On the ground in London
Every year since 2019, we have packed our bags and headed to London. The premise is straightforward: we go where the talent is, build genuine relationships with Kiwi accounting and finance professionals living and working in London, and make sure that when they decide to come home, Hunter Campbell is the first call they make.
Why we go
New Zealand businesses consistently tell us that returning Kiwis are among the most sought-after candidates in the market. They come back with international experience, a broader perspective, and genuine motivation to be home. The challenge is that by the time most of them resurface on LinkedIn or register with a recruiter, the best opportunities are already gone. Our answer is to be there before they have even decided to come home, to be part of their decision-making process, and to ensure they have access to the best opportunities in the market.
2026: The best trip yet
Going into the trip, the signs were already good. Engagement with our pre-trip outreach was higher than in previous years, meetings were filling fast, and the intentions and energy from the London Kiwi community were evident. We ran four events across the trip. Our CPA Australia spring networking drinks kicked things off. It was great to see familiar faces and long-standing members of the CPA community on the ground. A genuine thank you to Kayne and the team in London for hosting.
The Tuesday evening Industry Insider event, a new addition this year in collaboration with Ambition Group, was a standout, with exceptional people in the room. A strong mix of mid-level and senior finance professionals, with a noticeably high level of engagement around the topic of coming home. Nick Waterworth co-presented alongside me and the conversation in the room was sharp.
Our Financial Services networking event supported by INFINZ at Vagabond Monument was a sellout. On a beautiful spring evening in the City, nearly 60 people turned out from across the financial and capital markets world in London.
Our flagship CAANZ market update at ACCA was, once again, the highlight of the week. A huge thank you to Sophie and the team for filling the room. We could have sold it out twice over. Over 60 people attended and we are already looking at a larger venue for next year to meet the demand as we had over 120 registrations.
Alongside the events, we conducted over 50 one-on-one meetings across the accounting and finance space.
What the sentiment told us
The mood on the ground in London is genuinely mixed. The economy is under pressure, cost of living remains high, the job market is tighter than it has been, and there are social and political pressures that people are quietly weighing up. For a lot of Kiwis, the dynamics are shifting.
The pull of home has always been strong, but right now it feels stronger than ever. And this is not just the younger crowd on youth mobility visas wrapping up their two or three years of London life. We are seeing experienced professionals, people with 10, 12, even 15 years of career behind them, seriously considering a return. That is a meaningful shift from what we have seen in previous years.
The cohort on youth mobility visas is particularly impressive. Many of them have three to four years of London experience stacked on top of strong New Zealand foundations. They are motivated, commercially sharp, and in high demand. We expect a significant number of them to be landing back home in the latter part of this year and into early 2027.
One consistent data point continues to hold true: approximately 97% of returning Kiwis do not have a job secured before they get on the plane home. That is exactly the gap where the HC team can add value, for candidates and clients alike.
A word of caution
Something we were hoping not to hear as much as we did was that a meaningful number of the people we met are considering Australia as a genuine option over a return home to New Zealand, Sydney in particular. The opportunity there is large, the market is active, and for someone stepping off the London treadmill, it can feel like a more comfortable halfway point back toward the Southern Hemisphere.
The takeaway for employers is that this talent is no longer ours by default. New Zealand is not the automatic next stop it once was for everyone. The businesses that move quickly and position themselves as genuinely compelling places to work will win this talent. Those who wait will find they are competing with Sydney for people who are already half convinced it might be a more attractive option.
Returning to New Zealand reaffirms how impactful this relationship-building trip is. Seven consistent years of investment in London and trusted relationships that can only be built over time give our clients access to a tier of talent that simply cannot be replicated.
London, we will be back next year. If you are a New Zealand business that wants early access to one of the strongest returning talent pools we have seen, now is the time to be talking to us.
