Begbies Traynor boss Ric Traynor: Why we should let zombie firms die

'The right thing might be to let the weak go to the wall.' Traynor is the executive chairman and founder of Begbies Traynor, one of Britain's largest corporate insolvency companies for smaller firms that run into trouble. Entrepreneur: Traynor founded his own insolvency firm aged just 29 Cynics might argue that he would want 'weak' companies to fail, given it will result in substantially more business for his £121million firm, which is listed on the junior AIM stock market. But, Traynor says, that support led to the creation of what he dubs 'zombie' companies – firms that were allowed to potter through the past decade by paying very low rates of interest on huge debts, with no money available for expansion and growth. Television programme Great British Railway Journeys hosted by Michael Portillo Education: A dentist's son, he went to comprehensive school in Thorne, ten miles from Doncaster.