Staff Profile: Khaled Shindy

Khaled Shindy, shares his journey into insolvency, from his first start as an accounting graduate to helping companies manage debt with empathy and insight.

So, I was coming towards the end of my accounting degree, three to four years ago, and I was looking around at my options. I was leaning towards financial planning but somebody suggested looking into insolvency. My thought at the time was I’d help people make money… and now I’m at the other end, helping Companies and directors manage their debts.

I was referred to a small boutique firm, only about four people, which was really good because I got involved in all aspects of insolvency, both corporate and personal.

At the moment as I’m still going through my CA, I only have two more subjects left. So, there’s definitely light at the end of the tunnel. Then I’ll move on to the ARITA course after that.

In terms of the work that I do, I’d say just seeing people’s relief is an achievement. You see the stress they were under, and then you see it lifted. That’s a good feeling.

Empathy. Being a young graduate, you focus so much on the technical stuff, you want to make sure you understand everything as quickly as possible. But when you’re dealing with clients, it’s not just about the facts. It’s about understanding their situation and actually listening. Empathy is definitely something that’s helped my perception.

Yes, definitely. I’ve been reading a book called Lost Connections, by Johann Hari. It’s about understanding depression and the root causes of it. I’m still making my way through it, but in essence the author was medicated for depression and wanted to investigate what else might cause it beyond the medical side of things.

He talks about things like losing jobs, not having a meaningful job, or just being disconnected from people. I’ve actually applied some of that thinking to my day-to-day work. For example, if someone worked so hard to build a company but ends up in liquidation, of course they’re going to feel despondent and maybe a little bit hopeless. It helps me come at it from a more wholistic perspective.

Connecting what I was saying earlier about the importance of empathy and also learning through the book the different causes of depression and anxiety, from biology to society has started to really shape how I approach my work.