Christine Cross is a non-exec director for some big brands including Coca Cola Europe. I met Chris through work when I was profiling for a CEO role at another company she was a non-exec director for. It struck me then how incredibly sharp she was and that she was someone who didn't mince her words. But she is also an amazing supporter of young people (and even older ones like me) and women mentoring a huge number of people and working on a range of initiatives to see people having a good start in life.
On this episode among other things we explore the importance mentors and role-models and how one small comment at the right or wrong time can send a young person's life off in a completely different direction.
We also discuss Christine's upbringing and how she chose not to go to Oxford or Cambridge despite being destined - not through her upbringing - but her academic capability to go there. She decided it wasn't what she wanted and followed her interests instead of being drawn into the expectations of those heralded institutions. I didn't know until we did this podcast that she has 8 A levels including the sciences. And yet she is open to hearing how other people view the world, listening to their take and perspective and offering her guidance.
Christine Cross is a Chair, Independent Non Exec Director, Business Advisor and Mentor.
She holds Non-Executive Directorships with Coca Cola European Partners plc; Hilton food group plc; Clipper Logistics Plc and Zooplus AG and acts as Advisor to the Board of a number of plc, private equity and private companies . She has served as NED 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.
She particularly enjoys working with small growth businesses too and Chairs Oddbox, a sustainable produce business growing fast in the Uk; acts as Advisor to My First Years; plus devotes time to being a Fellow at the RAU Enterprise Unit.
Prior to ‘going plural’ Chris had a 15 year Executive career at Tesco having carried out a number of roles at Director Level.
Latterly, as Group Business Development Director, she was involved in a programme of acquisitions. Prior to this her primary focus at Tesco was the establishment of a global direct sourcing operation and the leadership of Tesco’s UK and International clothing business. She was also instrumental in developing and launching the Tesco private label product range. Recruitment to Tesco was from a successful career in academia as Principal Lecturer and Course Director at Bath and Edinburgh Universities.
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If you are curious about who you are, your brain and the influences in your life then please dip into my more recent book Mirror Thinking – How Role Models Make Us Human.
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