Congratulations on being recognised as one of the UK’s Top 100 Influential People! How did it feel when you found out the news?

Initially surprised, and if I’m honest, slightly embarrassed. I hadn’t expected it at all, and I wasn’t immediately sure how much of a big deal it was. I was told the news wouldn’t be public until January, so I put it to the back of my mind and didn’t tell anyone – not even my family! When the list was published and I saw who else was featured, it dawned on me that this was quite important. I eventually shared the LinkedIn post with my wife, but my mother, who is in her 80s and not on LinkedIn, was really puzzled as to why she was getting so many messages from people saying that she must be so proud (and not terribly impressed at finding out so indirectly).

But once the news had settled down, I felt genuine gratitude, not just for the recognition, but also for the way everyone responded to it. Clients, colleagues and even competitors reached out with such warm messages of support. It made me realise how many meaningful connections I’ve made in my career.

Who else is on the list that you most admire?

There are some very well-known people on the list, such as Dame Sharon White, Ben Francis and Stephen Bartlett. All incredibly successful individuals, but what struck me most was learning about the individuals I hadn’t heard of.

For example, Anne-Marie Imafidon, who was the youngest girl to pass A-Level computing aged 11 and now champions diversity in STEM careers. Zahra Shah who is an expert in AI and a campaigner for responsible AI and governance. There’s Nathan Downie, a multi-award winning autistic artist, and Zoe Barker-Lomax, who has been transforming healthcare communication networks for patient care.

There are some really inspiring stories, across sports, the arts, science, academia and technology. As a purpose-driven business, it's great to see like-minded people recognised and I’ve set myself a project to get to know some of them better.

Who has influenced, or inspired you the most in your career?

I learned a huge amount from the Partners I worked with when I was starting my career. I also remember becoming the lead for a client quite early in my career and they told me not to do things how they’d always been done before, but to lead in my own way, and that advice really stuck with me.

But inspiration isn’t just about looking back. I continue to be influenced by those I work with every day, helping me to understand more about how the world is changing and how we can make an impact in a positive way. I really enjoy meeting the generations of graduates or people who join us from different sectors or businesses and learning from them.

What do you hope this recognition will help LCP achieve?

It reinforces LCP’s reputation as a forward-thinking, outward-looking firm, that truly makes a positive impact. The award write-up highlights that we have applied consistent skill sets to add value in a range of different sectors, all focused on delivering positive change for people, the planet and society. The fact that this has been recognised externally and independently is a powerful endorsement and will help us explore additional offerings and sectors that are aligned with our purpose and values.

You joined LCP as a graduate – what has been your fondest memory?

Probably as a graduate working with my very first client, who are still a client of mine today. It is quite remarkable to work with one client for 28 years! All of the personnel on the client-side have changed, as have their circumstances and pension arrangements, but several LCP team members have been on the account for more than a decade.

I think working on that client feels to me like a metaphor for my career – things change so fast, but positive connections are so important over the long term.

We’ve spoken about your professional career, but what do you like doing outside of LCP?

My main hobby (albeit a fairly recent one) is climbing. We’ve been using the climbing wall analogy at LCP for a couple of years now, and as CEO I thought I really ought to be demonstrating our vision, quite literally!

In all seriousness though, it started as a team social, and I went along assuming that I would be terrible, but that would be part of the fun (and also the amusement of everyone else). But I really enjoyed it and I’ve been hooked ever since. I told my wife, and she suggested we try it together. She also loved it and the following weekend my three children joined us too, so it’s now become a family hobby, which is really nice, and I also still climb with the LCP group too.

What I love most about climbing is that it forces you to switch off from everything else. You perform so much better if you’re 100% focused, otherwise you risk falling off the wall. It’s been great for me from a wellbeing perspective, and I’d recommend it to anyone looking to give it a go.

And lastly - looking ahead, what excites you most about LCP’s future?

It’s the potential and the opportunities that excite me most. We have built a leading position in our core markets, placing LCP as a business that can positively influence those industries. We also turned our diversification strategy into a reality, proving that our vision and ambition is something that we can truly deliver. It tells us that as long as we stay true to our values and our purpose, there’s nothing we can’t do.

I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved at LCP, and I know there’s so much more ahead. But beyond strategy and external recognition, what excites me most is our people. LCP has always been a people business, and ensuring we remain a place where talented individuals thrive and make a difference is what keeps me excited for the future.