Liam Randall

I came to the City of London not through family or connections, but through the cadet forces. Fifteen years on, the thread running through everything I have done — from a Surrey cadet hut to the Court of the Coopers' Company — has been the same: identify what needs doing, build the case, and deliver it.

Chapter One

Early Life & the Cadet Forces

I was born in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, and grew up in Surrey. My introduction to service came through the Army Cadet Force, where I discovered something that has stayed with me since: that young people, given responsibility and structure, will rise to meet it.

The cadets gave me opportunities that shaped the course of my life. I visited Cyprus to learn about the work of the 2nd Battalion, Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, and as part of the national Cadet 150 celebrations travelled to South Africa and Lesotho to carry out charitable work at an orphanage and conduct an expedition — a trip funded entirely by small donations from the local community, and an early lesson in what people achieve when given a clear purpose and trusted to deliver.

In 2010 I was named Lord Lieutenant's Cadet and Cadet of the Year for Surrey, and went on to serve as the county's senior cadet — first as Regimental Sergeant Major, then as Cadet Under Officer.

The cadet forces taught me that service is not about rank or recognition. It is about doing the job in front of you, reliably and well, whether anyone is watching or not.

Chapter Two

The Worshipful Company of Coopers

At the time, the Coopers' Company held an affiliation with Surrey Army Cadet Force, and each year cadets who had shown sustained service could be put forward for apprenticeship to the Master of the Company. That is how I arrived in the City: not through family or connections, but through service.

I was apprenticed to the Master Cooper in September 2011, at the age of 17. The Coopers are one of the ancient livery companies of the City of London, chartered by Henry VII in 1501, though the craft of coopering stretches back centuries further. The livery world was entirely new to me. But I quickly saw the good it does — in charitable work, in education, in keeping a craft and its history alive — and I understood that being trusted with the custodianship of an institution like that was worth a lifetime's investment.

I was granted the Freedom of the Company by Servitude in March 2016. In 2019 I received the Freedom of the City of London and was admitted to the Livery of the Company that same year. During the pandemic I served on the Company's strategic review, working to modernise its operations and champion the role of younger members. I also organised a fundraiser that raised thousands of pounds for St John Ambulance at a time when the charity's frontline services were under acute pressure.

My responsibilities within the Company grew steadily. I became President of the Coopers' Society — the body that champions the interests of the Livery to the Court and delivers the Company's events programme — where I focused on strengthening the Society's finances, improving its communications, and making sure its activities served a clear purpose rather than continuing out of habit.

In 2024 I was appointed Under Warden, and in 2025 Upper Warden — the youngest in the Company's history to hold either office. The Coopers' approach is unusual: rather than following a fixed path to the office of Master, the Company appoints a senior liveryman to serve as Warden for two years and then return to the Livery, which I did in June 2026. With only two years to make change stick, and working closely with the Court and the Society, I modernised the Company's event, ticketing, payment and membership systems; introduced a Code of Conduct; built an induction programme for new members; and reformed the process for appointing Court members. Those changes are now embedded in how the Company runs.

Chapter Three

The Cask Race & the Cask Group

I co-founded and continue to chair the Coopers' Cask Race, an annual event held in Guildhall Yard that brings livery companies together in friendly competition. Teams roll full-size casks through a timed course in what is part heritage spectacle, part team challenge. Its real value is as a vehicle for inter-livery collaboration, and it has grown each year since its inception. The ambition is for the Cask Race to sit alongside events like the Sheep Drive as a recognised fixture in the City's annual calendar.

Separately, I helped convene the Cask Group — bringing together six livery companies connected to the cask trade for the first time in years: the Brewers, Coopers, Distillers, Glass Sellers, Innholders, and Vintners. With members from across the Group, we have established a governance framework, a shared events calendar, a programme of civic contribution, and a joint Lord Mayor's Show float.

The drinks industry — brewing, distilling, coopering, wine importation, hospitality — is woven through the history of the City of London. The Cask Group gives that shared heritage an institutional voice. My election as Ale Conner is a natural extension of this work: a platform to champion the trade at a City-wide level, supporting the pubs, breweries, distillers and venues that keep the Square Mile thriving.

Chapter Four

Professional Life

My professional life runs on the same instinct as my civic work: use evidence to find the real problem, then build the solution. I began in management consultancy before specialising in data, insight, and strategy.

I now serve as Head of Impact and Data at Toynbee Hall, one of the country's oldest social action charities. Founded in 1884, Toynbee Hall has been tackling poverty in the East End of London and beyond for over a hundred years. My work focuses on data analytics, digital transformation, and building the tools and evidence base that help frontline services deliver better outcomes for people in financial difficulty.

I hold a degree in Politics from Royal Holloway, University of London. The same instinct that drives my civic involvement — a belief that institutions and systems should be made to work better for the people they serve — runs through my professional life as well.

Chapter Five

Personal

Away from civic life, I am married with two young children. Within it, I am a member of the Bishopsgate Ward Club and the City Livery Club.