Interpath chief fined for breaching confidentiality rules before KPMG spin-off
The chief executive of restructuring firm Interpath Advisory has been fined for allegedly breaching confidentiality standards before the company was sold to private equity by Big Four accounting giant KPMG, its former owner.
The UK’s accounting body, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales (ICAEW), said Mark Raddan, a former KPMG board member, was “severely reprimanded” and ordered to pay a financial penalty of £8000 after breaking confidentiality rules on two separate occasions following an investigation.
In October 2018, Raddan allegedly sent a third party a copy of a historic weekly cash report containing confidential information linked to an unconnected client, and in January 2019, the ICAEW said Raddan shared information regarding fee charges for work undertaken for two other clients.
At the time of the misconduct, Raddan was on KPMG UK’s board and worked as the Big Four firm’s global head of turnaround and was a leading restructuring partner in the business.
Interpath Advisory was sold off by KPMG in 2021 to private equity group HIG Capital for £400m and became the largest restructuring firm in the UK by headcount.
According to a disciplinary notice published in May, the order was made after Raddan agreed with the findings and based on the realistic prospect that he would be found to have broken accountancy standards if the case was sent to a tribunal for a hearing.
Interpath makes third loss in four years
In January, Interpath reported that it recorded its third loss in four years since it broke away from KPMG in 2021.
The firm reported a pre-tax loss of £11m to the year until 28 March 2025, according to companies house filings.
It was also revealed in January that the restructuring firm was in exclusive negotiations with Bridgepoint to acquire a majority stake in its business.
KPMG restructuring arm under scrutiny
At the time, KPMG’s restructuring arm was also the subject of a major disciplinary case for its work with mattress giant Silentnight, which later collapsed.
In 2021 the accountancy tribunal fined the Big Four firm £13m over its role in the Silentnight sale to a private equity fund, and it was ordered to review a piece of the restructuring work after finding it broke the accounting industry’s integrity and objectivity principles.
Interpath Advisory and KPMG were approached for comment.