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Chris enjoys colourful career It’s safe to say that Chris Durkin has enjoyed an eclectic career. After spending seven years in the engineering industry, he realised that this line of work wasn’t for him and transferred to the City, working for more than three decades as an insurance broker specialising in re-insurance. Chris says: “I really enjoyed that part of my career and felt at home in the insurance industry. Our business did well until a couple of clients stopped paying us. We didn’t have enough paid-up capital so sadly we had to let 16 staff go and close the business. I learned a lot of lessons, particularly the importance of cashflow.”
In 2013 Chris became a director and vice-president of the Chamber before assuming the role of chairman in 2018. In this role he has a particular focus on building strategic partnerships with Hounslow Council and large corporates such as Heathrow Airport, and exploring the benefits of partnerships between businesses and education providers.
Chris took early retirement but still felt he could make a positive difference in the corporate world, so he took up the role of premises manager at West Thames College. During his time there, he met Sally Smith and she persuaded him to get involved with Hounslow Chamber, believing that Chris’s vast experience of corporate life could benefit business ownermanagers who were only part of the way through their journey.
In addition to his Chamber activities, Chris is chair of the Medical Advisory Service, a charity that enables nurses who are unable to work physically due to work-related injury or illness to give professional advice over a dedicated telephone line. He’s also the chairman of the Hounslow Town Centre Forum and involved in the NHS Hounslow Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and various committees
that tackle key healthcare issues – which have assumed greater importance within the context of the COVID crisis. As if this career path wasn’t colourful enough, he has also made an enjoyable foray into the world of gin imports.
“That was great fun,” Chris recalls. “In reality I didn’t have enough money to market the business seriously and make it scalable. Eventually I sold it for £150.
“I’m 76 and still quite active. My work at the Chamber keeps me occupied. I encourage other people to join the board and try to find ways of adding value for our members. “Some people think that Chambers of Commerce are a bit old-hat but here at Hounslow we’re moving with the times. Throughout the
COVID pandemic we’ve hosted online events and webinars and we’ve remained visible to our members. This has given them the confidence that we’re here to support them in all weathers.” Post-COVID, Chris believes it’s vital to ramp up business and, in particular, improve the fortunes of Heathrow Airport, which has been affected badly by the pandemic.
“The airport is central to the economic success of Hounslow and surrounding areas,” says Chris. “In normal times I’d look out of my window and see planes flying from Heathrow every three minutes. Now there are hardly any planes taking off. “I’m confident that once we get everyone vaccinated, activity levels will return to normal and London will once again be a gateway to the world.”
Some people think that Chambers of Commerce are a bit old-hat but here at Hounslow we’re moving with the times. Throughout the COVID pandemic we’ve hosted online events and webinars and we’ve remained visible to our members. This has given them the confidence that we’re here to support them in all weathers. 8
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