David qualified to practice as a Certified Accountant in 1975. His initial training was within a professional accounting office in Watford. He then moved into industry, working first for an independent airline and later taking a post as group financial controller for a listed public company.

After winning a Jubilee Scholarship from The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, he completed an MA in Accounting and Finance and went on to join the International division of a major UK corporation as Consolidations Manager.

A desire to return to his professional roots and a wish to stay in touch with, and to help, real people with their tax and accounting problems led him to set up his own accountancy practice in 1979. In 1989 David took over the firm of Jonathan Hicks & Co; the following year Colledge Redfern was formed.

David spends his spare time helping his wife, Angela, who is a livestock farmer. The Colledge's have two daughters and three sons, one of whom, Jon, works in the practice.