Paul Bowden appointed president of the IRRV East Midlands Association

We’re pleased to announce that Paul Bowden, recoveries partner, has been appointed as the new president of the Institute of Revenues, Rating and Valuation (IRRV) East Midlands Association.

Having served as the vice president of the regional association which is one of the professional qualification bodies that leads the field of revenues, benefits and valuation for local government practitioners across the UK, Paul will now take over the reins of president for a two-year term.

Maintaining professional standards in recoveries and collections

Speaking of his appointment, Paul said:

“I’m delighted to take on the mantle of President of the East Midlands region of the IRRV. 

“A core objective of the Institute is to support its members’ professional and personal development by cultivating best practice guidance and essential support, so I’m thrilled to be able to help maintain the very highest of professional standards in the sector whilst assisting local governments to effectively deal with any debt type, at any stage of the legal and insolvency process.”

Local government collections are vital

He adds:

“Wilkin Chapman provides comprehensive legal support to over 100 local authorities nationwide, so this clear commitment to the IRRV is a demonstration that local government collections are a vital sector that simply cannot go overlooked.”

Paul’s appointment was confirmed at the IRRV’s AGM at the Rutland County Council in Oakham. The East Midlands Association covers a wide area including the regions of Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire. He will advise and steer the regional programme of upcoming events of the Institute in collections, beginning with local conferences as well as undertaking regular training sessions with members nationally.

Paul has spent 15 years specialising in recoveries here at Wilkin Chapman. During this time, he has acted for a range of creditor clients on both volume recoveries and more complex insolvency proceedings. He acts on behalf of a wide range of corporate clients, including local authorities, utility companies, debt purchasers, and other commercial creditors.

Paul currently leads our local authority debt recovery team based in Grimsby. He has been involved in the development and delivery of "resolution", Wilkin Chapman's unique legal and insolvency service offering primarily developed for local authorities and specialises in finding ways to assist local authorities in dealing with collections. He can advise on collections strategy, improving processes and finding solutions for a wide range of issues facing revenue teams which include maximising revenue, tackling static debt, and collecting arrears.