Blogs
Nine years as CEO
April 2026
A journey defined by the people, our resilience, and experiences that shaped something we’re truly proud of.
I don’t often reference classical music, but I struggled to find a guitar-driven track featuring the number “Nine” (and Nine Inch Nails didn’t quite fit the tone).
So I landed on Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. It feels fitting — gathering everything that came before: tension, dedication, risk — and transforming it into something expansive that resonates far beyond the moment itself.
In leadership, nine isn’t just a count — it’s a crescendo: the point where effort becomes impact.
And behind every nine, there’s always an eight.
Eight — the infinite loop, the rhythm of consistency. The cohesion of decisions, powered by a constant commitment to build, refine, and push forward. It’s the cycle that shapes outcomes — a relentless motion that turns ambition into reality.
In nine years, that infinite loop has fuelled a 150% expansion of our network — a transformation in scale achieved through sustained vision.
And in this ninth year, the music broke into an entirely new register, surpassing $1bn in global revenue — a milestone for Russell Bedford International that doesn’t just mark growth, but significance.
Setting us apart, we’ve grown organically — recruiting independent practices that have continued to thrive, while staying true to our core values, integrity and identity.
We talk so much about numbers — yet the results are never just that. They’re signals: signals of momentum that never stalled, signals of decisions that compounded and, keeping with the music theme, signals where the rhythm held — long enough to become something extraordinary.
For nine years, we’ve conducted both: the infinite discipline of eight; the defining resonance of nine. Where eight has been the engine, nine is the impact now reflected in recognition.
And yet, like every great ninth, this isn’t the end of the composition — it’s the moment the world starts listening more closely.
Because the truth about nine is that it doesn’t close the story. It proves the story matters.
And so… what comes next? It won’t just continue the rhythm — it will build on a billion-dollar crescendo; adapting to evolving circumstances, addressing ongoing challenges and seizing emerging opportunities.
I want to thank all my friends, colleagues, and peers who have supported me and our network in so many ways throughout these nine incredible years.