Blogs
Coming full circle…
September 2026
A wonderful feeling to return to Canterbury — the city where I was born and spent the first 20 years of my life.
I remember fondly my years at Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys and have countless memories of the city — from its historic streets and many fabulous pubs to the magnificent Cathedral. I’ve always had a particular affection for everything that makes this city so unique.
It was therefore particularly special to be back, but this time in a very different capacity.
I’m now in my 10th year as CEO of Russell Bedford International and I was delighted to visit our member in Canterbury — a hugely successful business that is expanding rapidly. It makes me very proud to have such a thriving firm from my home city as part of our network.
Over the past decade, our network has also experienced tremendous growth. But at its heart, we remain focused on something very simple: relationships, connection and collaboration — bringing together ambitious professional services firms from around the world, sharing knowledge and opportunities, and creating relationships that benefit the people of our firms and their clients.
As we continue to grow and evolve, we’re always looking to connect with more high-quality, like-minded people who would value being part of an international community. Our next Global Conference takes place in Los Angeles in late October, when we’ll come together in-person from across the world.
Perhaps the most enjoyable part of this visit to Canterbury was the sense of coming full circle — from the schoolboy growing up here, to returning decades later as CEO of an international organisation with firms in more than 100 countries.
Same city. Very different chapter. And still very proud to call Canterbury home.
A big thank you to Burgess Hodgson for their great hospitality and for making the visit even more enjoyable.