Judging panel 2023

Chair of the judges: Adam Cadle, Editor, MoneyAge and Insurance Asset Management
Stephen Allinson, Solicitor and Licensed Insolvency Practitioner
Claire Aynsley, Head of Regulatory Compliance and Standards, Credit Services Association
Luke Sculthorp FCICM, Head of Strategic Relationships, Chartered Institute of Credit Management
Paula Swain, Partner, Shoosmiths

Chair of the judges: Adam Cadle, Editor, MoneyAge and Insurance Asset Management
Adam Cadle is a business and finance journalist with over ten years’ experience, and is currently the editor of Insurance Asset Management, overseeing the rise of the brand for the past four years. He also has editorship of MoneyAge, the leading brand for IFAs, mortgage brokers and the financial services sector. He previously worked as deputy editor on Pensions Age and European Pensions. Adam has chaired a number of judging panels and conferences over the years both in the personal finance and insurance asset management spaces. He is a graduate from Sussex University with a BA honours in French and History and is NCTJ qualified.

Stephen Allinson, Solicitor and Licensed Insolvency Practitioner
Stephen is a solicitor and licensed insolvency practitioner who has specialised in business law, credit, debt, and insolvency work since 1987, and has extensive experience in dealing with the full range of these procedures. Prior to setting up his own consultancy in 2008, he was a business recovery and insolvency partner at a major law firm. He currently undertakes consultancy for several legal firms as well as pursuing other projects in the legal, insolvency and credit fields. Stephen is a popular and sought-after lecturer on insolvency and debt related matters to accountants, solicitors, bankers, company officers and credit managers. He is very involved in legal education, chairing the Assessment board for the Chartered Institute of Credit Management, and sitting as a member of the Qualifications Committee of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives. He also previously acted as a Technical Consultant to both Credit and Insolvency Today magazines and chaired for several years the premier Insolvency and Rescue Awards scheme for the turnaround, rescue, and insolvency industry. He was a senior member and Chair of ACCA’s disciplinary processes for several years and is now one of the Chairmen of the Methodist Church Disciplinary Process. In 2012 he was appointed the Deputy Independent Examiner for the Actuarial Profession. In 2013 he became Chairman of the Joint Insolvency Examination Board which oversees the examination and appointment of new Insolvency Practitioners and in June 2015 he was appointed as a Non-Executive Board Member of The Insolvency Service and the Chairman of the Board in January 2017. Thus, he is very involved at the heart of policy and procedure for the insolvency profession.

Claire Aynsley, Head of Regulatory Compliance and Standards, Credit Services Association
Claire joined the Credit Services Association in 2002. She has played a vital role in the progression of the Association and is now Head of Regulatory Compliance and Standards, continuing to support and guide members. Claire's dedication and passion for the industry have greatly enhanced the status of the Association, forging strong relationships with regulatory bodies and other industry stakeholders to ensure the CSA is at the forefront of any regulatory and legislative changes.

Luke Sculthorp FCICM, Head of Strategic Relationships, Chartered Institute of Credit Management
Luke is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Credit Management (CICM) and runs the highly successful development partnerships which support the professional development of credit and collections teams. Formerly appointed as Credit Manager within United Utilities PLC, contributing to creating a new finance shared service centre. Luke holdsa diploma in debt collection and sits on numerous industry forums, including the CICM Think Tank, Shared Services Forum UK and has contributed to the Utility Week Debt & Vulnerability events.

Paula Swain, Partner, Shoosmiths
Paula heads Shoosmiths’ national business to business (B2B) debt recovery team. Our team supports our corporate client base across offices in Belfast, Edinburgh and Hampshire. A commercial litigator, she regularly advises creditor companies on their finance and business disputes. She is accustomed to handling disputes around guarantees and indemnities, complex asset recoveries, breach of warranty and fraud claims. Paula is also head of the firm’s Solent office and is responsible for the firm’s contribution to, and profile within, the local business community. In 2018, she was elected a director of the Solent local economic partnership (LEP), and appointed to the board of the Solent Freeport. Legal 500 has listed Paula as a Leading Individual, and the team as Tier 1. One client has said: “Paula Swain who heads up this division – is extremely experienced, passionate and devoted. Paula always has time to share generously her knowledge, experience and to help others in anyway she can. Paula is a true ambassador for Shoosmiths and the profession