The drive to give back: a volunteer's perspective on leadership

6/11/2025

Guest Contributor

• Ashley Leslie RITP, Director, Vincents

ARITA Professional Member, Ashley Leslie RITP, Director at Vincents, shares a powerful perspective on the impact of volunteering in the restructuring, insolvency and turnaround profession. By leading workshops and mentoring emerging practitioners, especially women, Ashley highlights how sharing experiences helps address industry knowledge gaps and future-proof the profession in the face of challenges like AI and disruption. ARITA thanks Ashley and all Workshop Leaders for their time, contribution and dedication to the delivery of the ARITA Advanced Certification in 2025.

Ashley Leslie RITP, Director – Restructuring & Recovery at Vincents is the embodiment of giving back to one's profession. Through her dedication as a volunteer workshop leader and mentor for ARITA, Ashley is not only imparting critical knowledge, but actively shaping the next generation of insolvency practitioners. Her journey is driven by a profound belief in the importance of role models, continuous learning, and safeguarding the industry against evolving challenges.

The drive to give back and shape the future

Ashley’s journey into volunteering was initially inspired by other workshop leaders, who all found it to be a positive experience. Believing she had something to give back to the profession, she took the opportunity to become a workshop leader herself, hoping that the practical insights she could offer would lead to tangible improvements in the daily work of participants.

"Even if they take one piece of information on that they didn't know before, they go into their jobs the next day and go, ‘Right, I know how to do this now’ or ‘I understand this bit better’ or ‘I know how to tackle this particular individual or this circumstance’ or whatever it is," she shares.

As a workshop leader, Ashley facilitates face-to-face sessions, typically with two leaders – an accountant and a lawyer. Classes range from 8 to 15 participants, and preparation is crucial. ARITA materials are reviewed and calculations verified, and key learning objectives identified. However, she finds one of the most influential aspects of her workshops is the sharing of "war stories".

"I think when you get the biggest impact or interaction with the students, it's when you're relaying the adventures that you've been on through the years,” she highlights, adding that these stories often spark numerous questions and a desire for similar experiences.

The importance of seeing what you can become

Beyond workshops, Ashley is also an ARITA mentor, a role she enjoys due to the diverse perspectives and ambitious goals of her mentees. Perhaps more importantly, she hopes her guidance can help mentees advance through the profession quicker than she did and instil in the protégée’s a desire to do the same.

"I've got to where I am through my own steam, but if I had had a mentor, I think I might have got to where I am quicker than what I did,” she explains.

“So, I hope then if they get something out of it and it does help them progress quicker... maybe they can in the future pay it forward and do the same thing for the next generation.”

Ashley also acknowledges the significant impact she has as a role model, particularly for women. As a working mother of two young children, she provides a powerful example of how professional success and family life can coexist.

"I do [see myself as a role model], and I do because people tell me. I get young females telling me that,” Ashley states.

“I have largely a female team that works for me… and they like working for me because they can see a future for them because I've already got that. So, they know it's achievable.”

"Mentorship made me realise how much of a role model that I was. I didn't see it myself until I started meeting with these people and they'd say, ‘Wow, this is great. I never knew I could do this, and I look at you and see this is what I can do’.”

Safeguarding the profession: addressing industry gaps and future challenges

Considering recent industry challenges, Ashley believes the importance of volunteering is more important than ever. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the insolvency sector, leading to a loss of experienced staff and creating a critical knowledge gap. Furthermore, the looming presence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) poses an existential threat to certain roles within the profession, making the upskilling of emerging professionals essential for survival.

"We need to impart these skills, so I think it's important that everybody get involved to do their part to try and safeguard the profession for the future,” she argues.

Ashley Leslie's commitment to ARITA’s volunteer programs serves as a powerful call to action for all insolvency practitioners. Her experiences underscore the profound impact that individual contributions can have on nurturing talent, fostering growth, and preparing the profession for the uncertainties of the future.

If you’re an ARITA Professional Member and interested in becoming a Workshop Leader, please get in touch.

ARITA thanks the following Workshop Leaders for their time, contribution and dedication to the delivery of the 2025 ARITA Advanced Certification.