Richard Harris will be a familiar face to many Citrus clients as the host of Citrus Bites, Mortgage Bites and Citrus Insights. But there’s plenty more to Richard than what you see on camera. From a long career in banking and business transformation to helping shape the growth of Citrus Financial, he brings a wealth of experience, along with a genuine passion for people, markets and making complex subjects easier to understand.
We sat down with Richard to talk about his career, life at Citrus, football coaching and why he still gets such a buzz from learning something new.
How did you first get into financial services?
My Mum was a Mortgage Broker and loved her job. One of the Banks she tended to place a lot of business with was Halifax. Without revealing my age, this was in the days when a local manager still influenced lending decisions. My Mum found out that the branch was also hiring. She mentioned it to me as she thought I would enjoy it. Now I realise that it was more about the possibility of me being able to get a cheap mortgage and buy my own house ASAP! I applied through the local manager…. and the rest, as they say, is history!
You had a long career in banking before joining Citrus. What were some of the biggest lessons you took from that part of your career?
The only person who really cares a lot about your career is you! You need to work hard, grab opportunities even when they feel like a huge leap of faith, and there’s no replacement for hard work.
Developing a supportive network can also make a huge difference. Nobody knows the answer to everything but everyone is great at something!
Before joining Citrus, you led a major change and transformation programme. What was that experience like?
It’s probably the toughest challenge I have ever faced.
There were a lot of unknowns, and I’m not a lover of dealing with ambiguity, I prefer facts! That said, I was very fortunate to have a fantastic group of people in the team. Their resilience, tenacity and determination is something I will never forget… along with going way too long on way too little sleep!
“Nobody knows the answer to everything but everyone is great at something!”
What attracted you to Citrus Financial in 2020?
I’ve known David for over 20 years, since my Halifax days. We knew each other professionally and David was also my adviser.
When David discussed his plans for growing Citrus it sounded tremendously exciting, but more importantly I knew David well enough to know that he was a decent person, someone I knew would be good to work with. Someone who didn’t just talk about customers being important, they really were!
How different did it feel moving from a large corporate banking environment into a growing financial advice business?
Really different! One isn’t necessarily better than the other but they are different. Working for a large company for such a long time gave me fantastic opportunities to explore different functions, learn different skills and work with a lot of different people.
However, I can’t hide the fact that working with an SME does seem to mean less politics, less red tape, the ability to move from great idea to implementation without a lot of slide decks and approval forums. I really like that!
I also like the fact that at all levels we are close to our clients. We hear them, and we listen, I mean really listen. For example, our clients told us that they loved the fact we still had human beings answering phones, being able to answer questions quickly. No long messages that told them we valued their call whilst making them listen to music for 30 minutes. So we heard that, we understood it, and that’s what we do. Why change something that clients really like! No point in having an ‘efficient’ process that clients hate. I’ve never understood what’s efficient about something clients hate!
You joined Citrus as part of the leadership team. What was the vision for the business at that time?
Growth. Not throw caution to the wind growth. Safe, good quality growth delivered by exceptional people. Only 8% of adults in the UK actually receive financial advice. We have a long way to go to put that right.
How has Citrus changed since you joined?
Well we’ve significantly increased the number of clients we support for mortgages and wealth, and more than doubled our funds under management. In fact we’ve not far off trebled it.
We’ve got a bigger team, and perhaps a little more technology, but it’s underpinned by an exceptional group of people who really care about the clients they support. So in some ways it’s kind of the same, but a lot bigger!
“Giving people the trust, confidence, access to information and the support they need to make great decisions.”
What do you think makes Citrus different?
I think there’s two real differences. As the MD, David is possibly more passionate about the client experience than any leader I have ever worked with. I mean he really cares.
He knows so many of our clients – but as people. The whole team appreciates this and works to the same standard. It’s easy to say, but we really do care, and I can honestly say that this is something evident throughout the team. It’s in our DNA.
What does good leadership mean to you?
Giving people the trust, confidence, access to information and the support they need to make great decisions.
I also firmly believe in learning and listening, because I don’t think any great leader can ever sit back and go ‘I’ve cracked it’!
But I am a firm believer in creating great teams that perform just as well when you’re not about, as opposed to only when you are. That’s the real test.
What kind of business do you want Citrus to continue becoming?
A bit of a cliche really, but small enough to care and big enough to make a difference.
One thing is for sure, you never take clients for granted. If we keep doing the right things, the business will have a great future. And I don’t mean do the right things most of the time, I mean all the time. It starts and ends with the client. The biggest driver of our growth in the last few years has been clients introducing other clients – it means we can never be ‘average’, that’s not good enough.
I cannot stress how much we appreciate the introductions and it’s such a great feeling when we can make a difference to people. It’s a big responsibility and we must never forget that.
“If even one person feels more informed at the end of the video than at the start, then I’ve made a difference.”
Most clients will know you as the host of Citrus Bites, Citrus Mortgage Bites and Citrus Insights. Is it something you enjoy?
I absolutely love it. It’s a passion. I think I am really lucky to have a platform upon which to share my passion with others. I think the ability to learn from others, as well as being able to help others learn is truly an absolute gift.
What do you think makes a good interview?
Passion, enthusiasm and the ability to try and find an interesting and sometimes complex topic that you can explain to others in a way that helps. That’s why I love having different guests, I get the benefit of learning whilst I interview them. How lucky am I!
What do you hope clients take away from the videos?
I work on the basis that if even one person feels more informed at the end of the video than at the start, then I’ve made a difference. One of my joys is receiving questions offline. I love that. Money and the economy aren’t always the most exciting topics for some, but I try and bring something to each episode that people may not know.
You’re known for being very interested in the markets. Where did that interest come from?
I’m not sure really. I am really fascinated by numbers and companies but never fancied being an accountant!
I also love the fact that I learn. Sometimes I hear about one thing happening in a remote country that could really influence the price of something in the UK and I find it fascinating. So I learn about people and places at the same time. It’s amazing how connected the world really is.
You got your FA coaching badges in 2025, what made you do that?
My son is football mad. I figured that if I had to turn up regularly and get cold and wet, I may as well do something useful at the same time!
Grassroots football, like many grassroots sports, relies almost entirely on volunteers and I didn’t feel comfortable just expecting other people to have to take the responsibility all the time. There happened to be a vacancy at the club and I thought ‘why not’?!
How have you found coaching teenagers?
Err… next question! It depends on their mood at the time. They can vary from the most wonderful, caring and entertaining people through to… you know…
Are there any similarities between coaching football and leadership at work?
For sure. I think I was in my 20s when I attended a coaching workshop that was delivered by a champion athlete. It really stuck with me.
Even the top sports players have a coach. The coach can’t necessarily play that sport anywhere near as well as the athlete, yet they can still make a great coach. Help people do things in the way that suits them, because helping them really plug into their strengths and believe in their ability is way more likely to achieve success.
Then it’s about plenty of recognition and if things go wrong you take the learning, chat it through, and go again, and again and again, you just keep practising! You don’t win every football match, but you can learn from every match.
You’re a Bournemouth fan, but your son supports Chelsea. How has that happened?
I lived in London for a while and he was born in Chelsea. For some reason all his legal documents ended up saying his place of birth was ‘Chelsea’. So it wasn’t really a surprise given he’s never been to Bournemouth, whereas I grew up in Bournemouth.
Obviously I’ve tried to help him see the light… but when he isn’t playing football, getting to see a match at Stamford Bridge is one of his absolute favourite things to do. We probably only get tickets twice a season, but given the price of them that’s more than enough. Chelsea v Bournemouth is always entertaining in the Harris household!
Quickfire Round
Tea or coffee?
Coffee....plenty of it.
Early bird or night owl?
Early bird.
Beach holiday, countryside break or city escape?
Beach holiday
Favourite place for a family break?
Old town Marbella.
Best sporting moment you’ve watched?
Proud Dad. I love watching my son. Football, cricket, athletics - immensely proud!
Best book, podcast or album you’d recommend?
I think people should access content the way they like. So no preaching from me - just feel comfortable whether it's listening, reading or watching. For me personally, I loved The Prize - The Epic Quest for Oil, Money and Power - that's my oil bible!
Best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
Focus on what truly matters.
You can meet more members of the team here.
Approver Quilter Financial Services Limited. 22/07/2026
