Christine Cross is an Independent Director, Business Advisor and Mentor. She holds Non-Executive Directorships with Coca Cola European Partners plc; Hilton food group plc and The Pollen Estate (UK) and acts as Advisor to the Board of a number of plc, private equity and private companies including River Island and Unilever. She has also served on the Board of Next plc ; Woolworths Limited (Australia) ; Sobeys (Ca) plc; ; Plantasgen (Nor) ;Sonae plc (Portugal); Brambles plc (Australia); Kathmandu plc (New Zealand); Fenwick Ltd (UK): Fairmont Hotels Group; Premier Foods and Taylor Wimpey. She was Chief Retail Advisor to PWC for 5 years. Chris holds a B.Ed and M.Sc. in Food Science, and a Diploma in Management.
Prior to ‘going plural’ Chris had a 15 year Executive career at Tesco having carried out a number of roles at Director Level. Recruitment to Tesco was from a successful career in academia as Principal Lecturer and Course director at Bath and Edinburgh Universities.
Chris holds a B.Ed and M.Sc. in Food Science, and a Diploma in Management. She is also an Honorary Fellow of the
Royal Agricultural University.
1. Best piece of advice you’ve been given?
A piece I was given in my twenties and I regularly quote to my mentees….”As long as you have your health you can do and be anything you want to in this world….just stick your elbows out and get on with it…and don’t take NO for an answer.”
2. Worst piece of advice you’ve been given?
You have to move jobs to get on….you don’t….. if you are curious enough, creative enough and brave enough you can create the job around you.
3. What would you tell your younger self?
Be sure to build good talent around you quickly, whether that be senior mentors, colleagues or your team, they can all lift you up to great heights. You don’t have to do everything yourself.
4. What excites you most about the future of your industry?
The constant change. Whether good or bad change brings opportunity and the most agile will use this. Remember its not the fittest or the most intelligent that necessarily survive!
5. Who or what is your biggest inspiration?
My parents, they put their faith and confidence in me to achieve what they had never had chance to do themselves. I hope I made them proud.
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