Regulation, Reform and Reputation – Shaping the future of debt purchase and collections

MALG CEO Bob Winnington is in central London for this podcast episode with someone who is familiar with the capital as a former MP, Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury and Shadow Chancellor: Chris Leslie. Chris became MP of Shipley, West Yorkshire in 1997 (think: D-Ream’s ‘Things can only get better’), but you can now often find him even further North in Newcastle, where the headquarters of the Credit Services Association (CSA) resides. He was appointed as CEO of the UK trade body for the debt purchase and collections sector in July 2020 at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Chris brings a unique blend of parliamentary experience, policy expertise, and sector engagement to his role, positioning the CSA as an authoritative voice for the debt collection industry. He works closely with government and regulators to shape and communicate public policy and promote high professional standards across CSA member firms and, under his leadership, significant progress has been made in both professionalisation of the sector and public understanding of it’s role in credit viability and debt resolution.

In this episode, ahead of the CSA’s UK Credit & Collections Conference on 11 September 2025, he gives a ‘state of the nation’ update on the future of debt purchase and collections from a regulatory, political and industry point of view.