The previous head of considered one of Britain’s main enterprise teams has been banned from serving as a director for “abusing” state COVID-19 enterprise loans.
Award-nominated businesswoman Anna Daroy has 35 years expertise advising firm boards in the private and non-private sector and served because the interim director normal of the Institute of Administrators (IoD), a outstanding enterprise foyer group, from October 2018 to November 2019.
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She herself has now been barred from being a director for 11 years after failing to pay again a £50,000 mortgage overpayment.
It means Ms Daroy can’t be concerned within the promotion, formation or administration of an organization with out court docket permission.
The Insolvency Service, which investigated the difficulty, mentioned on Thursday that Ms Daroy “abused” the COVID-19 period bounce again mortgage scheme by acquiring two loans when companies had been solely permitted one.
The utmost £50,000 quantity below the bounce again scheme was paid out twice, from two banks, each inside 5 days of one another in Might 2020, the service mentioned.
Upon realising her firm acquired double the sum allowed, Ms Daroy ought to have repaid one of many loans, it added.
The recipient firm, Globepoint Associates Ltd, went into liquidation in March 2023, with each loans excellent.
The Insolvency Service’s chief investigator, Kevin Learn, mentioned the loans had been “designed to provide vital support to struggling businesses during the pandemic, not to be exploited by those who did not follow the terms of the scheme”.
“As someone with such extensive experience in senior business leadership roles, Ms Daroy should have known better than to break the rules,” mentioned Mr Learn. “More than 2,400 directors have been banned for COVID-19 loan abuse since investigations began in 2021.”
Who’s Anna Daroy?
Simply final 12 months, Ms Daroy was nominated for the distinguished Girls’s Enterprise Membership businesswoman of the 12 months award.
Since making use of for the COVID-19 loans, she has held management positions at The Chartered Establishment of Water and Environmental Administration in addition to the British Affiliation for Counselling and Psychotherapy.
Ms Daroy has been contacted for remark.
