International financial advisory firm Interpath has been appointed by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to its Skilled Person Panel, a framework through which the FCA commissions independent expert reviews under Section 166 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA).
Section 166 reviews are a key supervisory tool used by the FCA and PRA to obtain independent expert assessments of regulated firms. They are typically commissioned where the regulator requires an objective evaluation of a firm's systems, controls, financial position, or compliance with regulatory requirements. Skilled Persons are drawn from a panel of pre-approved firms with demonstrated expertise across defined regulatory lots.
Interpath has been appointed across three lots: Lot G (Prudential – Deposit Takers, Recognised Clearing Houses, Central Securities Depositories and PRA-designated Investment Firms), Lot H (Prudential – Insurance), and Lot M (Trade and Transaction Reporting). The appointment recognises the firm’s depth of expertise across financial services regulation, credit risk, and operational resilience. Additionally, Interpath has been appointed alongside other firms on a number of consulting lots across financial analysis and risk management to provide direct support to the FCA.
Interpath has also been appointed to the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) panel, reflecting the breadth of the firm's capability across both prudential and conduct-focused regulatory frameworks, as well as its Insolvency Practitioner Panel, which supports the FCA to exercise its powers to appoint IPs over regulated firms.
The appointments will run for four years from April 2026.
Nick Parkhouse, Global Head of Financial Services at Interpath, said: “These appointments reflect the depth of expertise and our ambition across prudential regulation for banks, insurers and investment firms, alongside our growing capability in transaction reporting and data integrity. We are investing heavily in developing a specialist Financial Services practice at the intersection of credit risk, regulatory capital and deals advisory. Being appointed to the Skilled Person panel is a strong endorsement of that work and enables us to support regulated firms as they navigate increasingly complex regulatory scrutiny.”
Paul Pretlove, Global Head of Financial Services Restructuring at Interpath, said: “We have built market-leading experience in highly regulated environments where cases are often complex, highly sensitive and require a careful balance of creditor and market interests with regulatory priorities. As financial services works through a period marked by its volatility and disruption, we welcome the opportunity to support the FCA with highly skilled insolvency practitioners to deliver on its most demanding cases.”
Interpath’s Financial Services practice has grown substantially since the firm's establishment, building a reputation for rigorous, technically grounded advisory work across restructuring, debt advisory, loan diligence, securitisation, data quality and M&A. The practice operates across the full credit lifecycle from origination and underwriting through to work-out and restructuring giving Interpath a distinctive vantage point that few advisory firms can match. Interpath has also established a strong track record from notable insolvency and fraud cases in the specialty finance sector.
