There's Always A Way: About Daniel Hill

I’m a child of the ’70s. Survived the entertainers of the era (despite a few letters begging Jim to fix it for me to fly in a fighter jet - never happened, thankfully). As a teenager, I had no clue what I wanted to do with my life. What I did know, even then, was that I wasn’t going to settle for what other people thought I should be. The careers officer at school told me I’d be best off as a baker or train driver. Nothing wrong with either, but I remember walking out of that meeting thinking, absolutely not.

From a young age, I didn’t take the obvious route. Never have. I’ve always hated being pigeonholed. I’m not sure where that came from - probably a mix of watching people I admired, and a gut instinct that I just didn’t want to follow the usual path.

Looking back, it makes sense I ended up where I am. I’ve always been someone who tries to keep things fair. Not a fan of conflict. Quick with words, decent at diffusing tension, even if it meant putting myself last. Diplomatic, I guess. Probably why consumer duty sits well with me.

Debt collection, at its best, is about resolving issues without blowing things up. You need patience, perspective, and the ability to talk like a human being. If I wasn’t doing this, maybe I’d be in politics. Not the angry kind - the kind that tries to pull things back from the edge. God knows we could use a few more of those.

I started out in credit control at Umbro in 1997. That led to asset recovery, credit management, and troubleshooting collections departments - mainly for companies with broken accounts processes. Eventually, I ended up founding Lawton Hathaway in 2009 after spotting a clear gap in the market. We focus on supporting claims companies, especially in the financial services sector. And yes, the market’s changed a lot since then.

Like everyone, I have my moments of imposter syndrome. But the truth is, I know what I’m doing. I’ve done the work. I’ve seen the good and the bad (there’s both). This industry is full of decent people trying to do a tough job. We don’t get much credit, and we’re constantly jumping through compliance hoops, but it matters. And it needs more people who care about getting it right.

If I could give my younger self a bit of advice, it’d be simple:

You’ll be ok, kid. Don’t stress. There’s always a way.