arum welcomes Steve Coppard as group director of debt policy

In this newly created role, Steve will help the executive team of arum and its sister company Just to respond to the evolving needs of the government sector and, importantly, continue to champion our commitment for better outcomes for those struggling with problem debt, especially in the face of the growing cost-of-living crisis.

Steve has spent the last two decades working in debt management roles within central government, including the Cabinet Office, HM Revenue & Customs, and HM Customs & Excise. In his most recent role as Deputy Director for the Government Debt Management Function, he was accountable for prompting policy and strategy improvements for over £42bn of debt owed to central government. Prior to this, he managed the Debt Market Integrator (DMI) contract, which was a one-stop shop for all central and local government departments to access debt collection, analytics, and litigation and enforcement services.

arum’s Managing Director, Carlos Osorio, commented, “Steve is a fantastic addition to arum’s leadership team. He has been the driving force behind the recent transformation of debt management within government, paving the way for improved customer segmentation, use of analytics, creation of the debt integrator approach and highlighting the importance of customer fairness. Steve’s impressive experience and knowledge of debt management within the public sector will help arum to better understand the needs of our clients and support their efforts for better outcomes for all citizens. I am very much looking forward to working with him.”

Steve added, “It has been a privilege to head up the Government Debt Management Function and deliver real change that has helped to maximize recoveries and minimize costs, while improving outcomes for customers and clients alike. I have long been impressed by arum and Just: arum because it doesn't just consult - it goes further by partnering with clients to deliver exactly what is needed; and Just. for its innovation and its ethos that you deserve to get paid, but not at any cost. Across these two companies sit some of the best and brightest minds in the industry. Once again, the privilege is mine to be joining such a fantastic team."