ten modules covering all syllabus
areas, assignment writing advice, a resources
section and course completion certificate
for learners who complete key activities
and course evaluation. Learners looking to
gain the regulated award can submit their
assignment to the CICM Awarding Body in
January, June or October for independent
marking.
The new Award has also been endorsed by
the Local Authority Civil Enforcement Forum
(LACEF) and the Certified Enforcement
Agents Association (CEAA).
The valuable, high quality award is
regulated by the qualification regulators
for England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Progression routes include the CICM Level 3
Diploma in Credit and Collections, Advanced
Credit Controller/Debt Collection Specialist
Apprenticeship and CICM Level 4 Diploma in
High Court Enforcement.
“This course demonstrates our
commitment as an industry to try and
raise the standards of enforcement
across the board”
Andrew Wilson, Chairman of the High Court Enforcement Officers Association.
Course modules
• Taking Control of Goods
• Powers and obligations of enforcement agents
• Risk management
• Legal, regulatory, and industry frameworks
• Prescribed form completion
• Customer care
• Vulnerable customers
• Conflict management
• Personal effectiveness
• Reflective practice
The course takes approximately 100 hours to complete and
could form part of a face-to-face training programme
Fees apply: £325 for a 12-month licence for elearning course
(£200 for HCEOA members)
£350 for a 12-month licence for elearning and support coach
(£250 for HCEOA members)
The standard CICM registration and assignment
assessment fees for the regulated award apply.
Email: learningsupport@cicm.com
or call 01780 722909 for further details
or to purchase the course.

www.cicm.com
‘‘
If you are serious
in furthering your
career in credit
management,
being a member
is essential
Andrew Barbaro
FCICM
The value
of CICM
membership
Andrew Barbaro FCICM
Director of Customer Financial Services MEA
Emerson Automation Solutions is a Fellow of
the CICM.
Read more about his story and join your
credit community by visiting:
www.cicm.com/value-of-cicm-membership/
info@cicm.com
www.cicm.com
01780 722900

COUNTRY FOCUS
Ethiopia is
challenged by State
interference
OUT OF AFRICA
Ethiopia: Part two
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 34

COUNTRY FOCUS
AUTHOR – Adam Bernstein
The state is heavily engaged in
the economy with infrastructure
projects involving power
production and distribution,
roads, rail, dams, airports and
industrial parks.
ETHIOPIA faces a number of challenges
not least of which is sustaining positive
economic growth and accelerating poverty
reduction. Both require investment in job
creation as well as improved governance.
But challenges exist in terms of
limited competition which isn’t helping manufacturing;
the creation of jobs and the increase of exports; an
underdeveloped private sector; and political disruption.
The state is heavily engaged in the economy with
infrastructure projects involving power production and
distribution, roads, rail, dams, airports and industrial
parks. There are a number of sectors that involve
state-owned organisations in telecoms, banking and
insurance, and power distribution. But one issue
affecting development is that, according to Forbes and
the CIA’s Factbook, under Ethiopia’s constitution, the
state owns all land and provides long-term leases to
tenants – land cannot be bought or sold. Any title rights
that exist in urban areas, particularly Addis Ababa, are
poorly regulated, and subject to corruption.
The agricultural sector has historically been the
engine of the Ethiopian economy, but it has recently
given way to the service sector. The National Bank of
Ethiopia notes agriculture, industry and services have
contributed 36 percent, 25.6 percent and 39.3 percent to
GDP respectively in 2016/17 as opposed to 36.7 percent,
16.7 percent and 47.3 percent, to GDP in 2015/2016. The
agricultural sector’s share of GDP shrank by more than 25
percent between 2005 and 2016, while the service sector’s
share grew by 27 percent during the same period. The
service sector’s share started falling sharply in 2016/17 as
manufacturing has risen in importance. Service sector
growth is mainly driven by expansion in communication
and transport services, hotel and restaurant businesses,
as well as wholesale and retail trading.
Commodities are important to Ethiopia. Coffee
remains the largest foreign exchange earner, but Ethiopia
is diversifying exports so that commodities such as gold,
sesame, khat, livestock and horticulture products are
becoming increasingly important. While manufacturing
represented less than eight percent of total exports in
2016, this is expected to increase because of a growing
international presence.
Ethiopia attracted $3.7 billion foreign direct
investment in the last financial year according to the
Ethiopian Investment Commission.
To support industrialisation in sectors where Ethiopia
has a comparative advantage, such as textiles and
garments, leather goods, and processed agricultural
products, the country plans to increase installed power
generation capacity by 8320 MW, up from a capacity of
2000 MW, by building three major dams and expanding
use of other sources of renewable energy.
It’s worth noting that Ethiopia has its own calendar
year which features 13 months, 12 months with 30 days
each and one month of five or six days depending on
whether the year is a leap year or not. The Ethiopian
calendar year begins on 11 September, which is the
Ethiopian New Year. The government fiscal year starts
on 8 July. Firms should consider this when organising
visits to Ethiopia and when approaching the government
to finance goods and services to ensure funding and
appropriate approvals.
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 35

PAYMENT TRENDS
Downward spiral
The latest monthly business-to-business
payment performance statistics.
AUTHOR – Jason Braidwood FCICM(Grad)
FOLLOWING the previous month’s
topsy turvy payment performance
statistics that showed a few signs of
improvements, but also a number
of regions and sectors moving
in the wrong direction, payment
performance since builds on that doom and gloom
with a number of concerning performances, and
very little to be positive about. The average Days
Beyond Terms (DBT) figures across regions and
sectors increased by 4.5 and 3.6 days respectively.
SECTOR SPOTLIGHT
On the whole, it has been a dreadful month for
the majority of sectors. But there are a least a few,
four of the 22 sectors to be exact, that have made
positive strides and deserve to be highlighted. The
biggest improvement came from Energy Supply,
reducing DBT by 4.9 days and now the third best
performing sector. Above them in the table in
second is Construction, with a reduction of 3.0
taking its overall DBT to 11.0 days. Transportation
and Storage (-4.6 days) and Water & Waste (-0.8
days) also moved in the right direction.
At the other end of the spectrum, it has
been a woeful month for International Bodies,
increasing its payment terms by a massive 8.2
days. Entertainment (+7.1 days), Financial and
Insurance (+6.8 days), Real Estate, Education and
Health and Social (all +6.3 days) all struggled. A
further increase of 5.5 days means that Business
from Home is now the worst performing sector
with an overall DBT of 24.4 days.
REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT
Similarly, the regional standings do not make
for pleasant reading, with all of the 11 regions
increasing their payment terms. A further increase
of a huge 6.4 days takes Northern Ireland’s overall
DBT to 24.2 days, maintaining its position as the
worst performing region, by a growing distance.
West Midlands time as best performing region
was disappointingly short-lived after an increase
of 6.0 days to its payment terms. South East, East
Anglia and South West also performed poorly with
increases to 5.7 days, 5.5 days and 4.9 days DBT
respectively.
Yorkshire and Humberside achieved the
lowest increase (+2.3 days) making it the new best
performing region, but it is no great cause for
celebration, it has been a disappointing month for
all regions.
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 36

PAYMENT TRENDS
Top Five Prompter Payers
Sector May 19 Change from April 19
Public Administration 10.1 4.7
Construction 11.0 -3.0
Energy Supply 11.2 -4.9
Transportation and Storage 13.8 -4.6
Agriculture Forestry and Fishing 14.1 5.4
Getting Better
-4.9 Energy Supply
-4.6 Transportation and Storage
-3.0 Construction
-0.8 Water and Waste
Bottom Five Poorest Payers
Sector May 19 Change from April 19
Business from Home 24.4 5.5
Mining and Quarrying 22.6 0.0
Business Admin and Support 21.6 3.8
IT and Comms 21.2 6.0
Real Estate 19.8 6.3
Getting Worse
3.6 Wholesale and retail trade
3.8 Business Admin and Support
4.7 Public Administration
5.2 Professional and Scientific
5.3 Hospitality
Top Five Prompter Payers
Region May 19 Change from April 19
Yorkshire and Humberside 14.1 2.3
North West 15.8 2.3
East Midlands 17.1 3.6
Scotland 17.2 4.4
Wales 7.6 4.4
Bottom Five Poorest Payers
Region May 19 Change from April 19
Northern Ireland 24.2 6.4
South East 19.3 5.7
East Anglia 19.3 5.5
London 18.8 3.8
West Midlands 18.5 6.0
Region
Getting Better – Getting Worse
2.3 Yorkshire and Humberside
2.3 North West
3.6 East Midlands
3.8 London
4.4 Wales
4.4 Scotland
4.9 South West
5.5 East Anglia
5.7 South East
6.4 Northern Ireland
NORTHERN
IRELAND
6.4 DBT
WALES
4.4 DBT
SCOTLAND
4.4 DBT
NORTH
WEST
2.3 DBT
YORKSHIRE &
HUMBERSIDE
2.3 DBT
EAST
MIDLANDS
3.6 DBT
EAST
ANGLIA
5.5 DBT
On the whole, it has been a dreadful
month for the majority of sectors. But
there are a least a few, four of the 22
sectors to be exact, that have made
positive strides and deserve to be
highlighted.
SOUTH
WEST
4.9 DBT
LONDON
3.8 DBT
SOUTH
EAST
5.7 DBT
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 37

80 YEARS OF THE CICM
EDUCATION
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Chartered Institute of
Credit Management (CICM). In this issue we look at the development
of the Education department.
First Education Committee 1947
Chairs have included John Patrick, Glen Bullivant,
John Brown and Philip King
Qualifications 1949
The Institute awards the first qualifications in
credit management
First Education Conference 1949
Relaunched in 2019 as – The Learning Conference
Examination Board created 2000
Examination Board created to oversee CICM
qualification awards, chaired by Philip King until
April 2004 when Jane Abramson took over.
Government qualification 2001
The Institute first recognised by government
qualification regulators of England, Wales and
Northern Ireland and CICM qualifications accredited
to the National Qualifications Framework (NQF)
(NOS) 2002
Development of first National Occupational
Standards (NOS) in Credit Management
Sir Roger Cork prize 2003
Sir Roger Cork prize created. An annual award to the
best student to commemorate Sir Roger Cork, former
Chair of Council and President of the Institute
CICM qualifications 2005
Over 900 learners studying for
CICM qualifications in 26 colleges
Support Service 2007
Learning Support Service created to provide email
and telephone support for learners studying
increasingly independently
Credit-based qualification 2008
First assignments delivered for new credit-based
qualification to test credit management practice
Online exams 2009
First online exams introduced for credit
management, business law and business
environment
CHARTERED INSTITUTE OF CREDIT MANAGEMENT ●80
Assessment Board 2010
Examination Board changed to Assessment Board
to reflect the wider range of assessment methods
including assignments
Collaboration 2010
Introduction of qualifications in money and debt
advice and debt collection, working alongside
StepChange Debt Charity
Virtual classes 2011
CICM launches virtual classes delivering three
month qualification classes to more than 66
learners in first year
HCEOA partnership 2012
CICM partners with High Court Enforcement
Officers Association (HCEOA) to launch
qualifications
Taking control 2014
CICM launches Level 2 Award in Taking Control
of Goods partnering with HCEOA
Apprenticeships 2015
First learners achieve apprenticeships and more
than 150 now working through the programme
Specialist Standard 2016
Level 3 Advanced Credit Controller/Debt Collection
Specialist Standard approved with the support of
CICM and the Credit Services Association (CSA)
Accredited 2017
Skills Funding Agency accredit CICM as an End
Point Assessment Organisation for Level 2 and 3
Credit Controller/Collector Apprenticeships
CICM Mentor Hub 2018
CICM Mentor Hub is launched and matches
suitable mentors and mentees bringing personal
and professional benefits
Vulnerability Framework 2018
The launch of the CICM Vulnerability Framework
which provides a cross-sector view and links a
wide range of advice, best practice case studies and
guidance
Combined qualifications 2019
New qualifications in Credit and Collections
launched combining CICM credit management and
debt collections
YEARS
1939 - 2019
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 38

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What is the CICM? For you; For your team; For business
The CICM is the largest recognised professional body in the world for the credit community. When
you join us, our network of members across the world becomes your professional family.
We have been promoting the importance of credit management, influencing government policy and
regulation and supporting credit professionals through their careers since 1939. It is our reason for
being, and our passion for expertise in the credit and collections profession is second to none.
info@cicm.com
www.cicm.com
01780 722900

REVIEW
Technically speaking
Credit Management asked members of the CICM
Think Tank what tech they can’t do without and why.
Stuart Knock MCICM,
EOS Solutions
WHEN I think of the piece of
technology that we just couldn’t do
without and that also had one of
the biggest positive impacts to this
business when it came on stream, it
has to be our field services application,
Dator.
This proprietary app sits on a
smartphone or tablet and allows us
to communicate in real-time with our
field agents. It’s secure, reliable and
very adaptable. One of the biggest
benefits that we generated when it
went live was that we no longer had to
hand over our agent’s mobile number
when connecting a customer to the call
centre – we just enter the customer’s
confirmed number and the call centre
(ours or our client’s) dials them.
Productivity and security were
improved at a stroke and the customer
benefits from being able to take a call
without our agent having to remain
with them, which de-stresses the
situation.
Jo Kettner,
Company Watch
THE one system that the Company
Watch team consistently uses is
the web-based software Slack.
It’s a powerful tool that makes
communication within our team
fast and easy. Whether it is project
discussions, important documents
or office cake announcements; they
all live together in Slack. Having our
team and information in one easily
searchable place means collaborating
online is as easy as collaborating in
person.
Team members join and leave Slack
channels as and when they need to
(different to lengthy email chains).
There is also integrated file sharing;
ideal as team members are in the office
on different days or working overseas.
By using Slack we ensure all the
team are constantly in the loop and
don’t miss important announcements
and business queries. We think of it as
our online office workspace. Without it,
communication would be much slower
and we like to be efficient at Company
Watch!
Dan Hancocks MCICM,
CoCredo
ON a day-to-day basis the team here
at CoCredo couldn’t live without our
internal control panel – basically our
version of a CRM system.
It is a versatile piece of technology
and not a standard out of the box
system. It has been built by our own
talented technical team and holds
customer and business information
that enables us to carry out our jobs.
The benefit of it being an in-house
system means that if we need
additional features, the tech team can
implement these easily.
It is used daily by every member
of the team ranging from sales to
marketing to customer services and
HR. Sales use it as a CRM system,
marketing use it to update the
website, for mailshots etc and HR
use facilities such as the holiday
planner. It enables us all to do our jobs
efficiently with the information we
need at our fingertips.
Debbie Nolan FCICM(Grad),
Arvato
I took a poll around the office and while we all rely on our hand-held gadgets
to check email, take phone calls, use an app of one description or another, the
one thing that we cannot run our business without, is our CRM database.
It is essential that we have consistent, real-time access to our customers’
details and that they are validated, up-to-date, reflect the most recent
interactions and provide easily accessible historical transactions so that we
can ensure the best customer journey at any stage of the collections cycle.
It is essential that our system is flexible so that we can continually innovate
the way in which we interact with our customers. Our system drives our daily
activity and allow us to track process outcomes to construct analytics that
help us drive continuous improvement.
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 40

The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 41

INTRODUCING OUR
CORPORATE PARTNERS
For further information and to discuss the opportunities of entering into a
Corporate Partnership with the CICM, please contact corporatepartners@cicm.com
Hays Credit Management is a national specialist
division dedicated exclusively to the recruitment of
credit management and receivables professionals,
at all levels, in the public and private sectors. As
the CICM’s only Premium Corporate Partner, we
are best placed to help all clients’ and candidates’
recruitment needs as well providing guidance on
CV writing, career advice, salary bench-marking,
marketing of vacancies, advertising and campaign
led recruitment, competency-based interviewing,
career and recruitment trends.
T: 07834 260029
E: karen.young@hays.com
W: www.hays.co.uk/creditcontrol
The Company Watch platform provides risk analysis
and data modelling tools to organisations around
the world that rely on our ability to accurately predict
their exposure to financial risk. Our H-Score®
predicted 92 percent of quoted company insolvencies
and our TextScore® accuracy rate was 93
percent. Our scores are trusted by credit professionals
within banks, corporates, investment houses
and public sector bodies because, unlike other credit
reference agencies, we are transparent and flexible
in our approach.
T: +44 (0)20 7043 3300
E: info@companywatch.net
W: www.companywatch.net
HighRadius is a Fintech enterprise Software-as-a-Service
(SaaS) company. Its Integrated Receivables platform
reduces cycle times in the Order to Cash process through
automation of receivables and payments across credit,
e-invoicing and payment processing, cash allocation,
dispute resolution and collections. Powered by the RivanaTM
Artificial Intelligence Engine and Freeda Digital
Assistant for Order to Cash teams, HighRadius enables
more than 450 organisations to leverage machine
learning to predict future outcomes and automate routine
labour intensive tasks.
T: +44 7399 406889
E: gwyn.roberts@highradius.com
W: www.highradius.com
Forums International has been running Credit and
Industry Forums since 1991 covering a range of
industry sectors and international trading. Attendance
is for credit professionals of all levels. Our forums
are not just meetings but communities which
aim to prepare our members for the challenges
ahead. Attending for the first time is free for you to
gauge the benefits and meet the members and we
only have pre-approved Partners, so you will never
intentionally be sold to.
Chris Sanders Consulting (Sanders Consulting
Associates) has three areas of activity providing
credit management leadership and performance
improvement, international working capital
improvement consulting assignments and
managing the CICMQ Best Practice Accreditation
programme on behalf of the CICM. Plans for
2019 include international client assignments in
India, China, USA, Middle East and the ongoing
development of the CICMQ Programme.
Key IVR provide a suite of products to assist companies
across Europe with credit management. The
service gives the end-user the means to make a
payment when and how they choose. Key IVR also
provides a state-of-the-art outbound platform delivering
automated messages by voice and SMS. In a
credit management environment, these services are
used to cost-effectively contact debtors and connect
them back into a contact centre or automated
payment line.
T: +44 (0)1246 555055
E: info@forumsinternational.co.uk
W: www.forumsinternational.co.uk
T: +44(0)7747 761641
E: chris@chrissandersconsulting.com
W: www.chrissandersconsulting.com
T: +44 (0) 1302 513 000
E: sales@keyivr
W: www.keyivr.co.uk
American Express® is a globally recognised provider
of business payment solutions, providing flexible
capabilities to help companies drive growth. These
solutions support buyers and suppliers across the
supply chain with working capital and cashflow.
By creating an additional lever to help support
supplier/client relationships American Express is
proud to be an innovator in the business payments
space.
T: +44 (0)1273 696933
W: www.americanexpress.com
Building on our mature and hugely successful
product and world class support service, we are
re-imagining our risk awareness module in 2019 to
allow for hugely flexible automated worklists and
advanced visibility of areas of risk. Alongside full
integration with all credit scoring agencies (e.g.
Creditsafe), this makes Credica a single port-of-call
for analysis and automation. Impressive results
and ROI are inevitable for our customers that also
have an active input into our product development
and evolution.
T: 01235 856400
E: info@credica.co.uk
W: www.credica.co.uk
Bottomline Technologies (NASDAQ: EPAY) helps
businesses pay and get paid. Businesses and banks
rely on Bottomline for domestic and international
payments, effective cash management tools, automated
workflows for payment processing and bill review
and state of the art fraud detection, behavioural
analytics and regulatory compliance. Every day, we
help our customers by making complex business
payments simple, secure and seamless.
T: 0870 081 8250
E: emea-info@bottomline.com
W: www.bottomline.com/uk
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 42

Each of our Corporate Partners is carefully selected for
their commitment to the profession and best practice in the
Credit Industry and the quality of services they provide.
We are delighted to showcase them here.
THEY'RE WAITING TO TALK TO YOU...
Onguard is a specialist in credit management
software and a market leader in innovative solutions
for Order to Cash. Our integrated platform ensures
an optimal connection of all processes in the Order
to Cash chain and allows sharing of critical data. Our
intelligent tools can seamlessly interconnect and
offer overview and control of the payment process,
as well as contribute to a sustainable customer relationship.
The Onguard platform is successfully used
for successful credit management in more than 50
countries.
T: +31 (0)88 256 66 66
E: ruurd.bakker@onguard.com
W: www.onguard.com
The Atradius Collections business model is to support
businesses and their recoveries. We are seeing a
deterioration and increase in unpaid invoices placing
pressures on cashflow for those businesses. Brexit
is causing uncertainty and we are seeing a significant
impact on the UK economy with an increase in
insolvencies, now also impacting the continent and
spreading. Our geographical presence is expanding
and with a single IT platform across the globe we can
provide greater efficiencies and effectiveness to our
clients to recover their unpaid invoices.
T: +44 (0)2920 824700
W: www.atradiuscollections.com/uk/
With 130+ years of experience, Graydon is a leading
provider of business information, analytics, insights
and solutions. Graydon helps its customers to make
fast, accurate decisions, enabling them to minimise
risk and identify fraud as well as optimise opportunities
with their commercial relationships. Graydon
uses 130+ international databases and the information
of 90+ million companies. Graydon has offices in
London, Cardiff, Amsterdam and Antwerp. Since 2016,
Graydon has been part of Atradius, one of the world’s
largest credit insurance companies.
T: +44 (0)208 515 1400
E: customerservices@graydon.co.uk
W: www.graydon.co.uk
Rimilia provides intelligent, finance automation
solutions that enable customers to get paid on time
and control their cashflow and cash collection in
real time. Rimilia’s software solutions use sophisticated
analytics and artificial intelligence to predict
customer payment behaviour and easily match and
reconcile payments, removing the uncertainty of
cash collection. Rimilia’s software automates the
complete accounts receivable process improving
cash allocation, bank reconciliation and credit management
operations.
T: +44 (0)1527 872123
E: enquiries@rimilia.com
W: www.rimilia.com
Improve cash flow, cash collection and prevent late
payment with Corrivo from Data Interconnect.
Corrivo, intelligent invoice to cash automation
highlights where accounts receivable teams should
focus their effort for best results. Easy-to-learn,
Invoicing, Collection and Dispute modules get collection
teams up and running fast. Minimal IT input required.
Real-time dashboards, reporting and self-service
customer portals, improve customer communication
and satisfaction scores. Cost-effective, flexible Corrivo,
super-charges your cash collection effort.
T: +44 (0)1367 245777
E: sales@datainterconnect.co.uk
W: www.datainterconnect.com
Dun & Bradstreet Finance Solutions enable modern
finance leaders and credit professionals to improve
business performance through more effective risk
management, identification of growth opportunities,
and better integration of data and insights
across the business. Powered by our Data Cloud,
our solutions provide access to the world’s most
comprehensive commercial data and insights
supplying a continually updated view of business
relationships that help finance and credit teams
stay ahead of market shifts and customer changes.
T: (0800) 001-234
W: www.dnb.co.uk
Shared Services Forum UK Limited
Shared Services Forum UK is a not-for-profit
membership organisation. with one vision, to form
the largest community of people from the business
world and facilitate a platform for them to work
together to mutual benefits.
Benefits include; networking with like-minded
professionals in Shared Services. The criteria is a
willingness to engage in our lively community and
help shape our growth and development.
T: 07864 652518
E: forum.manager@sharedservicesforumuk.com
W: www.sharedservicesforumuk.com
C2FO turns receivables into cashflow and payables
into income, uniquely connecting buyers and
suppliers to allow discounts in exchange for
early payment of approved invoices. Suppliers
access additional liquidity sources by accelerating
payments from buyers when required in just two
clicks, at a rate that works for them. Buyers, often
corporates with global supply chains, benefit from
the C2FO solution by improving gross margin while
strengthening the financial health of supply chains
through ethical business practices.
T: 07799 692193
E: anna.donadelli@c2fo.com
W: www.c2fo.com
Tinubu Square is a trusted source of trade credit
intelligence for credit insurers and for corporate
customers. The company’s B2B Credit Risk
Intelligence solutions include the Tinubu Risk
Management Center, a cloud-based SaaS platform;
the Tinubu Credit Intelligence service and the
Tinubu Risk Analyst advisory service. Over 250
companies rely on Tinubu Square to protect their
greatest assets: customer receivables.
T: +44 (0)207 469 2577 /
E: uksales@tinubu.com
W: www.tinubu.com.
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 43

INTRODUCING OUR
CORPORATE
PARTNERS
Shoosmiths’ highly experienced team will work
closely with credit teams to recover commercial
debts as quickly and cost effectively as possible.
We have an in depth knowledge of all areas of debt
recovery, including:
• Pre-litigation services to effect early recovery and
keep costs down • Litigation service • Insolvency
• Post-litigation services including enforcement
As a client of Shoosmiths, you will find us quick to
relate to your goals, and adept at advising you on the
most effective way of achieving them.
T: 03700 86 3000
E: paula.swain@shoosmiths.co.uk
W: www.shoosmiths.co.uk
2019 CICM
EVENTS NOT
TO BE MISSED
Workshops
Serrala optimizes the Universe of Payments for
organisations seeking efficient cash visibility
and secure financial processes. As an SAP
Partner, Serrala supports over 3,500 companies
worldwide. With more than 30 years of experience
and thousands of successful customer projects,
including solutions for the entire order-to-cash
process, Serrala provides credit managers and
receivables professionals with the solutions they
need to successfully protect their business against
credit risk exposure and bad debt loss.
T: +44 118 207 0450
E: contact@serrala.com
W: www.serrala.com
Round
Table Events
Webinars
CICM Best
Practice Events
Esker’s Accounts Receivable (AR) solution removes
the all-too-common obstacles preventing today’s
businesses from collecting receivables in a timely
manner. From invoice delivery to cash application,
Esker automates each step. Esker's automated AR
system powered by TermSync helps companies
modernise without replacing their core billing and
collections processes. By simply automating what
should be automated, customers get the post-sale
experience they deserve and your team gets the
tools they need.
T: +44 (0)1332 548176
E: sam.townsend@esker.co.uk
W: www.esker.co.uk
Just another great
reason to be a member
See full programme at
www.cicm.com/events
www.cicm.com | +44 (0)1780 722902
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 44

CICM TURNER LECTURE
20:20 Vision
The CICM Turner Lecture is now celebrating
its 20th anniversary.
AUTHOR – Richard Seadon FCICM
THE CICM Turner Lecture,
as we now know it, began in
the year 2000 when Senior
Master Robert Turner of the
High Court kindly consented
to attend the Law Society
one evening in October after finishing at
Court. The previous year I had attended a
lecture by Senior Master Turner in London
on the subject of the Woolf Reforms of 1998
as arranged by our London branch. On
reporting back to the CICM committee at
Kent, all thought what a grand idea it would
be to have members of the Kent branch hear
the same lecture.
On approaching Master Turner, he was
initially a little reluctant to come to Kent
after a busy day in Court in London. On
approaching him again with the idea that
Kent members attended the Law Society in
London he agreed, and so began an excellent
relationship with him and some of his team
at Court.
Our first evening turned out to be not
only a dismal evening weather wise but
an evening when there was a train strike.
However around 70 people attended despite
the difficulties and enjoyed the event to such
an extent that they requested a similar event
the following year. Master (now professor)
Turner so enjoyed the first occasion that
he remained for about an hour afterward
chatting to the delegates and finally
approaching me to ask if it was alright for
him to go! It was a humble trait of his I think
we all came to admire over the years as our
relationship with him went from strength
to strength. In one of his talks he described
himself (at the time the Queen’s Rembrancer)
as the country’s most senior debt collector!
POPULAR DEMAND
Many of our members will recall that as
time passed the lectures, with Master
Turner’s agreement, became known as the
CICM Turner Lectures, most of which have
been held at the Law Society. As many of
you will also know, Master Turner became
President of the CICM serving as such until
his 75th year. During his years of office, he
was rarely missing from a council meeting
and contributed greatly to bringing about
effective changes in the governance of the
institute. We owe him a debt of gratitude.
Over the now 20 years this event will
have run we have been greatly aided
by T G Baynes Solicitors of Bexleyheath
and Henderson Chambers of London
who have not only generously sponsored
some of our lectures but have also
taken part in presenting them at no cost
to us. Over these years there have been
talks on the changes in the law, insolvency,
cybercrime, data protection, managing
the collection of accounts abroad,
mock meetings of creditors and mock trials.
This year’s event being the 20th will be a
mock trial on a question of liability where the
defendants allege that the person entering
into the contract did not have the authority
to do so. Our members say this is a common
problem they face almost on a daily basis and
naturally want to know where they stand.
It is worth mentioning too that such has
been the involvement of some members
of the legal profession in the CICM Turner
lectures that some are now Fellows of our
institute. These include John White, Chief
Clerk, Nazeer Chowdhury Barrister-at-law
and Toby Riley-Smith QC all of Henderson
Chambers. Others also presenting have
included Richard Mawrey QC and Peter
Susman QC, and at T G Baynes Senior
Partner Michael Clark has been one of the
most prominent supporters of our event. We
owe them all our thanks.
This year’s event, by popular request, will
take place at the Law Society, Chancery lane
on Friday
8 November commencing at 17:30 with
a reception till 18:30 and finishing at 20:00
after the “lecture” has finished. I hope as
many of you as are able will book to come
to what promises to be another entertaining
and informative event.
This year’s event
being the 20th will
be a mock trial
on a question of
liability where the
defendants allege
that the person
entering into the
contract did not
have the authority
to do so.
● THE CICM TURNER LECTURE 20TH ANNIVERSARY20
YEARS
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 45

EDUCATION – CREDIT AND COLLECTIONS
TALKING CREDIT
AND COLLECTIONS
CICM Trainer Pam Thomas FCICM, outlines her views on
credit and collections in today’s business environment.
TECHNOLOGY has changed
the way we work and deal
with everyday tasks but
credit management is one
of the few industries where
direct contact with both
internal and external customers can mean
the difference between success or failure
to collect hard earned sales revenue.
Education and upskilling staff is vital
for organisations to keep ahead of the
competition and in my role as a training
and development specialist I design and
deliver training courses to a range of
different industry sectors, shared service
centres and global organisations to assist
in developing their teams to achieve their
goals.
As credit professionals we work
alongside stakeholders, especially the sales
team, providing them with information
that may impact business in a negative
or positive way. This doesn’t happen by
chance, our role in the credit management
process requires us to build successful
and productive relationships and to some
extent, trust. Trust has to be earned and
demonstrated although I recall being
reminded daily by certain sales people
‘don’t do anything to upset the customer’! So
much for trust! I’m sure this will resonate
with many of you reading this article.
What have you noticed about
successful Credit and Collection
teams? Do they have anything in
common?
One constant theme, and most important
in my view, is communication and the
relationship with internal and external
Recent training day with Getty Images
Pam is a highly skilled Credit Management trainer with extensive experience delivering
training courses at global level for the credit industry. Pam also has over 15 years of operational
credit management experience covering all credit roles. Using her practical and pragmatic
approach to delivering training she has a solid track record in helping businesses and
individuals achieve results. She assisted in developing a BA honours degree at University of
West London and subsequently lectured in the subject for ten years. Pam holds a post graduate
degree in education and training (PGCE), is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Credit
Management (FCICM) and is a CICMQ assessor.
Pam Thomas FCICM
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 46

EDUCATION – CREDIT AND COLLECTIONS
customers. Developing credit teams to perform at the highest
level requires motivation and promotion of ‘can do’ attitude.
Training can really help this by encouraging the right behaviours
expected to bring home the cash:
• excellent communication skills to build relationships
• working with sales to understand both business and customer
issues – risk vs reward
• being fair minded in their decision-making regarding escalation
• communicating concerns regarding the customer’s ability
to pay.
Building relationships is essential in today’s
professional world but can we train people to do this?
One of the training courses I run for CICM is ‘Psychology of
Collection’ which concentrates on this very subject. As humans
we are interested in what makes other people tick, not only in
personal relationships but with our customers. It helps to learn
a bit about yourself to improve communication, as well as being
more aware of the impact your behaviour has upon others, in
other words, developing emotional intelligence. During the
training I use ‘personality type’ quizzes and both practical and
fun exercises to demonstrate why people do the things they do –
especially when it comes to money or sales revenue.
What type of training is most regularly requested?
No matter what country or sector I go to I am frequently asked
to deliver Collection Training, but not just ‘off the shelf’ training.
Every company is different – organisational structure, credit
policy, competency levels, legislative requirements, cross-cultural
consideration and working procedures; all have to be taken into
account when designing an effective training programme.
What do you mean by Collection Training?
Very simply, developing skills to collect debts. This includes how
to prioritise collections, how to turn around negative situations
using positive language, increase the ability to deal with difficult
debts, assertiveness and building confidence. Very often I’m
requested to revitalise existing skills or to kick start collection
campaigns, especially in relation to CICMQ, the CICM quality
accreditation scheme and to remind teams to use the telephone
more often.
What communication method is better to collect money
– email or telephone?
There are pros and cons with both. We are all part of the ‘email
culture’; it’s fast but we may not always get a fast response.
Telephone collection plays a vital part in credit management as it
builds the relationship, adding a more personal approach which
can be better when dealing with complex matters that can only
be resolved through conversation.
Face-to-face training or virtual – which is better?
This is an ongoing debate in the learning and development
world. Face-to-face (F2F) training works better for some topics
than others especially when developing soft skills that need to
be practiced. Whereas virtual training (e-learning, webinars
etc) is good for delivering information to a wider audience and
consistent content. When it comes to credit and collections
training, I deliver by both methods but most enjoyable is F2F.
I can immediately see body language, answer any concerns,
and I can facilitate hands-on learning, sharing of information,
experience and most importantly get feedback as to how the
skills will be used.
CICM CREDIT AND
COLLECTIONS TRAINING
PROGRAMMES
Advanced Telephone Collection Skills
Collecting with Confidence
Consumer Credit Collections
Develop your Credit Control Skills
Essential Telephone Collection Techniques
General Money and Debt Advice
Getting started in Credit Control and Collections
Invoicing and Receipting
Negotiating and Influencing
Psychology of Collections
Psychology of Telephone Collections
Consumer Telephone Collections
Tracing the Gone Away
Consumer Telephone Collections and Negotiations
Working with your Customers – how to conduct a
customer visit
Getting your Message Across – confident
communications for credit and finance
International Collection Skills
Interpersonal Skills for Credit and Finance
CICM training programmes cover all levels and
functions of credit management and collections
including:
Credit Control and Collections | Credit Risk | Litigation
Financial | Export | Management | General Business
Industry Specific
Programmes can be tailored or bespoke to ensure they
are relevant to current needs in support of business
objectives.
Expert trainers share their knowledge and
experiences, tips, tools and techniques to help
improve effectiveness of the team.
• Delivery is designed to meet the needs of all sectors,
trade or consumer, using current best practice tools
and techniques.
• Cost effective training to upskill, motivate and
develop knowledge, skills and performance for a
maximum of 15 delegates per day.
• CPD hours are attributed to all training programmes.
Contact Julie Dalton, In-company Training
Adviser, to discuss your requirements.
E: training@cicm.com, T: +44 (0)1780 722907.
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 47

EDUCATION AND MEMBERSHIP
KNOWLEDGE
TESTS
NEW
Knowledge Hub
Premium
Content
Check your knowledge of key credit management,
collections and enforcement areas with these knowledge tests.
PREPARE FOR A CICM AWARD
Equally valuable as a baseline test of your team’s knowledge on CICM Knowledge Hub, these multiple
choice questions support preparation towards CICM Level 2 and 3 awards and credit controller/
collections apprenticeships.
Each test includes the opportunity to undertake a timed mock exam which provides invaluable
practice in answering multiple choice exam questions. You can also work through the questions
in each syllabus area at your own pace. Feedback on the correct answer is provided. The questions
can be accessed anywhere/anytime. Learners who complete the evaluation and pass the mock can
access a completion certificate which counts towards your CPD.
KNOWLEDGE TESTS ARE AVAILABLE IN:
• Credit Management (trade, export and consumer)
• Consumer Collections NEW programme
• Consumer Credit Management
• Taking Control of Goods
• Trade Credit Management
• Export Credit Management
• Business Environment
• Business Law
The knowledge test package can take up to three hours to complete,
including the pre-reading, full mock exam, working through individual
syllabus areas, course evaluation and CPD reflection.
You have access to the Knowledge test package for one year. During this
time you can complete the multiple choice questions for each syllabus area
all at once or over several visits to suit you. The full mock exam must be
completed in one go, however, it can be accessed more than once.
Course fees apply
CICM members £25 for 12 month licence *Non-members - £83
A previous advert included in the April edition of Credit Management
magazine incorrectly advertised that Knowledge Test questions
were included as part of Credit Academy virtual and evening classes. This
was an error and separate fees as above do apply.
The Taking Control of Goods test is part of an online course sponsored by the
High Court Enforcement Officers Association and is therefore offered free to
CICM members (Non-member fee - £50*).
CPD
3
Email: learningsupport@cicm.com or
call 01780 722909 to purchase course
*Fees are subject to VAT
The The Recognised Standard / / www.cicm.com / July/August / April 2019 2019 / PAGE / PAGE 48 48

Tailored Summer
offer
and bespoke
on CICM
training for
your training credit
team
10% discount
booked and delivered
by 31 August 2019.
Your specialism is
our specialism
At the CICM we know that credit and collections is a unique profession, and your business
calls for a training solution that is not ‘off-the-peg’.
We take pride in delivering practical and effective learning to credit and collections teams.
Our training is designed and tailored to your business needs and to deliver results.
Your team will learn from our specialist trainers, who all have vast experience in the
profession and will share their real experiences and successes.
WWW.CICM.COM
Our specialist team will manage everything from
start to finish. To find out more information contact –
T: 01780 722907: E: training@cicm.com: W: www.cicm.com
Tailored and bespoke training in...
Developing Credit Strategy; Building Business; Managing Risk; Complying with Regulations; Improving
Customer Relations; Collecting the Cash; Negotiating and Influencing; Psychology of Collections; Achieving
Targets; Debt Recovery; Insolvency; Management Skills.
The The Recognised Standard / / www.cicm.com / July/August / April 2019 2019 / PAGE / PAGE 49 49

HR MATTERS ROUNDUP
SKIN IN THE GAME
Using a deposit order to continue with a claim
that has little prospect of success.
STRIKING out a claim is a
draconian step. Although
each case will turn on its own
facts, where claimants are
unrepresented it may be more
appropriate to apply for a
deposit order. Mbuise v Cygnet Healthcare
illustrates the risks.
Mr Mbuisa, acting in person, brought
a number of claims against his former
employer (Cygnet Healthcare Ltd),
claiming that he had been automatically
unfairly dismissed for raising health
and safety concerns. Mbuisa was also
alleging a number of other complaints,
including breach of contract, unauthorised
deduction from wages, holiday pay,
whistleblowing and race and disability
discrimination. Mbuisa did not have
Fowl play or acting in good faith?
ANTUZIS v DJ Houghton Catching Services Ltd
shows how the law applies personal liability
for breaches of the claimants’ employment
contracts. The claimants, mainly Lithuanian
nationals, worked for DJ Houghton as chicken
catchers in what were held as extremely
exploitative conditions. The claimants alleged
various breaches including failure to pay
minimum wage and overtime, being charged
unfair employment fees and accommodation
fees as well as failure to pay holiday pay. The
claimants also alleged that they were penalised
when they raised complaints about these
issues.
The judge found the evidence against
the company to be ‘overwhelming’ and the
claimants were successful in relation to all
of the alleged breaches of their employment
contracts. The preliminary issue for the High
Court was whether or not the corporate veil
could be pierced, and the sole director and the
company secretary could be personally liable.
The High Court considered provisions
Recent changes in employment standards
INCREASE in financial penalties:
employers who are found to be in breach
of workers’ rights can now be made to pay
up to £20,000 (increased from £5,000) as a
penalty by employment tribunals. This will
apply to breaches which occur after 6 April
2019.
AUTHOR – Gareth Edwards
legal representation and his claims were
‘poorly pleaded,’ leading to the need for
two preliminary hearings during which
the Employment Tribunal (ET) tried to
clarify Mbuisa’s claims. At the second
preliminary hearing, the ET considered
whether certain aspects of the claim
should be struck out and, after receiving
further written statements from Mbuisa,
proceeded to strike out the claim relating
to health and safety.
Mbuisa appealed the decision to strike
out his claim and the Employment Appeal
Tribunal (EAT) allowed the appeal. The
EAT emphasised that although it was
challenging for the ET to manage a case
where the claims were not properly set
out, the decision to strike out was not
National Living Wage: On 1 April 2019,
the National Living Wage for adults aged
25 or over increased to £8.21 per hour
(previously £7.83).
Itemised payslips: From 6 April 2019,
employers became required by law to
give itemised payslips, to all workers (in
the right approach. It said: ‘...it was a
draconian step that robbed the claimant of
the right to have his complaint determined
on its merits’.
Under relevant legislation, the
Employment Tribunal can strike out a
claim at any point during the proceedings
if the claim is ‘scandalous, vexatious, or
has no reasonable grounds of success.’
Either party is able to make an application
for strike out, or the ET can do this of
their own initiative. Alternatively, under
a deposit order the ET has the ability to
order either party to pay a deposit of up
to £1,000 as a condition of continuing a
claim. The Judge will do this if they believe
that the argument being pursued, or any
part of it, has ‘little prospect of success.’
within the Companies Act, particularly the
duty for directors to act in good faith and in a
way that promotes the success of the company
and the duty to exercise reasonable care, skill
and diligence.
In deciding whether the directors had
acted in line with those duties, the High Court
considered that their actions had caused the
demise of the company including the loss of its
Gangmaster license and potentially irreparable
damage to its reputation. The High Court held
the directors personally liable based on the
evidence that they both ‘‘actually realised’’ that
their actions caused the company to breach its
contractual obligations to the claimants.
This case does not remove the protection
afforded to directors that act in good faith,
within the scope of their authority, and when
genuinely and honestly endeavouring to act
in the company’s best interests. A genuine
mistake would be unlikely to lead to personal
liability, even if that mistake causes the
company to breach contractual obligations.
addition to employees), which show what
hours they have worked and if there are any
variations in pay.
Gareth Edwards is a partner in the
employment team at Veale Wasbrough
Vizards. gedwards@vwv.co.ukon.
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 50

CICM MEMBER
EXCLUSIVE
Your CICM lapel badge
demonstrates your commitment to
professionalism and best practice
TAKE PRIDE IN
WEARING YOUR BADGE
If you haven’t received your badge
contact: cicmmembership@cicm.com
CICM KENT BRANCH
WINE AND
WISDOM
Tuesday, 3 September 2019
19:00 – 22:00
IT’S that time of year again when we
would like to invite you to our everpopular
Wine & Wisdom Branch
Event to be held on 3 September
2019. This will be held at the same
venue and in the same format as
last year.
This is where the Branch takes the
opportunity to raise money for a
local charity whilst, at the same
time, teams have the chance to
receive the coveted Kent Branch
shield and lay claim to the bragging
rights to call themselves the most
knowledgeable credit team in Kent!
The current holders of the shield
are Codswallop, captained by one of
the founding Kent Branch members,
Venue
The Assembly Rooms, 66 Preston
Street, Faversham, Kent ME13 8PG
who are perennial supporters of this
event. Hopefully, they will be back to
try and defend their title; however,
can you round up some colleagues
and friends to form a team capable
of toppling them?
There has always been great
interest in this event, and tables are
limited. Please book early to avoid
disappointment.
Cost: £60 for a table of 6 or £10 per
person for those who wish to come
along on the night and form a team.
Price includes nibbles and two
bottles of wine per table.
A charity fundraiser – making
generosity part of your growth
strategy.
Organiser
For more information please visit the
Kent branch page at www.cicm.com
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 51

CAREERS ADVICE
Question Time
Asking the right questions will help you find the
best credit professional for your business.
AUTHOR – Karen Young
Karen Young
RECRUITING credit
managers for small to
medium-sized enterprises
(SMEs) throws up
different challenges
to recruiting for larger
organisations. A smaller workforce has
the advantage of fostering a tight-knit
culture with a collaborative mindset, but
this can be disrupted if a new employee
isn’t the right fit for the organisation. As
such, it’s particularly important to make a
well-informed hiring decision for a credit
professional in an SME. Look out for these
three traits to find a candidate who will be
the right fit for your organisation.
AN INTEREST IN WHAT YOU DO
Compared to a larger organisation
where staff and resources are aplenty,
staff employed in an SME might find
themselves working outside the direct
remit of their role for the benefit of the
organisation. Although the technical
knowledge of a credit professional will
keep much of their role within a financial
remit, working in a small, collaborative
culture will no doubt draw on their other
transferable skills. For this reason, it is
essential to hire professionals who are
passionate about the business and who
connect to its purpose. These individuals
will more readily go the extra mile when
the opportunity arises.
When interviewing potential
candidates, there are questions you
can ask which will help determine
their level of interest in your organisation.
These might include asking what
appeals to them about working in your
company, what they think sets your
organisation apart from others and why
they think they would be a good fit.
A genuinely interested candidate
will come prepared for an interview
with knowledge about your business
and questions which extend beyond
the financial implications of the role in
question. They may also bring their own
ideas to the table. Gesticulations, smiling
and eye contact are also likely signals that
the candidate is excited about what you
do as a business. Having said this, don’t be
put off if they are nervous or quiet at first
– this can be a sign that they are serious
about the opportunity. Put the candidate
at ease and focus on uncovering their
passion for your organisation.
A DESIRE TO UPSKILL
Due to a skills landscape which is
constantly changing, upskilling workers
is more important now than it has ever
been. Continual learning is essential if
workers and organisations want to keep
up with the pace of change. While many
larger companies have
the budget to offer
widespread training
to their workforce,
SMEs may not have
access to the same
level of resources, so
a proactive approach
to learning is hugely
beneficial for any
candidate applying
to a credit role in a
smaller organisation.
To identify these
candidates, ask
questions like when
and how did you last
learn a new skill, what trends in your
area of expertise interest you, and how
do you keep your knowledge up-to-date?
You could also open a discussion around
the individual’s personal skills gaps and
what your organisation can do to support
upskilling in these areas.
Although there are a huge number of
accountancy and finance professionals
(82 percent) who, according the Hays
What Workers Want report 2018, said
they would only consider applying to
an organisation which invests in their
personal development, employers need
to do more to attract these candidates.
Only a third (33 percent) of employers
To appeal to credit
professionals who
will commit to
their upskilling,
employers in SMEs
are encouraged
to be transparent
about training
opportunities
in this sector offer formal training
programmes as part of their induction
process, lower than the UK average of 42
percent. To appeal to credit professionals
who will commit to their upskilling,
employers in SMEs are encouraged to be
transparent about training opportunities
early in the recruitment process, for
example supporting CICM training and
professional qualifications.
AN ASSURANCE OF COMMITMENT
SMEs rely on employee commitment
more than larger organisations, as the
smaller the workforce, the greater the
individual impact. As these organisations
sometimes don’t tend to offer the same
material rewards as a larger organisation,
the right candidate for an SME will
place greater importance in the purpose
and value of the organisation, and their
loyalty will stem from this.
Loyalty can be difficult to assess until
a candidate has been at the organisation
for a while, but a
hiring manager can
ask questions such
as what matters
most in a new role,
what motivates
you to perform,
and where do you
see yourself in five
years time? These
questions ascertain
how a candidate
might view their
progression in your
business and how
long they intend to
stay.
While the wrong hiring decision
may be felt more heavily in an SME
than in a larger organisation, hiring the
right person will also create an impact.
Consider asking the questions above and
keep an eye out for these traits to find a
credit professional who can slot into your
business, contribute interesting ideas
and ultimately help power your business
forward.
Karen Young is Director at Hays
Credit Management.
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 52

BE ONE CLICK AWAY
FROM OUR WEBSITE
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THE RECOGNISED STANDARD IN CREDIT MANAGEMENT
T: +44 (0)1780 722900 | WWW.CICM.COM
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 53

ENFORCEMENT AGENTS
TIME TO PROVE YOUR CONTINUOUS
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Taking Control of Goods CPD package is the cost-effective way to remind yourself
of enforcement law and best practice regardless of how you initially qualified.
Access the definitive TCG Guidance, fully updated and
endorsed by CICM, HCEOA, LACEF and CEAA to ensure you
cover all important areas. Test yourself anytime, anywhere
and produce a CPD Certificate to prove to a judge that you
have kept up-to-date when you renew your certificate to act
as an enforcement agent. £53 + VAT, free to CICM members.
The 60 multiple choice questions are also perfect if you are
preparing for the TCG qualification required for your first
certificate. CICM runs a one-hour monthly online exam for
CICM members, for the Level 2 Award in Taking Control of
Goods in many towns and cities throughout the UK to reduce
work downtime. Find a convenient time before or after work.
Results on the day.
Visit www.qualifications.cicm.com to find out more and book.
This is the definitive guide for CPD and to
passing the exam.
Barrie Minney. Chair, Local Authority Civil Enforcement
Forum. Senior Enforcement Agent, Brighton and Hove
City Council
HCEOA are proud to have developed this Best Practice
Guidance for the industry and robust qualifying exam which
can be easily accessed near home or work.
Andrew Wilson. Chair, High Court Enforcement Officer Association & Solicitor
With HCEOA, CEAA and LACEF input, this CPD package provides perfectly balanced guidance and the CICM
Award will be seen as the qualification to study for if you want to become an Enforcement Agent.
James Bond. General Secretary, Civil Enforcement Agents Association
High Court Enforcement
Officers Association
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 54
LACEF
The Local Authority
Civil Enforcement Forum

www.cicm.com
‘‘
Since being a
member I am kept
updated on latest changes
to laws and regulations,
good governance and
not forgetting the
wealth of knowledge.
Laural Jefferies, FCICM
The value
of CICM
membership
Laural Jefferies, FCICM
Head of Accounts Receivable,
Fashion Edge Ltd
Read more about her story and join your
credit community by visiting:
www.cicm.com/value-of-cicm-membership/
info@cicm.com
www.cicm.com
01780 722900

NEW AND UPGRADED MEMBERS
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you considered applying to upgrade your membership? See our website
www.cicm.com/membership-types for more detail, or call us on 01780 722903
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David Russell MCICM
Nandor Gyetvai ACICM
International Credit Manager at Harley-Davidson Motor Company
Imelda Kervin MCICM
“When I am looking at analysts’ CVs to join our team I look for those
who are involved with the Institute. Not only does it show a level of
understanding of credit but it also shows they have an interest in the
industry and are passionate.”
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 56

presents
www.ddisoftware.co.uk
sales@ddisoftware.co.uk

CICM FELLOWS' CELEBRATORY LUNCH
In the 80th year of the CICM, the Fellows' Lunch was held at the iconic
Churchill War Rooms. More than 80 Fellows and guests gathered for lunch
and to celebrate the Fellows’ of the future, and the two winners of the
Meritorious Service Award Gary Baker FCICM(Grad) and David Kerr FCICM.
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 58

BRANCH NEWS
Honesty is the best policy
East of England Branch
ON 16 May, it was very nearly standing
room only for the East of England Branch
as Branch Chairman Atul Vadher FCICM,
welcomed delegates from CICM East of
England and London Branches, and a
number of non CICM members to the
branch’s inaugural breakfast event at Hays’ Chelmsford
office. He introduced Branch Committee member Andrew
Martin of hosts Hays.
Branch Member Liam Hastings of Hastings & Co Solicitors,
talked through some interesting fraud case studies that he
had handled and he gave useful advice on what to look out
for before granting credit, and how to use various sources
of information, including Land Registry, Companies House
and credit colleagues. Liam knew that all at the meeting
were aware of the necessity of ensuring that the debtor had
sufficient funds before taking legal action against them but
said that some of his clients needed convincing of this. He
gave some tips on how to establish the means of the debtor.
Martin Eaves, Technical Director of Advanced Collection
Systems, described the work ACS were undertaking with
Hertfordshire University in using cognitive load verbal and
non-verbal clues to detect lies in debt collection, both for
real agents and for virtual agents. It was very possible to
detect lies by listening carefully to the voice of the debtor,
e.g. tonality changes, stuttering, hesitation, voice tremors,
and the language used. AI was being developed for virtual
agents which even picked up lies in text messages – an everincreasing
means of communication with debtors.
Both presentations were well received and led to detailed
discussions around the table.
The breakfast seminar feedback from everyone who
attended was exceptionally positive about the content, the
speakers and the venue, and the Branch would like to thank
Hays for their generous hospitality, and our speakers Liam
Hastings and Martin Eaves for generously giving up their
time to be part of the Branch’s first breakfast meeting.
Author: Richard Brown FCICM, Vice Chairman
Liam Hastings
(Hastings & Co) speaker
Martin Eaves
(ACS) speaker
Wet weather fails to dampen spirits
West Midlands
Branch
THE West Midlands annual golf day in
memory of Andrew Rippon was held on
2 May at Bromsgrove. The day went well
despite the weather turning a little wet.
The winning team was Direct Legal
Collections: Roger Lewis, Craig Povey
and Paul Atkins (pictured), and the
Best Individual Player was Paul Atkins
(pictured).
Dorian Franklin won the putting
competition and Peter Cartwright was
second by one point. Author: Susan Byrne
Best Individual Player
The winning team
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 59

WHAT'S ON
A full list of events can be found on our website
We are inviting all members to bring a colleague to a CICM membership event,
free of charge. Book online on our website www.cicm.com/cicm-events
CICM EVENT
6 July
CICM Sheffield & District Branch
Sheffield
Grim Credit History Tour of Kelham Island. Join
the Sheffield branch and find out about the
Debtors Prison, the Workhouse and the Doss
House with local historian and CAMRA member
Brian Holmshaw.
Book online at www.cicm.com/cicm-events or
email events@cicm.com for more information.
Venue: Shalesmoor Tram Stop, Hillsbrough
Route-2 stops past university, Sheffield, S3 7EQ
CICM EVENT
CICM EVENT
7 July
CICM Kent Branch
ASHFORD
Summer Social, Barbecue and Rounders. It’s that
time of year again when we hope the sun will
shine again on our popular summer socials. We
would like to invite you to our Branch Event to
be held on Sunday 7 July 2019 at the fantastic
setting of Sandy Acres Sport and Social Club.
Book online at www.cicm.com/cicm-events or
email events@cicm.com for more information.
Venue: Sandy Acres Sports and Social Club
Sandyhurst Lane, Ashford, TN25 4PE
3 September
CICM Kent Branch
FAVERSHAM
Wine and Wisdom
It’s that time of year again when we would like
to invite you to our ever-popular ‘Wine & Wisdom’
Branch Event to be held on 3 September 2019.
This will be held at the same venue and in the
same format as last year.
Book online at www.cicm.com/cicm-events or
email events@cicm.com for more information.
Venue: The Assembly Rooms, 66 Preston Street,
Faversham, ME13 8PG
CICM EVENT
9 July
CICM Wessex Branch
FAREHAM
Litigation and High Court Update – 2CPD. The
Wessex branch are excited to invite you to their
‘Litigation and High Court Update’ event. Please
see below the agenda for the morning.
Members and non-members will be made most
welcome at this FREE event.
Book online at www.cicm.com/cicm-events or
email events@cicm.com for more information.
Venue: Solent Hotel, Rookery Avenue, Whiteley,
Fareham PO15 7AJ United Kingdom
OTHER INDUSTRY EVENTS
CICM EVENTS
11 July
CICM East Midlands Branch
NOTTINGHAM
Galleries of Justice Ghost Tour.
Members and guests are invited to our annual
social event which this year is being held at
the Galleries of Justice in Nottingham’s historic
Lace Market. A tour of the haunted caves will be
followed by a buffet in the museum.
Book online at www.cicm.com/cicm-events or
email events@cicm.com for more information.
Venue: National Justice Museum
High Pavement, Nottingham, NG1 1HN
9 July
Forums International
BRACKNELL
Credit Professionals Forum
Book online at www.cicm.com/cicm-events or
email events@cicm.com for more information.
Venue: Coppid Beech Hotel
John Nike Way, Bracknell, RG12 8TF
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 60

More reasons to be a member
Make connections and keep up-to-date
with our exclusive events.
10 July
Forums International
LONDON
SAP User Group
Book online at www.cicm.com/cicm-events or
email events@cicm.com for more information.
Email cpf@forumsinternational.co.uk
Venue: Moore Stephens, London
10 July
CREDIT RISK FORUMS
LONDON
Recruitment Credit Risk Forum (APSCo)
Book online at www.cicm.com/cicm-events
or email events@cicm.com for more
information.
Venue: London
23 August
CREDIT RISK FORUMS
LONDON
Construction
Book online at www.cicm.com/cicm-events
or email events@cicm.com for more
information.
Venue: London
11 July
Credit Risk Forums
LONDON
Polymer Distributors & Compounders
Book online at www.cicm.com/cicm-events
or email events@cicm.com for more
information.
Venue: London
16 July
Forums International
BIRMINGHAM
Business & Office Supplies Credit Forum
Book online at www.cicm.com/cicm-events
or email events@cicm.com for more
information.
Venue: Moore Stephens 35 Calthorpe Rd, B15 1TS
14 August
CREDIT RISK FORUMS
LONDON
Fashion
Book online at www.cicm.com/cicm-events
or email events@cicm.com for more
information.
Venue: London
18 July
Credit Risk Forums
CHELTENHAM
FMCG Credit Risk Forum (Food, drink, tobacco)
Book online at www.cicm.com/cicm-events
or email events@cicm.com for more
information.
Venue: Cheltenham
23 July
Credit Risk Forums
BIRMINGHAM
Home Enhancements & DIY Credit Risk
Book online at www.cicm.com/cicm-events
or email events@cicm.com for more
information.
Venue: Birmingham
15 August
CREDIT RISK FORUMS
LONDON
Cosmetics & Fragrances
Book online at www.cicm.com/cicm-events
or email events@cicm.com for more
information.
Venue: London
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 61

TAKE CONTROL OF
YOUR CREDIT CAREER
COMMERCIAL CREDIT RISK MANAGER
SUCCESS THROUGH EXPERTISE
London, up to £65,000
Servicing over 5 million customers, a rare opportunity
has arisen at a Fortune 100 business to lead its credit risk
function. You will need extensive experience in dealing
with credit risk analysis specifically with aviation clients.
With a strong emphasis on risk management strategies
and associated control structures, your responsibilities
include maximising the profitability of collections,
minimising exposure to risk and developing all systems.
This is a fantastic opportunity where you can take the
role in the direction you desire, achieve results and be
rewarded accordingly.
Ref: 3594208
Contact Akshay Caussy on 0203 465 0020
or email akshay.caussy@hays.com
CREDIT ACCOUNTS SUPERVISOR
MANAGE CREDIT RISK
Newark, £28,000 + study + benefits
A highly entrepreneurial service provider is looking
for a commercially minded credit specialist to take
responsibility for all aspects of credit, managing a team of
four in sales and purchase ledger. You will focus on credit
risk, managing customer credit limits, credit facilities,
escalation issues and aged debt including non-UK
customer accounts, daily bank reconciliations and sales
credit notes. Ideally, you will have varied B2B exposure
and strong communication and staff management skills.
Previous people management experience is essential. This
is a great opportunity to join a growing company and to
widen your exposure to other ledgers and commercial
areas of the business. Ref: 3134053
Contact Lisa Francis on 01522 313300
or email lisa.francis@hays.com
BILLING ANALYST & CREDIT CONTROLLER
TAKE OWNERSHIP
West London, £24,000-£30,000
An established global media entertainment company
based in West London is looking for an experienced
AR Specialist on a contract basis. In this varied role, you
will be responsible for the end to end AR management
of your own portfolio of circa 500 clients. Your duties
will include raising invoices to strict deadlines (circa 70%
of the role), proactively chasing due payments, issuing
statements, posting and allocation of receipts, account
reconciliation and ongoing review of credit limits. To be
successful you will be available on short notice, excel in
a fast-paced environment and ideally have SAP system
experience. Ref: 3593774
Contact Julia Foster on 0203 465 0020
or email julia.foster2@hays.com
ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE ANALYST
SUPPORT A WINNING TEAM
Glasgow City Centre, c.£26,000
A multinational organisation is looking for an experienced
accounts receivable analyst on a temporary basis initially,
however there will be an opportunity to apply on a
permanent basis. Reporting into Senior Management,
you will be responsible for generating sales invoices,
reviewing and approving before processing, reconciling
revenue calculations, reporting on revenue findings and
maintaining data integrity and ensuring SOX procedures
are followed. The hours of work are Monday to Friday,
8am-5pm, and the organisation is easily accessible
by public transport.
Ref: 3606098
Contact Lauren Hamilton on 0141 212 3665
or email lauren.hamilton@hays.com
hays.co.uk/creditcontrol
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 62

CREDIT CONTROLLER
ESTABLISH POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
North Lanarkshire, £23,000-£25,000 + benefits
This industry-leading client is partnering with Hays
exclusively to recruit a sole credit controller on a
permanent basis. Reporting directly to the Financial
Director, you will be responsible for the full credit
function with tasks including, daily invoicing, dealing with
remittances, month end procedures including sending
statements, updating ledger daily, credit card reconciliation
and dealing with cheques and refunds. Ideally, you will be a
self-starter, experienced within these areas of credit control
and have the ability to build rapport. The hours of work
are Monday to Friday, 9am-5.30pm, and the organisation
has onsite parking available. Ref: 3595669
Contact Lauren Hamilton on 0141 212 3665
or email lauren.hamilton@hays.com
CREDIT CONTROLLER
JOIN A GROWING ORGANISATION
Kettering, £23,000
A rapidly growing IT re-seller business is looking for a
credit controller to join the accounts department. As well
as covering the usual credit control requirements such as
building relations with clients to obtain outstanding debt,
the role will also involve liaising with suppliers to ensure
any potential issues are dealt with, so the credit process
can continue to run smoothly. This is a great opportunity
to join an exciting business which has become a leader
in its field and is looking to continue to grow.
Ref: 3603359
Contact Alex Smith on 01604 621733
or email alex.smith@hays.com
CREDIT CONTROLLER
NEW OPPORTUNITY
Solihull, £22,000-£24,000 + benefits
A growing financial services company in the midlands,
who specialise in offering bespoke packages to support
growing organisations, are looking for a credit controller
to join its team. This is an exciting time for the company
as several new products are launching. The role is
high volume and fast paced, so you must be driven to
hit targets. In return, you will be offered training and
development as well as study support for the CICM.
The Group Credit Manager is a CICM Fellow Member
who strives on bringing people through.
Ref: 3522639
Contact Peter Kidd on 0121 212 1814
or email peter.kidd@hays.com
PART TIME CREDIT CONTROLLER
MAKE AN IMPACT
Carlisle, up to £19,000 + bonuses
This reputable, national company is looking for a part
time credit controller to support its busy team. This is a
temporary role with the potential to become permanent
after three months. The role will have a strong emphasis on
pursuing outstanding debts whilst developing professional
relationships with clients of all sizes. You will be reliable,
able to demonstrate excellent attention to detail, multitask
and work to deadlines. This is a fantastic opportunity
for an individual who has experience in developing and
maintaining professional relationships with customers
and suppliers. Ref: 3598875
Contact Katie Higgins on 01228 515 795
or email katie.higgins@hays.com
This is just a small selection of the many
opportunities we have available for credit
professionals. To find out more email
hayscicm@hays.com or visit us online.
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 63

Cr£ditWho?
CICM Directory of Services
COLLECTIONS
COLLECTIONS LEGAL
CONSULTANCY
Atradius Collections Ltd
3 Harbour Drive,
Capital Waterside,
Cardiff Bay, Cardiff, CF10 4WZ
United Kingdom
T: +44 (0)2920 824700
W: www.atradiuscollections.com/uk/
Atradius Collections Ltd is an established specialist in business
to business collections. As the collections division of the Atradius
Crédito y Caución, we have a strong position sharing history,
knowledge and reputation.
Annually handling more than 110,000 cases and recovering over
a billion EUROs in collections at any one time, we deliver when
it comes to collecting outstanding debts. With over 90 years’
experience, we have an in-depth understanding of the importance of
maintaining customer relationships whilst efficiently and effectively
collecting monies owed.
The individual nature of our clients’ customer relationships is
reflected in the customer focus we provide, structuring our service
to meet your specific needs. We work closely with clients to provide
them with a collection strategy that echoes their business character,
trading patterns and budget.
For further information contact: Hans Meijer, UK and Ireland Country
Director (hans.meijer@atradius.com).
Controlaccount Plc
Compass House, Waterside, Hanbury Road, Bromsgrove,
Worcestershire B60 4FD
Telephone: 01527 549 522
Email: sales@controlaccount.com
Web: www.controlaccount.com
Controlaccount Plc provides an efficient, effective and ethical
commercial debt recovery service focused on improving business
cash flow whilst preserving customer relationships and established
reputations. Working with leading brand names in the UK and
internationally, we deliver a bespoke service to our clients – utilising
the Late Payment of Commercial Debts Act (2013) to ensure you
receive 100% of monies owed or on a no collect, no fee agreement.
Our clients also benefit from our in-house international trace and
legal service departments and have complete transparency and
up to the minute information on any accounts placed with us for
recovery through our online debt management system, ClientWeb.
INTERNATIONAL COLLECTIONS
Premium Collections Limited
3 Caidan House, Canal Road
Timperley, Cheshire. WA14 1TD
T: +44 (0)161 962 4695
E: paul.daine@premiumcollections.co.uk
W: www.premiumcollections.co.uk
For all your credit management requirements Premium Collections
has the solution to suit you. Operating on a national and international
basis we can tailor a package of products and services to meet your
requirements.
Services include B2B collections, B2C collections, international
collections, absconder tracing, asset repossessions, status reporting
and litigation support.
Managed from our offices in Manchester, Harrogate and Dublin our
network of 55 partners cover the World.
Contact Paul Daine FCICM on +44 (0)161 962 4695 or
paul.daine@premiumcollections.co.uk
www.premiumcollections.co.uk
Blaser Mills Law
40 Oxford Road,
High Wycombe,
Buckinghamshire. HP11 2EE
T: 01494 478660/478661
E: Jackie Ray jar@blasermills.co.uk or
Gary Braathen gpb@blasermills.co.uk
W: www.blasermills.co.uk
A full-service firm, Blaser Mills Law’s experienced Commercial
Recoveries team offer pre-legal collections, debt recovery,
litigation, dispute resolution and insolvency. The team includes
CICM qualified staff, recommended in both Legal 500 and
Chambers & Partners legal directories.
Offices in High Wycombe, Amersham, Rickmansworth, London
and Silverstone
Lovetts Solicitors
Lovetts, Bramley House, The Guildway, Old Portsmouth
Road, Guildford, Surrey GU3 1LR
T: +44(0)1483 457500 E: info@lovetts.co.uk
W: www.lovetts.co.uk
Lovetts has been recovering debts for 30 years! When you
want the right expertise to recover overdue debts why not use a
specialist? Lovetts’ only line of business is the recovery of
business debts and any resulting commercial litigation.
We provide:
• Letters Before Action, prompting positive outcomes in more than
80 percent of cases • Overseas Pre-litigation collections with
multi-lingual capabilities • 24/7 access to our online debt
management system ‘CaseManager’
Don’t just take our word for it, here’s recent customer feedback:
“...All our service expectations have been exceeded...”
“...The online system is particularly useful and is extremely easy
to use... “...Lovetts has a recognisable brand that generates
successful results...”
Yuill + Kyle
Capella, 60 York Street, Glasgow, G2 8JX, Scotland, UK
T: 0141 572 4251
E: scowan@yuill-kyle.co.uk
W: www.debtscotland.com
Do You Have Trouble Collecting Debts in
Scotland? We Don’t
Yuill + Kyle is one of Scotland’s leading debt recovery and credit
control law firms. With over 100 years of experience, we are
specialists in resolving disputed and undisputed debts. Our track
record for successful recoveries means you have just moved one step
closer to getting your money back.
How we can help you:
• Specialist advice for all of your legal matters
• A responsive and straightforward approach
• Providing you with solutions-driven advice
• Delivering cost certainty and value for money
Our services
• Pre-sue • Fast track collections • Judgement enforcement
• Insolvency • Bankruptcy • Liquidation
Sanders Consulting Associates Ltd
T: +44(0)1525 720226
E: enquiries@chrissandersconsulting.com
W: www.chrissandersconsulting.com
Sanders Consulting is an independent niche consulting firm
specialising in leadership and performance improvement in all aspects
of the order to cash process. Chris Sanders FCICM, the principal, is
well known in the industry with a wealth of experience in operational
credit management, billing, change and business process improvement.
A sought after speaker with cross industry international experience in
the business-to-business and business-to-consumer markets, his
innovative and enthusiastic approach delivers pragmatic people and
process lead solutions and significant working capital improvements to
clients. Sanders Consulting are proud to manage CICMQ on behalf of
and under the supervision of the CICM.
COURT ENFORCEMENT SERVICES
Court Enforcement Services
Wayne Whitford – Director
M: +44 (0)7834 748 183 T : +44 (0)1992 663 399
E : wayne@courtenforcementservices.co.uk
W: www.courtenforcementservices.co.uk
High Court Enforcement that will Empower You!
We help law firms and in-house debt recovery and legal teams to
enforce CCJs by transferring them up to the High Court. Setting us
apart in the industry, our unique and Award Winning Field Agent App
helps to provide information in real time and transparency, empowering
our clients when they work with us.
• Free Transfer up process of CCJ’s to High Court
• Exceptional Recovery Rates
• Individual Client Attention and Tailored Solutions
• Real Time Client Access to Cases
CREDIT INFORMATION
CoCredo
Missenden Abbey, Great Missenden, Bucks, HP16 0BD
T: 01494 790600
E: customerservice@cocredo.com
W: www.cocredo.co.uk
CoCredo’s award winning credit reporting and monitoring systems have
helped to protect over £27 billion of turnover on behalf of our customers.
Our company data is updated continually throughout the day and access
to the online portal is available 365 days a year 24/7.
At CoCredo we aggregate data from a range of leading providers in
the UK and across the globe so that our customers can view the best
available data in an easy to read report. We offer customers XML
Integration and D.N.A Portfolio Management as well as an industry-first
Dual Report, comparing two leading providers opinions in one report.
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 64

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION OPTIONS AND PRICING CONTACT
russell@cabbells.uk 0203 603 7937
CREDIT INFORMATION
CREDIT INFORMATION
CREDIT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE
Company Watch
Centurion House, 37 Jewry Street,
LONDON. EC3N 2ER
T: +44 (0)20 7043 3300
E: info@companywatch.net
W: www.companywatch.net
Organisations around the world rely on Company Watch’s industryleading
financial analytics to drive their credit risk processes. Our
financial risk modelling and ability to map medium to long-term risk as
well as short-term credit risk set us apart from other credit reference
agencies.
Quality and rigour run through everything we do, from our unique
method of assessing corporate financial health via our H-Score®, to
developing analytics on our customers’ in-house data.
With the H-Score® predicting almost 90 percent of corporate
insolvencies in advance, it is the risk management tool of choice,
providing actionable intelligence in an uncertain world.
Experian
The Sir John Peace Building, Experian Way
NG2 Business Park, Nottingham NG80 1ZZ
T: 0844 481 9920
W: www.experian.co.uk/business-information/
For over 30 years Experian have been processing, matching and deriving
insights to provide accurate, up-to-date information that helps B2B
organisations to make more effective, fact based decisions, reduce
risks and meet regulatory standards. We turn complex data into clear
insights that help manage UK and international businesses to maximise
opportunities for growth and identify and minimise the associated risks.
Blending our business and consumer data we can offer a truly blended
score for sole traders and enhanced scoring on SME’s to tell you more
about the business and the people behind the business. Experian can
support with new business, acquisition through to collections while
managing KYC requirements online or via our suite of APIs.
Graydon UK
66 College Road, 2nd Floor, Hygeia Building, Harrow,
Middlesex, HA1 1BE
T: +44 (0)208 515 1400
E: customerservices@graydon.co.uk
W: www.graydon.co.uk
With 130+ years of experience, Graydon is a leading provider of
business information, analytics, insights and solutions. Graydon
helps its customers to make fast, accurate decisions, enabling them
to minimise risk and identify fraud as well as optimise opportunities
with their commercial relationships. Graydon uses 130+ international
databases and the information of 90+ million companies. Graydon
has offices in London, Cardiff, Amsterdam and Antwerp. Since 2016,
Graydon has been part of Atradius, one of the world’s largest credit
insurance companies.
THE ONLY AML RESOURCE YOU NEED
SmartSearch
SmartSearch, Harman House,
Station Road,Guiseley, Leeds, LS20 8BX
T: +44 (0)113 238 7660
E: info@smartsearchuk.com W: www.smartsearchuk.com
KYC, AML and CDD all rely on a combination of deep data with broad
coverage, highly automated flexible technology with an innovative
and intuitive customer interface. Key features include automatic
Worldwide Sanction & PEP checking, Daily Monitoring, Automated
Enhanced Due Diligence and pro-active customer management.
Choose SmartSearch as your benchmark.
CEDAR
ROSE
R
Cedar Rose
3, Georgiou Katsonotou Street,3036, Limassol, Cyprus
E: info@cedar-rose.com T: +357 25346630
W: www.cedar-rose.com
Cedar Rose has been globally recognised as the expert for
credit reports, due diligence and data for the Middle East
and North African countries since 1997. We now cover over
170 countries with the same high quality, expert analysis
and attention to detail we are well-known and trusted for.
Making best use of artificial intelligence and technology, Cedar
Rose has won several awards including Credit Excellence
& European Business Awards. Our website is a one-stopshop
for your business intelligence solutions. We are the
ultimate source; with competitive prices and friendly customer
service - whether you need one or one thousand reports.
CREDIT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE
Keyivr
T: +44 (0) 1302 513 000
E: sales@keyivr W: www.keyivr.co.uk
Key IVR are proud to have joined the Chartered Institute of Credit
Management’s Corporate partnership scheme. The CICM is a
recognised and trusted professional entity within credit management
and a perfect partner for Key IVR. We are delighted to be providing
our services to the CICM to assist with their membership collection
activities. Key IVR provides a suite of products to assist companies
across the Europe with credit management. Our service is based
around giving the end-user the means to make a payment when and
how they choose. Using automated collection methods, such as a
secure telephone payment line (IVR), web and SMS allows companies
to free up valuable staff time away from typical debt collection.
ONGUARD
T: +31 (0)88 256 66 66
E: ruurd.bakker@onguard.com
W: www.onguard.com
Onguard is specialist in credit management software and market
leader in innovative solutions for order to cash. Our integrated
platform ensures an optimal connection of all processes in the order
to cash chain and allows sharing of critical data.
Intelligent tools that can seamlessly be interconnected and offer
overview and control of the payment process, as well as contribute to
a sustainable customer relationship.
In more than 50 countries the Onguard platform is successfully used
for successful credit management.
Tinubu Square UK
Holland House, 4 Bury Street,
London EC3A 5AW
T: +44 (0)207 469 2577 /
E: uksales@tinubu.com
W: www.tinubu.com
Founded in 2000, Tinubu Square is a software vendor, enabler of the
Credit Insurance, Surety and Trade Finance digital transformation.
Tinubu Square enables organizations across the world to significantly
reduce their exposure to risk and their financial, operational and technical
costs with best-in-class technology solutions and services. Tinubu
Square provides SaaS solutions and services to different businesses
including credit insurers, receivables financing organizations and
multinational corporations.
Tinubu Square has built an ecosystem of customers in over 20 countries
worldwide and has a global presence with offices in Paris, London, New
York, Montreal and Singapore.
Credica Ltd
Building 168, Maxell Avenue, Harwell Oxford, Oxon. OX11 0QT
T: 01235 856400E: info@credica.co.uk W: www.credica.co.uk
Our highly configurable and extremely cost effective Collections and
Query Management System has been designed with 3 goals in mind:
• To improve your cashflow • To reduce your cost to collect
• To provide meaningful analysis of your business
Evolving over 15 years and driven by the input of 1000s of Credit
Professionals across the UK and Europe, our system is successfully
providing significant and measurable benefits for our diverse portfolio
of clients.
We would love to hear from you if you feel you would benefit from our
‘no nonsense’ and human approach to computer software.
Data Interconnect Ltd
Units 45-50
Shrivenham Hundred Business Park
Majors Road, Watchfield
Swindon, SN6 8TZ
T: +44 (0)1367 245777
E: sales@datainterconnect.co.uk
W: www.datainterconnect.com
Data Interconnect provides Intelligent Invoice to Cash Automation.
Corrivo Billing, Collection and Dispute modules seamlessly integrate
for a rich, end-to-end A/R user experience. Branded customer
portals, real-time dashboards, advanced reporting, available in 15
languages as standard; are some of the reason why global brands
choose Data Interconnect.
Proud supporters
of CICMQ
Rimilia
Corbett House, Westonhall Road, Bromsgrove, B60 4AL
T: +44 (0)1527 872123 E: enquiries@rimilia.com
W: www.rimilia.com
Operating globally across any sector, Rimilia provides intelligent,
finance automation solutions that enable customers to get paid on time
and control their cashflow and cash collection in real time. Rimilia’s
software solutions use sophisticated analytics and artificial intelligence
(AI) to predict customer payment behaviour and easily match and
reconcile payments, removing the uncertainty of cash collection. The
Rimilia software automates the complete accounts receivable process
and eliminates unallocated cash, reducing manual activity by an
average 70% and achieving best in class matching rates recognised
by industry specialists such as The Hackett Group.
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 65 continues on page 66 >

Cr£ditWho?
CICM Directory of Services
FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION
OPTIONS AND PRICING CONTACT
russell@cabbells.uk 0203 603 7937
CREDIT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE
FINANCIAL SERVICES
FORUMS
HighRadius
T: +44 7399 406889
E: gwyn.roberts@highradius.com
W: www.highradius.com
HighRadius is the leading provider of Integrated Receivables
solutions for automating receivables and payment functions such
as credit, collections, cash allocation, deductions and eBilling.
The Integrated Receivables suite is delivered as a software-as-aservice
(SaaS). HighRadius also offers SAP-certified Accelerators
for SAP S/4HANA Finance Receivables Management, enabling
large enterprises to maximize the value of their SAP investments.
HighRadius Integrated Receivables solutions have a proven track
record of reducing days sales outstanding (DSO), bad-debt and
increasing operation efficiency, enabling companies to achieve an
ROI in less than a year.
C2FO
15 Statton Street, Mayfair,
London W1J 8LQ
T: 07799 692193
E: anna.donadelli@c2fo.com W: www.c2fo.com
C2FO turns receivables into cashflow and payables into income,
uniquely connecting buyers and suppliers to allow discounts in
exchange for early payment of approved invoices. Suppliers access
additional liquidity sources by accelerating payments from buyers
when required in just two clicks, at a rate that works for them.
Buyers, often corporates with global supply chains, benefit from the
C2FO solution by improving gross margin while strengthening the
financial health of supply chains through ethical business practices.
FORUMS INTERNATIONAL
T: +44 (0)1246 555055
E: info@forumsinternational.co.uk
W: www.forumsinternational.co.uk
Forums International Ltd have been running Credit and Industry
Forums since 1991. We cover a range of industry sectors and
International trading, attendance is for Credit Professionals of all
levels. Our forums are not just meetings but communities which
aim to prepare our members for the challenges ahead. Attending
for the first time is free for you to gauge the benefits and meet the
members and we only have pre-approved Partners, so you will never
intentionally be sold to.
LEGAL
Redwood Collections Ltd
0208 288 3555
enquiry@redwoodcollections.com
Airport House, Purley Way, Croydon, CR0 0XZ
“Redwood Collections offers a complete portfolio of debt collection
services ranging from sensitive client-debtor mediation through to
legal and insolvency action.
Incorporated in 2009, we are pleased to represent in excess of
11,000 clients. Whatever your debt collection needs, we have the
expertise and resources to deliver a fast, efficient and cost-effective
solution.”
identeco – Business Support Toolkit
Compass House, Waterside, Hanbury Road, Bromsgrove,
Worcestershire B60 4FD
Telephone: 01527 549 531
Email: info@identeco.co.uk
Web: www.identeco.co.uk
identeco’s Business Support Toolkit is an online portal connecting
its subscribers to a range of business services that help them to
engage with new prospects, understand their customers and
mitigate risk. Annual subscription is £79.95 per year for unlimited
access. Providing company information and financial reports,
director and shareholder structures as well as a unique financial
health rating, balance sheets, ratio analysis, and any detrimental
data that might be associated with a company. Other services also
included in the subscription include a business names database,
Shoosmiths
Email: paula.swain@shoosmiths.co.uk
Tel: 03700 86 3000 W: www.shoosmiths.co.uk
Shoosmiths’ highly experienced team will work closely with credit
teams to recover commercial debts as quickly and cost effectively as
possible. We have an in depth knowledge of all areas of debt recovery,
including:
• Pre-litigation services to effect early recovery and keep costs down
• Litigation service
• Post-litigation services including enforcement
• Insolvency
As a client of Shoosmiths, you will find us quick to relate to your goals,
and adept at advising you on the most effective way of achieving them.
PAYMENT SOLUTIONS
SERRALA
Serrala UK Ltd, 125 Wharfdale Road
Winnersh Triangle, Wokingham
Berkshire RG41 5RB
E: a.velzian@serrala.com W: www.serrala.com
T: +44 1182 070 464 M: +44 7802 881 797
Serrala optimizes the Universe of Payments for organisations seeking
efficient cash visibility and secure financial processes. As an SAP
Partner, Serrala supports over 3,500 companies worldwide. With
more than 30 years of experience and thousands of successful
customer projects, including solutions for the entire order-tocash
process, Serrala provides credit managers and receivables
professionals with the solutions they need to successfully protect
their business against credit risk exposure and bad debt loss.
DATA AND ANALYTICS
Dun & Bradstreet
Marlow International, Parkway Marlow
Buckinghamshire SL7 1AJ
Telephone: (0800) 001-234 Website: www.dnb.co.uk
Dun & Bradstreet Finance Solutions enable modern finance
leaders and credit professionals to improve business performance
through more effective risk management, identification of growth
opportunities, and better integration of data and insights across the
business. Powered by our Data Cloud, our solutions provide access
to the world’s most comprehensive commercial data and insights
- supplying a continually updated view of business relationships
that helps finance and credit teams stay ahead of market shifts and
customer changes. Learn more here:
www.dnb.co.uk/modernfinance
ESKER
Sam Townsend Head of Marketing
Northern Europe Esker Ltd.
T: +44 (0)1332 548176 M: +44 (0)791 2772 302
W: www.esker.co.uk
LinkedIn: Esker – Northern Europe
Twitter: @EskerNEurope
Esker.blog
Esker’s Accounts Receivable (AR) solution removes the all-toocommon
obstacles preventing today’s businesses from collecting
receivables in a timely manner. From invoice delivery to cash
application, Esker automates each step. Esker's automated AR
system powered by TermSync helps companies modernise without
replacing their core billing and collections processes. By simply
automating what should be automated, customers get the post-sale
experience they deserve and your team gets the tools they need.
FINANCIAL PR
Gravity London
Floor 6/7, Gravity London, 69 Wilson St, London, EC21 2BB
T: +44(0)207 330 8888. E: sfeast@gravitylondon.com
W: www.gravitylondon.com
Gravity is an award winning full service PR and advertising
business that is regularly benchmarked as being one of the best
in its field. It has a particular expertise in the credit sector, building
long-term relationships with some of the industry’s best-known
brands working on often challenging briefs. As the partner agency for
the Credit Services Association (CSA) for the past 13 years, and the
Chartered Institute of Credit Management since 2006, it understands
the key issues affecting the credit industry and what works and what
doesn’t in supporting its clients in the media and beyond.
Bottomline Technologies
115 Chatham Street, Reading
Berks RG1 7JX | UK
T: 0870 081 8250 E: emea-info@bottomline.com
W: www.bottomline.com/uk
Bottomline Technologies (NASDAQ: EPAY) helps businesses
pay and get paid. Businesses and banks rely on Bottomline for
domestic and international payments, effective cash management
tools, automated workflows for payment processing and bill
review and state of the art fraud detection, behavioural analytics
and regulatory compliance. Businesses around the world depend
on Bottomline solutions to help them pay and get paid, including
some of the world’s largest systemic banks, private and publicly
traded companies and Insurers. Every day, we help our customers
by making complex business payments simple, secure and seamless.
American Express
76 Buckingham Palace Road,
London. SW1W 9TQ
T: +44 (0)1273 696933
W: www.americanexpress.com
American Express is working in partnership with the CICM and is
a globally recognised provider of payment solutions to businesses.
Specialising in providing flexible collection capabilities to drive a
number of company objectives including:
•Accelerate cashflow •Improved DSO •Reduce risk
•Offer extended terms to customers
•Provide an additional line of bank independent credit to drive
growth •Create competitive advantage with your customers
As experts in the field of payments and with a global reach,
American Express is working with credit managers to drive growth
within businesses of all sectors. By creating an additional lever to
help support supplier/client relationships American Express is proud
to be an innovator in the business payments space.
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 66

Testimonial
We have been regular advertisers
in Credit Management (CM)
magazine for more than ten
years and have found it to be an
excellent medium for raising our
brand awareness and securing
major contracts.
By way of example, one of the
largest logistics firms in the world
approached us for our services
having seen our profile in CM.
This led to a very successful
relationship and gained us
significant credibility.
We would recommend advertising
in CM magazine to other
businesses.
RECRUITMENT
Portfolio Credit Control
1 Finsbury Square, London. EC2A 1AE
T: 0207 650 3199
E: recruitment@portfoliocreditcontrol.com
W: www.portfoliocreditcontrol.com
Portfolio Credit Control, solely specialises in the recruitment of
permanent, temporary and contract Credit Control, Accounts
Receivable and Collections staff. Part of an award winning recruiter
we speak to and meet credit controllers all day everyday understanding
their skills and backgrounds to provide you with tried and tested credit
control professionals. We have achieved enormous growth because we
offer a uniquely specialist approach to our clients, with a commitment
to service delivery that exceeds your expectations every single time.
RECRUITMENT
PORTFOLIO
CREDIT CONTROL
Hays Credit Management
107 Cheapside, London, EC2V 6DN
T: 07834 260029
E: karen.young@hays.com
W: www.hays.co.uk/creditcontrol
Hays Credit Management is working in partnership with the CICM
and specialise in placing experts into credit control jobs and credit
management jobs. Hays understands the demands of this challenging
environment and the skills required to thrive within it. Whatever
your needs, we have temporary, permanent and contract based
opportunities to find your ideal role. Our candidate registration process
is unrivalled, including face-to-face screening interviews and a credit
control skills test developed exclusively for Hays by the CICM. We offer
CICM members a priority service and can provide advice across a wide
spectrum of job search and recruitment issues.
ARE YOU A LEADER
OR FOLLOWER?
CICMQ accreditation is a proven model
that has consistently delivered dramatic
improvements in cashflow and efficiency
CICMQ is the hallmark of industry
leading organisations
The CICM Best Practice Network is where
CICMQ accredited organisations come
together to develop, share and celebrate
best practice in credit and collections
BE A LEADER – JOIN THE CICM BEST
PRACTICE NETWORK TODAY
To find out more about flexible options
to gain CICMQ accreditation
E: cicmq@cicm.com T: 01780 722900
The Recognised Standard / www.cicm.com / July/August 2019 / PAGE 67

Fast, fair and effective
enforcement
FAST. 48 hour average judgment transfer and very prompt
attendance after notice expiry.
FAIR. Robust vulnerability policies and nationally accredited
training for all our teams.
EFFECTIVE. The largest team of authorised HCEOs and
highly trained enforcement agents.
With our impressive industry leading recovery rates,
nationwide coverage and dedicated Client Services team,
you can trust HCE Group to collect more for you and
your clients.
Instruct us for
Enforcement of judgments and tribunal awards
Eviction of activists, squatters and travellers
Eviction of commercial and residential tenants
Commercial landlord services
Tracing and process serving
Vehicle recovery and enquiry
To find out more or instruct us
08450 999 666
www.hcegroup.co.uk