BD Talks

In this episode of BD Talks, Caitlin Roxburgh is joined by Charlotte Evans, a freelance Business Development & Marketing Consultant, with over 25 years of experience in the professional services sector.  As those in professional services know, navigating bids and proposals is not a one-size-fits-all. Charlotte brings a fresh perspective and insight into how she generates and demonstrates ROI o...

In this episode of BD Talks, Henry Maples, Partner at Murrells, joins Caitlin Roxburgh on BD Talks to explore what effective business development looks like for a specialist law firm.  From building meaningful client relationships to concrete thought leadership, Henry offers a real-world perspective on the strategies that drive growth when you may not have the same resources as a larger firm.  Dis...

In this episode of BD Talks, Caitlin Roxburgh is joined by Deborah Farone, CEO of Farone Advisors LLC and former CMO at elite US law firms including Cravath, Swaine & Moore and Debevoise & Plimpton.  Deborah explores the vital role BD skills play for ambitious lawyers, and how to develop them in a way that is authentic and unique to them, alongside sharing fascinating insights from her new...

It’s our last BD Talks episode of 2025, so it’s great to have such an accomplished guest with us this month - Burges Salmon’s Chief Markets Officer, Amelia Stirling. Amelia has worked at some of the biggest firms across the professional services sector, as a consultant and head of department, to her current C-Suite position at one of the UK’s market-leading law firms. During this episode, Amelia e...

In this month’s episode of BD Talks, we spoke to the many-hatted Rachael Wheatley, a marketing and BD expert and Co-Director of Bluegreen Learning Ltd. During the conversation, Caitlin and Rachael discussed what valuable marketing is and how to measure marketing’s efficacy in an environment awash with trackable metrics. Learn how and why ‘volume’ and ‘ratio’ rule the roost when it comes to measuri...

In this episode of BD Talks, Caitlin Roxburgh speaks with renewable energy solicitor and community energy advocate Sonya Bedford MBE about balancing credibility with personality, why lawyers shouldn't underutilise marketing, and how storytelling can help professional services cut through short attention spans.

In this month’s episode of BD Talks, Nicholas Barrows, Director of Marketing at Trowers & Hamlins, shares how deep sector expertise and a values-led approach are reshaping marketing and business development in professional services.  Nicholas explores the shift towards client-centric strategies grounded in genuine market understanding and highlights the importance of consistency over uniformit...

In this month’s episode of BD Talks, Laura Ottley, Chief Marketing Officer at Addleshaw Goddard, shares her insights on the evolving role of marketing in driving international business growth.   Laura discusses the positive shift from product-pushing to client-focused strategies, the impact of AI on marketing, and the importance of cultural sensitivity. She also offers advice on building strong re...

In this month’s episode of BD Talks, Nicola Stopps, founder of Simply Sustainable, discussed how sustainability is now a critical driver for business growth, attracting talent and customers while ensuring long-term success.   Nicola emphasised the importance of addressing both social and environmental challenges, the growing role of leadership in sustainability, and the need for businesses to prep...

In this month’s episode of BD Talks, we’re joined by Andy Haigh, Partner at Translink Corporate Finance. Andy shares his journey from a technical role in accountancy to becoming a leader who values interpersonal connections, mentorship, and business development.  Andy also discusses the challenges and successes of rebranding from BHP to Translink  and the firm’s focus on selecting clients who alig...

This month, our BD Talks podcast guest is Kim Sare, Chartered Financial Planner at Guided Financial. Kim walks us through her journey from establishing her first business, Parafinity, to founding Guided Financial, driven by a desire for fulfilment after a personal wakeup call.   Kim highlights the evolution of financial services, emphasising the importance of accessibility and mindset when seeking...

In the latest episode of BD Talks, Caitlin Roxburgh speaks with Alex Knapp about the importance of social impact when it comes to business development in professional services. Firms with clear ESG/CSR initiatives stand out and attract both clients and top talent, so how do you get started?

In this episode of BD Talks, Peter Kane sits down with Sarah Croot of Meritas to discuss issues surrounding imposter syndrome, diversity and confidence. She also speaks about how to help partners see the value of BD, and the importance of identifying who is willing to put the work in.

Our episode for this month is with Emma Richmond and our MD Peter Kane, she covers Whitney Moore's interesting join Managing Partner relationship with her colleague Cillian Balfe in the context of Dublin's rising reputation as the 'London on the Liffey'. They discuss how to handle this rise, keeping the positive aspects of tradition whilst delivering on promises to partners.

This month on BD Talks our MD, Peter Kane, was joined by Stuart Smith from CM Murray, a boutique law firm specialising in employment law. Stuart discusses how CM Murray is staying ahead of the curve when it comes to their business development, including their early embrace of video content. Since joining the firm four years ago, Stuart has been key in growing the company’s online presence, develop...

Our latest episode of BD Talks is with Audrey Holden, Head of Business Development at Ampa, managing brands such as Shakespeare Martineau. Audrey takes us through the group’s growth ambitions, including how to successfully navigate and nurture seven distinct brands.

This month our BD Talks podcast guest is the accomplished Karl Brown. Not only is Karl an established Partner at Clarke Willmott, but he’s dedicated to numerous ‘extracurricular’ work, including supporting young aspiring lawyers of the South West UK.   Karl walks us through the key points you need to consider when trying to get senior members of firms engaged with marketing and BD, and exactly how...

We sit down with Bob Caren and discuss anything and everything around human connection. He outlines some of the more common issues he helps people with and how often times listening is a more effective tool than talking.

For the first episode of the eighth season of BD Talks, we are joined by Gemma Comley. As marketing director at Ghyston, she discusses the importance of finding your brand personality when it comes to accountancy marketing, how to champion gender diversity in your firm and their pride in being Bristol-based.

For the latest episode of BD Talks, we sat down with Robin Clempson to discuss his role as Director of Marketing at Albert Goodman, including how he applies a scientific approach to marketing, what the firm is doing to attract talent and how to stand out from the crowd in what is typically a “sea of blue”.

In the fifth episode of BD Talks, Anna Lake of Anna Lake consulting discusses client listening, professional services marketing, and how to 'do what you do best' and then to 'outsource the rest'.

In the fourth episode of BD Talks season 7, we speak to Oli Ballard; co-founder and director of Business Leader magazine. He digs in to the secrets of media and PR, whilst giving advice on how to grow your firm's reputation. 

For the third episode of BD Talks, series seven, we were joined by Bob Mytton, Partner and Creative Director at Mytton Williams.

Following on from our Communicating Values report and roundtable , Alexis and Caitlin discussed: strategies for sharing ESG and related messaging; how to engage your people in driving positive change; what the future may look like for ESG in professional services; and more! 

For the fourth episode of BD Talks, series six, we were joined by Adele Ross, a business strategy and growth expert in the tech sector.