On the Spot

We are delighted to once again welcome Kirsten Tompkins back on the show. Kirsten is a Market Analyst and Content Creator in Turnaround and Restructuring at EY-Parthenon, the strategy consulting arm of EY. Kirsten is the coordinating editor and data analyst for EY-Parthenon’s Quarterly Analysis of UK Profit Warnings. Kirsten joins the show to discuss the latest Q1 2023 report, 'On a Knife Edge'. Revised forecasts show that the UK economy is on track to avoid a technical recession in 2023, but EY's profit warning data suggests it could be experiencing a ‘rolling recession,’ where waves of pressure cause individual parts of the economy to contract in turn. Banking stresses and higher-than-expected inflation also serve as a reminder that the recovery is still on a knife edge. Profit warnings rose dramatically in the technology and telecommunications sectors in Q1 2023, as uncertainty and cost pressures continued to pass down supply chains. 35% of profit warnings in Q1 cited contract delays or cancellations. Although recession has moved off the agenda, the range of possible outcomes is wide, and uncertainty remains a significant challenge in 2023.

SCHUMANN, headquartered in Göttingen, is a German family-run company that offers consulting and IT solutions in the areas of credit risk, compliance, and portfolio management systems. Lara Biermann is Head of Sales Credit & Surety at SCHUMANN and advises and supports international credit risk insurers, and surety bond providers, in digitising and automating their risk and business management processes. Craig Evans sat down with Lara to discover more about the role she fills at SCHUMANN, and the winding career that brought her there. Lara speaks about the key risks that her clients are facing, in particular credit insurers, and how SCHUMANN helps to solve them with risk analysis software that makes sense of the vast overload of data in 2023.

Iron Mountain is a global business dedicated to storing, protecting and managing, information and assets. From critical business information to geological samples, works of fine art, and even the Iron Throne from the hugely popular Game of Thrones series! Nick King is a Senior Order to Cash Integration Manager for the MENAT region focused on billing, cash applications, disputes and cash collection. Nick leads order to cash teams across 12 countries. Craig Evans sits down with Nick to gain insight into his world, the role he fills at Iron Mountain, and the career that brought him there. Nick has a strong background in credit management and sheds light on the ins and outs of the industry, offering a unique perspective gained from years of experience. Learn what the hot topics in credit risk are for Iron Mountain and why spotting risk at the onboarding stage is critical.

Courtney Rickert McCaffrey, Global Insights Leader at EY's Geostrategic Business Group, joins Adam Stones for episode 6 of 'On the Spot'. The EY Geostrategic Business Group uses geopolitical insights and analysis to help clients inform their business operations and strategy. Courtney is a recognised thought leader in the political risk and global macro trends space and is based in Washington, DC. Courtney's role as a Global Insights Leader is to drive research, analysis, and insights for publication, such as the 2023 Geostrategic Outlook - which forms the cornerstone of this episode's discussion. Adam and Courtney explore the current geopolitical environment and discuss how companies can build a more robust strategy for an increasingly volatile world. Geopolitical developments are likely to continue to influence supply chain strategies, shift investment destinations and push up costs for companies throughout the year. Take a look at the top 10 geopolitical developments EY's Geostrategic Business Group have identified to have the most significant impacts on organisations across sectors and geographies in 2023.

Sue Chapple, Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Credit Management (CICM), joins Craig Evans for episode 5 of 'On the Spot'. The CICM is the largest recognised professional body in the world for the credit management community and is the trusted leader in its field representing all areas of the credit and collections lifecycle. Sue has over 25 years of experience in operational credit management across finance, utilities and the public sector. We explore the world of credit management with Sue and learn more about her life and career, which has led her to become Chief Executive of the CICM. Good business practices, improving cash flow, and the future role of technology in credit management are all hot topics in this episode. AI-powered credit scoring certainly has a bright future in the credit industry, and Craig shares how Company Watch is leading the way with innovative tools that are making the best use of the technology. Sue explains how the CICM continues to help support businesses in an increasingly difficult economic environment, where risk is becoming harder to predict, and paying on time is still as important as ever.