Chris was appointed CEO in 1999 and has overseen the growth of the business to one that owns over £1bn of commercial property across the city regions of Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Leeds. Bruntwood was founded on a belief that its success comes from the success of its colleagues, customers and the communities in which it operates. This commitment to creating thriving cities has led to Chris playing an active role in many public and private sector partnerships including, MIF, Manchester Oxford Road Corridor, Manchester Climate Change Forum, the GM Local Enterprise Partnership and the Northern Powerhouse Partnership.

Continuing its strong partnership approach, in 2018 Bruntwood created Bruntwood SciTech; a 50:50 joint venture with Legal & General focussed on the creation of environments and ecosystems for companies in the science and technology sector; including Manchester Science Park, Alderley Park, Innovation Birmingham and Liverpool Science Park part of Sciontec Liverpool.

Bruntwood is recognised nationally for its support of cultural and community initiatives, donating 10% of its annual profits to charitable causes and funding the activity of The Oglesby Charitable Trust.