Chris is an experienced manager of both visitor attractions and health and fitness clubs with some 28 years of operational experience of working for brands such as Virgin Active and Bannatyne Fitness.
 
As the general manager of Conkers Chris is responsible for the day to day and longer term strategic management of the attraction.  Under Chris’s management he has helped to increase the average spend level of visitors.  He has also developed a very successful calendar of annual events which has helped to attract new markets and expend the operating hours of Conkers.  He has been responsible for project managing the introduction of new visitor facilities.

Prior to joining Planning Solutions Chris was the General Manager of a Virgin Active level 4 Flagship Club in Solihull and as a General Manager of David Lloyd Leisure.  As a manager at Next Generation Clubs he led the opening of a 129,000sq foot club which also included an adjacent hotel.  During the management of these clubs Chris exceed income targets and helped to develop successful management teams
                       
Chris also has a strong background in catering where he has been responsible for a significant catering budget as the Operations Manager at David Lloyds’ operations in Birmingham. 
 
Importantly, alongside this commercial experience Chris has worked as a catering lecturer, which has been utlilised to increase the skills sets of the catering staff at the leisure businesses Planning Solutions operates.  He has acted as Whitbread’s group chefs mentor in Birmingham.
 
Chris has also been the TV chef for central Television.