Our guest on this episode of Leaders With Ambition exemplifies what it means to carve out a career niche that dovetails perfectly with professional interests, goals, and talents. Adrian Hyde, a Partner at Begbies Traynor Group, explains how he came to specialise as a Licensed Insolvency Practitioner and pioneer a whole new type of business advisory services.
He shares with host Nicky Acuna Ocana his journey from growing up the son of a trade union organiser in the East Midlands region to 16 years as a Solicitor in private practice to evolving an enormously successful international (and entrepreneurial) business and crime asset recovery practice. You’ll learn about the roots of CVR Global, its geographic footprint, expansion, and eventual happy acquisition by Begbies. Adrian also highlights the ongoing role of mentorship as well as the reasons for his commitment to Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI).
“You progress through your networking but you also progress by actually having the spark within you that gives you the confidence to go and do the networking,” says our guest. Find out what obstacles currently pose the biggest challenges for business and legal services and get an inside look at the fascinating landscape that shapes the work of Insolvency Practitioners day to day.
If you enjoyed this discussion, please click here to find previous episodes of Leaders with Ambition.
Key Takeaways:
Starting out
The diverse young life experience in the East Midlands as the son of a trade union organiser introduced Adrian’s worldview heading into university and beyond.
Jumpstart
What sparked Adrian’s early, ardent interest in the legal space (Hint: A TV drama.)
Competitive edge
How his temperament makes Adrian particularly well suited to his specialty.
Key direction
Why mentorship proved essential to Adrian’s professional development and along the way to his two main career goals: to be a Partner at a London-based firm.
Gathering focus
How Adrian grasped the opportunity to deepen his expertise and role as a credible Insolvency Practitioner (including navigating rigorous licensing exams).
Fostering equity
About the evolution and acquisition of the business recovery team that ultimately became CVR Global – the dawn of a new type of business advisory service.
Dramatic growth
What fuelled CVR Global’s growth, including staffing up from 30 to 100 and expanding the geographic footprint.
Winning combination
How the negotiation process that resulted in the terms of Begbie’s acquisition of CVR Global contributed to a surprisingly seamless transition.
Paying it forward
About Adrian’s service as president of the Insolvency Practitioners Association as a form of giving back, adding to the profession, and helping shape regulation.
Hybrid challenges
What it looks like to balance learning and development with workplace flexibility, including innovative approaches to improve recruitment.
Building confidence
About the benefits of experience accrued through apprenticeships and an immersive approach to learning on the job.
Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
Why Adrian is so committed to spreading the availability of options by recruiting in underserved areas to attract talent that might otherwise be marginalised?
Current challenges for Legal Services/IP
Increased regulation and attendant paperwork. Also: harnessing the potential benefits (and risks) of AI.
Words of Wisdom
Never assume anything! That extends from conducting interviews to casually meeting and interacting with colleagues on a professional or personal level.
Key Quotes:
“It was brilliant actually being on the ground … You get to do so much more as the IP (Insolvency Practitioner) than you do as a lawyer. Being the person that made the decisions was what really excited me.”
“There is a tension, for want of a better world, between the insolvency restructuring part of the practice and the mainstream audit and accounting side ... and, to be honest, I wanted equity.”
“Hybrid working is quite an issue in that a lot of the learning about what we do you get from sitting next to someone who has been doing it for 10 years.”
“You progress through your networking but you also progress by actually having the spark within you that gives you the confidence to go and do the networking.''
“Never assume anything … Even if it looks like (something) don’t assume that it is. And that’s across all aspects of work, but particularly with meeting and talking to people.”
About Adrian Hyde:
Adrian is a licensed insolvency practitioner. Prior to joining CVR (acquired by Begbies Traynor Group in 2021), he was a Partner in two well-known law firms, specialising in insolvency, proceeds of crime and fraud work. Experienced in a wide range of insolvency matters, the majority of Adrian’s assignments involve crime and dishonesty and many involve overseas issues at offshore jurisdictions and business centres.
About Nicky Acuna Ocana:
Nicky has led high-performing recruitment teams for over 25 years. As the Regional Managing Director of Ambition UK, Europe & US, she leads a team of highly-skilled recruitment consultants who specialize in Business Services functions within Professional Services and are experts in their niche specialist areas. With an extensive network of senior and board-level contacts, she is also heavily involved in Executive Search, focusing on director-level appointments across Business Services for a range of Professional Services firms.
