Bruce is a practising certified public accountant and co-founded Gilligan Sheppard in 1985. For over 40 years he has been advising clients on issues relating to tax, business optimisation, succession planning and risk and capital management.​

​ Bruce has also been a long-term supporter of shareholders and investors and founded the New Zealand Shareholders Association in 2001 and was chairman until stepping down in 2010. He was appointed to the Financial Markets Authority Establishment Board and remained as an Associate Member of the Board of the Financial Markets Authority (the FMA) until 2014.​

He is a well-known champion of the “little guy”. Bruce has a BCom from the University of Auckland.