My goal remains to ensure that the firm meets and exceeds clients' expectations by creating an environment where client service comes first. This is underpinned by ensuring the recruitment and development of skilled and motivated lawyers and top quality operations support. There are constant investments needed to both processes and systems to support the fee-earning effort and this provides me with many fascinating projects. Over recent years the firm has upgraded to Aderant for its practice management system. It has moved its IT into the cloud, overhauled the bonus and benefits regime and is integrating a CRM system.Prior to joining Edwin Coe, I was at Eversheds Sutherland, responsible for statutory and management reporting, managing teams in Birmingham, Leeds and Nottingham.I started my career with Electronic Data Systems in their International Finance team, later leading the finance team supporting their CADCAM division in Paris. From there I joined Nortel, which deepened my commercial experience. Moving back to the UK in 1996, I joined Price Waterhouse (later PwC), and moved to Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer's global litigation group as Business Support Manager, followed by time at Clifford Chance as Head of Financial Operations.I studied Economic History at Durham University and am a Chartered Management Accountant. Thanks to my time in France, I speak French fluently, especially after a glass of wine.I am a Trustee on the Board of Support Through Court, a not-for-profit organisation committed to supporting litigants in person. It provides trained volunteers who give free, independent assistance to people facing proceedings without legal representation in civil and family courts and tribunals. Away from work, I am a member of Blackheath & Bromley AC, still running. I also enjoy spending time with my family and when possible watching any sport including, optimistically usually, Crystal Palace.