Board logo

subject: Uk Business Rescue Organisations [print this page]


Uk Business Rescue Organisations

Despite being such a small world, the UK's business rescue and turnaround management industry has developed a bewildering number of acronyms and abreviations. So this article provides a guide to who's who and what's what in the world of business rescue and turnaround management consulting:

ABRP - rather inelegantly often pronounced as sounding like 'a burp', the Association of Business Recovery Professionals is the trade body for the UK insolvency profession (also known as R3) but now avoids the 'I' word having changed its name from SPI as part of the process of widening membership to the turnaround profession by assisting with the set up of the IfT (nee STP). Most IPs, see below, will be members.

ACTP - Association of Certified Turnaround Professionals, is an American based body associated with the TMA which accredits turnaround professionals by way of a professional exams based on American law and practice (although there have been some steps taken to develop a syllabus for the UK as well).

CRO - Chief Restructuring Officer, a turnaround professional appointed to a company specifically to take overall charge of all aspects of its turnaround project.

CTP - Certified Turnaround Professional, a qualified member of ACTP above and therefore probably still an American.

CVA - Company Voluntary Arrangement is an Insolvency Act business rescue procedure that allows a business to agree a binding compromise deal with its unsecured creditors in full and final settlement of its debts.

IBR - Independent Business Review is an investigation into a business's viability and prospects, carried out by the insolvency or business recovery arm of an accountancy firm on behalf of a lender.

IFT - Institute for Turnaround, originally known as the STP, the IfT is a body set up with R3's assistance to accredit turnaround professionals in the UK through a rigorous case study and referencing process. It and its members therefore broadly represent the turnaround professionals in the UK. It has a national membership and holds regional meetings as well as an annual conference. It has now become independent of ABRP/R3, which in turn is rumoured to be thinking of setting up its own special interest group of IPs specialising in business rescue and turnarounds.

IM - Interim Manger, a usually highly overqualified individual hired at manager level on a temporary basis, usually to deliver a project or cover for a vacancy.

IP - Insolvency Practitioner, someone who is licensed to take formal insolvency appointments and can therefore act as a Liquidator or an Administrator.

IPA - Insolvency Practitioners Association, an independent insolvency licensing body (the others being the accountancy institutes, the law society and the government).

JIEB - Joint Insolvency Examinations Board are the very tough exams which most IP's have had to pass to obtain their insolvency licence.

MTA - Minerva Training Associates is the only UK based training company which specialises in providing practitioner led turnaround training courses for people entering or already within the turnaround profession.

R3 - stands for Rescue, Recovery, Renewal, and is the business rescue friendly trading style adopted by ABRP when it stopped being SPI.

SIP 16 - Statement of Insolvency Practice 16 sets out the information an Administrator will need to subsequently disclose where they have completed a pre-packaged sale of a business on their appointment.

SofA - Statement of Affairs is the document prepared by directors in an insolvency setting out the businesses assets at their expected realisable value and the full value of its creditors so as to show the net deficit. Variations of this will often be prepared prior to insolvency, such as say an estimated outcome statements or an estimated security position included in an IBR to show the a secured creditor such as a bank how they stand both now and in various potential scenarios.

SPI - Society of Practitioners of Insolvency (you do have to ask what would have been wrong with Insolvency Practitioners Society instead?) is the old 'I word' name for ABRP/R3.

STP - Society of Turnaround Professionals was for many years the name of what is now the IFT. The name was changed after it was realised that the name and logo were far too similar to a brand of oil additive for comfort - just goes to show that no one's perfect...

TD/TE/TP - Turnaround Director/Executive/Professional, an individual who undertakes business rescue and turnaround work, the modern term for what used to be known colloquially as a 'company doctor'.

TMA - Turnaround Management Association is the UK chapter of what is principally an American (although there are other chapters around the world) organisation. An association of a wide range of professionals and service providers interested in the area of turnaround the TMA is a broad church. It has a national structure and runs a variety of networking events as well as an annual conference. It therefore represents the wider area of turnaround management in the UK.

Of course the information contained in an article like this can never be a full statement of the legal position as the relevant laws are complex and liable to change. This article can only therefore be a general guide as to the issues involved and as these can have serious implications you should always seek appropriate professional advice on your own particular circumstances before taking any action.

by: Mark Blayney




welcome to Insurances.net (https://www.insurances.net) Powered by Discuz! 5.5.0   (php7, mysql8 recode on 2018)