Chris is a formidable entrepreneur and business leader who co-founded Simply Business (Sunday Times Best Company to work for 2015 and 2016) and turned it into an exceptional human and financial success story. Chris now has a number of non-executive roles including Simply Business, Zuto and Young Enterprise, but is channeling most of his energy into building 53°Capital - a new investment vehicle that aims to scale digital businesses across Europe, focusing on fashioning working cultures that deliver for everyone. Chris devotes much of his free time to social ventures that improve the lives of children, to running marathons and thinking up memorable good-night stories to tell his children
A formidable entrepreneur who spent much of his 20+ year career helping to scale businesses with both profit and purpose, Chris is a values-led leader who enjoys taking on challenges.
As Founder & CEO of Oka, The Carbon Insurance Company, Chris is bringing this experience to the voluntary carbon market, working with a dedicated group of talented individuals to ensure that every carbon credit is insured. The need for insurance is clear, and Chris and the team are working with partners across the voluntary carbon market to deliver solutions that help clients mitigate risk in an unregulated and opaque market and achieve their net zero targets.
Prior to founding Oka, the Carbon Insurance Company, Chris spent 15 years as Co-Founder and COO of Simply Business, a UK-based insurtech. As leader of the world's first online quote and buy platform for small business insurance, Chris was the architect of many of the companies firsts; panel insurer creation, MGA build out, delegated claims administration, price optimization, online:offline quote and buy, and more—including a spot at the top of the Sunday Times’ 100 Best Companies to Work For in 2015 and 2016, as well as becoming one of the UK's first financial services B-Corp. After the company’s 2017 exit to the Travelers Group (NASDAQ:TRV), Chris remained as an advisor to the business.
For the past five years Chris has worked across a number of organizations, including: CEO of Sanctus, a UK workplace coaching business; Non-Executive Director for Zuto, a UK car finance business; building 53º Capital, a fund investing in European start up and scale up businesses; and Trustee for Young Enterprise, the UK's largest youth education charity.
Chris obtained a degree in Business Economics from University of Liverpool and an MBA from City University, London.
