THE North East operation of business rescue and recovery specialist Begbies Traynor has strengthened its team with a hat-trick of training achievements.

Gillian Sayburn, who has spent 12 years with the firm, has started to take insolvency appointments, becoming the fourth insolvency practitioner serving Begbies Traynor’s offices in Newcastle and Teesside. Sayburn is also a qualified chartered accountant and this, together with the experience gained during her insolvency career, puts her in an ideal position to fulfil her new role.

Originally from Hexham, she joined the firm in 1999, spending five years at the group’s head office in Manchester and four years at its Nottingham office before returning to the North East to help establish Begbies Traynor’s Newcastle operation.

Two other members of the team have also enjoyed exam success. Tonya Allison, the Newcastle team’s senior administrator, recently passed her Certificate of Proficiency in Insolvency, the first step in qualifying to act as an Insolvency Practitioner. Amy Down, administrator for the Teesside office, has also passed Level 2 of the Association of Accounting Technicians exams and is moving forward to complete the course and obtain this accountancy qualification.

Andrew Haslam, Begbies Traynor partner for the North East, said: “Over the last three years, we have established a strong presence in the North East from our offices in Newcastle and Teesside. It is important we continue to invest in our 12-strong team to enable us to carry on providing expert advice to support businesses in the region as they face challenging conditions.”