Expert Spotlight: Meet Restructuring Expert Hazel Doughty

For Hazel Doughty, a career in restructuring has been defined by a focus on performance and clarity. She has built her experience by supporting clients through financial and operational challenges and change, always emphasizing practical solutions with a collaborative approach. Her work reflects not only technical expertise but also a commitment to guiding institutions through change with confidence and compassion.

That commitment also extends to the wider community. At this year’s Restructuring Conference, Hazel stepped up and chaired a leading panel discussion on UK Public Sector Restructuring, underscoring her commitment to shaping the profession’s future. She is actively involved in graduate onboarding, helping new joiners feel welcome, acquire the skills they require and build lasting connections. “It’s about ensuring they have a positive experience and feel truly connected,” Hazel explains. Together, these contributions reflect the values that have shaped her career and set the stage for a deeper look at her journey.

 

From Oversight to Restructuring

Hazel’s first professional challenge was being sent into high-pressure organizations, tasked with understanding how they were coping. “You were dropped in when things were tough, and you had to make sense of it quickly,” she recalls. The work showed her how institutions handle financial stress and how essential clear communication becomes when resources are tight.

That experience drew her closer to restructuring. While working at NHS England with distressed healthcare providers, Hazel was on the client side of commissioning firms to review organizations in distress. “I would have rather been doing it myself,” she says. That realization brought her back to Kroll, this time as the appointed advisor delivering the work, but with the added insight that comes with having worked as the client, both in-house in a finance team and in NHS relationship management. Some familiar organizations have returned to her desk since, only now she is advising from the other side, completing the full circle from appointee to appointed.

“Having spent time on the client side in both the private and public sectors, I have a greater understanding of what drives decision making – good and bad – and what is needed to manage stakeholders and obtain client buy-in to change,” added Hazel.

 

Balancing Multisector Engagements

Today Hazel’s portfolio spans public and private sector restructuring. She collaborates with colleagues on healthcare and higher education projects while also working with teams on mid-market corporate engagements, including family-run companies.

“In smaller businesses you often meet the founders or their families, and sometimes there are three generations working alongside each other. It does not always work but helping them restructure or sell can be incredibly rewarding – and building strong relationships and communicating with compassion are essential. In the public sector the challenge is systemic, insufficient funds across areas like healthcare or universities facing a decline in overseas students.  Often, the same challenges arise with lack of clarity on the financial position and the factors driving it,” Hazel explains.

Her ability to move seamlessly between these worlds reflects both versatility and a deep understanding of the structural differences. Family businesses often struggle with succession and financial literacy, while public institutions face funding gaps and policy pressures. Hazel thrives on the variety, finding satisfaction in guiding both sectors through their unique challenges.

Interestingly, the starting point to arrive at a solution is often one and the same: better visibility from undertaking a cash flow review, often alongside distressed cash management, as well as supporting forecasting and leveraging the insight that an integrated model can provide. Then comes the solution – whether it be a refinancing process or an accelerated sale – with stakeholder management essential throughout.

 

Investing in People and Culture

Hazel is passionate about developing the next generation of restructuring professionals. Inspired by her own graduate cohort experience as she was cutting her teeth, she and colleague Janet spearheaded a program to train new joiners together.

“We wanted them to feel like a team-within-a-team,” Hazel says. “It is about teaching specialist subjects, building camaraderie and setting culture from the start. Everyone arrives together, learns together and grows together.”

This focus on people reflects Hazel’s broader philosophy. Restructuring is not just about numbers, but about relationships, trust and collaboration.

 

Navigating Market Trends

Looking ahead, Hazel sees clear trends shaping the restructuring landscape. In higher education, declining overseas student numbers and reduced domestic appetite are putting universities under financial strain. Healthcare continues to face systemic funding challenges, with critical organizations requiring support to maintain services. There are parallels with UK businesses, where manufacturers, hospitality, retail and construction will continue to feel the pressure of this year’s increase in National Living Wage and National Insurance on their businesses.

“These pressures are not going away,” Hazel notes. “Our role is to help institutions and businesses adapt, whether that means restructuring, finding efficiencies or identifying new opportunities. Here at Kroll, we are well-positioned to help organizations with multi-faceted problems, bringing in our colleagues from the diligence or investigations teams to help”

Her experience across both public and private sectors positions her to anticipate these challenges and provide practical, grounded solutions.

 

Looking Ahead

As we move into 2026, Hazel’s ability to balance public sector restructuring with private sector engagement ensures she remains a trusted advisor to clients across industries. Her focus on clarity, collaboration and culture combined with her personal resilience positions her for continued success.

“I enjoy the variety,” Hazel says. “Every case is different, but whether it is a hospital, or a family business, the goal is the same, to help people see the reality and move forward.”

Hazel Doughty’s journey demonstrates that restructuring is not only about financial solutions, but also about people, culture and long-term vision, both in the boardroom and at home.