For the past three months Chris has been easing himself into life at The Big Issue. “It’s been great, I’m really lucky I’ve had a staff with a lot of experience, who have been here for years; they know exactly what they’re doing. We’ve got a great core group of vendors, most of whom have been doing it for years.”
“They’ve been really patient with me and my mistakes which is a good thing because I’ve made a bunch,” Chris said.
Originating from Arizona, Chris has worked in non-profits the majority of his working career. He moved out here eight years ago chasing his “almost high school sweetheart”, now his wife.
Before joining The Big Issue, Chris was managing another not-for-profit organisation called the Food Distribution Network. But he was impressed by The Big Issue’s mantra “helping people help themselves”.
“I really like the structure of The Big Issue; being a social enterprise and being that the vendors buy their magazines and then sell them for a profit. I think it is a really brilliant concept.”
Having settled in, Chris has set a few goals for his first year. “The first goal will be to put our policies and procedures in place so they are applied consistently across the board”; then to get “more vendors, more brand awareness and more sales. If I can do those things in the first year then I will be happy.”
