Staff Profile: Morgan Kettle

What inspired you to pursue a career in insolvency?

I was drawn to insolvency because it sits in between law, finance and business, with a bit of problem-solving as well. It really aligns with what I’m doing at uni because I’m studying a business and law double degree. It’s one of the most suitable accounting-type roles for tailoring to that combination.

Are you unusual in that you’re working in a graduate role while still studying, or are others doing something similar?

From what I’ve noticed, it’s actually quite unusual. Most people I’ve met at uni, or friends doing similar degrees, are still in casual jobs. Especially when I started, I was pretty much fresh out of high school at 18, and it was very unusual. It’s becoming a bit more common now as I’m about to turn 21, but it’s still not that typical.

You’re very early in your career, but what professional achievement are you most proud of so far?

Probably handling matters on files. Not managing files completely but being given most of the work on a file and being trusted to task-manage it. I’ve also been designated recovery actions, where I conduct investigations, prepare, and try to effect a recovery. It’s probably a toss-up between those two.

You’re clearly learning a lot on the job. How has that translated into benefits for your studies?

It helps a lot, especially with writing and understanding legislation for the law. The Corporations Act obviously plays a major part, and being able to comprehend it and write logically using it has been very beneficial.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of the work you do?

Trying to create a distribution to creditors. Recovery actions are a big part of that, and if you can find a strong one and get money back to creditors, that’s probably the most rewarding part of the job.

Is there anything you’ve learned from a colleague that’s made you better at your job?

Learning from more experienced people has been really beneficial. Understanding how they view things and how they apply legislation helps a lot. Neil, for example, has a really good understanding of the Corporations Act, and listening to him and applying that myself has been very helpful.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I’ve got a couple of years left at uni, and I definitely want to stay around the insolvency space. Whether that’s on the accounting side or the legal side is still up in the air, but further along in insolvency, in some capacity, is the direction.

Is working in insolvency something that runs in the family?

Not at all! Mum’s a dentist and dad’s a concrete pumper, so it’s pretty out of line with that. Even at school, I was always business-oriented, but business is very broad. Insolvency is one of those smaller areas people don’t really talk about. It was Neil who got me into it, and now that I’m in the space, I really enjoy it and wouldn’t want to be doing anything else, especially in accounting.

Is there a book, podcast, or film that has influenced you recently?

I struggled with this one a bit. I’m not a big reader, and the only podcast I really listen to every now and then is The Joe Rogan Experience.

What about outside of work and uni, what do you do in your downtime?

I’ve coached rugby for three years and I’m playing rugby this year. So I play a lot of sport. I go to the gym quite a lot as well. Health and fitness is a big thing for me.