Some careers are defined by a job title. Toby's has been shaped by the connections he's built along the way.
Originally joining BDO through the merger with PKF in 2012, he has had the opportunity to work across both the UK firm and the Global Office. He's discovered that the most meaningful work happens when people, ideas and technology come together to solve challenges that reach far beyond a single team or office.
For Toby, that's what makes BDO unique: every connection has the potential to become something bigger.
What keeps me at BDO is the combination of people and opportunity.
I have been fortunate to work with some incredibly smart, collaborative and generous people across the network. Those relationships have shaped my experience here. They also make the work more meaningful, because so much of what we do depends on trust, perspective and the ability to bring different firms and teams together around a shared outcome.
Working in Global IT means looking beyond today’s priorities and thinking about how technology can support the future of the network.
What Toby enjoys most is seeing an idea evolve from solving one firm’s challenge into something that creates value on a much larger scale.
At BDO, you can work on something that starts as a local need or a specific challenge for one firm, and then help shape it into something much broader. That could be a new initiative, a shared capability, a centre of excellence, or a community that helps firms learn from each other and move faster together.
The opportunity only works because of the relationships. When people trust each other, they are more open to sharing good practice, investing in the right areas and working together on things that matter for the future of the network.
His role goes well beyond keeping systems running. That also means staying one step ahead.
My rule is simple: we do not like surprises. If something is going to affect our firms, users or services, we should aim to know about it before someone has to tell us there is a problem.
Having worked in both the UK firm and the Global Office, Toby has seen first-hand how collaboration happens across borders.
For him, the strength of the network isn’t simply that people work together. It’s that they trust one another enough to share ideas, solve problems and keep moving forward together.
The expectation and need within the network is trust. Trust that the technology is going to work, trust that you are working with a like-minded peer and, when you are able to have those conversations, the real value of the network starts to take shape.
Some of Toby’s proudest moments have come from helping complex global initiatives move from idea to reality.
One example was supporting the significant expansion of Microsoft’s Copilot services across the network. The project involved senior leaders, Microsoft, and teams from across BDO, all bringing different priorities and perspectives.
Success wasn’t about one person leading the project. It was about creating alignment, maintaining momentum and helping people work towards the same outcome.
Major strategic decisions rarely happen because of one conversation or one person. They happen through prioritised coordination, clear ownership and a team that understands the importance of the outcome.
Away from work, Toby’s priorities are clear.
Whether it’s spending quality time with his wife, children and parents, running in every city he visits, or completing events like the London Marathon, he values being fully present in the moments that matter.
He’s also a devoted Arsenal supporter, and celebrating the club’s Premier League title in 2026 alongside his family and friends is a memory he’ll never forget.
Spending time with my wife, children and parents is very important to me. I have learned that it is not just about the amount of time you have, but the quality of that time and being properly present for it.
Music and sport are also a big part of how I switch off. I enjoy running and have been fortunate to take part in events such as the London Marathon. I make a point of running in every city I visit and can normally encourage my son to join me to.
If someone is considering a career at BDO, Toby’s advice is simple:
BDO is a large global network, but it really works through people. If you make the effort to understand different perspectives, you will find opportunities to contribute quickly. The best work here often sits between teams, countries and disciplines, so for me curiosity matters.
I would also say: be comfortable with complexity. The most interesting problems are rarely by instruction. They involve different firms, local requirements, commercial constraints, risk considerations and competing priorities. If you can stay clear, practical and collaborative in that environment, you will have a real impact.
Most importantly, make the time to connect with people. A quick conversation often solves what a long email or teams message cannot. It really is about people helping people.