I am the only person in the world that has been the CEO of a law firm, CEO of a barristers chambers (with over 180 members) and was the first elected non accountant Managing Partner of a UK Top 20 accountancy practice. Therefore having spent the last 14 years in very senior roles within the professions, developing business plans and crafting strategy, I believe I am qualified to advise and provide support to those elected and tasked with the difficult and sometimes lonely job of running professional services firms. Having been an internal and external "face"​ of the businesses I have run, I have a detailed understanding of the importance of investing time, firstly with the retention, development and recruitment of good people, whilst at the same time dealing with difficult issues surrounding partner remuneration, under performance and succession planning, particularly at a senior level. For the last 18 years, working within the professions, I have made it my business to speak with clients on a regular basis, carrying out detailed client reviews focusing on both individual performance and the firm's performance, feeding back internally in a measured and sensitive way.

I was elected in a contested election by the Partners in November 2009 to be the firm's first non accountant Managing Partner and was re elected unopposed in November 2013. While in post I split my time between internal and external matters; managing the firm, but also ensuring that clients were happy with the services that had been provided and that the firm was living up to the promises it had made to them. I was also responsible for developing and delivering the firm’s business plan, ensuring that staff at all levels bought into the firm’s strategic direction and understood the promises that had been made to clients and the objectives that had been set. In 2014, the final year of the plan, Saffery Champness had its best year of trading in 160 years.

I joined Saffery Champness in January 2008 as the firm’s second Executive Partner with responsibility for all support departments and to provide assistance to the then client facing Managing Partner.

In 2006 I was appointed Chief Executive of St Philips Chambers; the second largestBarristers set in the UK. My principal achievements there were to refocus the business on core financial matters, improve its marketing and client care procedures. This ultimately led to St Philips completing the largest merger at the Bar in 2006.

I joined Collyer Bristow as their first Chief Executive where, together with the Senior Partner, I was responsible for business planning and strategy implementation, together with ensuring the firm was run correctly on an operational basis.During my time at Collyer Bristow the firm changed considerably, both in terms of client base and size and was the first UK law firm to open an office in Geneva.

In 1998 I was appointed joint Head of Marketing of Dibb Lupton Alsop with particular responsibility for the development of the firm’s client care procedures to increase client retention and client development. I was responsible for the firm’s strategy relating to major panel reviews and client tenders.Along with client retention and client development I also worked on the firm’s re-branding to DLA and the building of its national and international practice.

I joined the joined the newly merged law firm Dibb Lupton Alsop in 1997 as a Marketing Manager with both national practice group and regional office responsibility.