Chris was Head Chorister at The Chorister School and Music and Art Scholar at Durham School (1984-93). He holds an MA in English from the University of Glasgow, and a PG Dip, MMus and MOpera from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.
With over 25 years in Executive Search and Leadership Development consultancy, he is the founder of Elliott Armstrong, a collective of senior headhunters, consultants and coaches, working with blue-chip & SWF clients through to start-ups across Europe and the Middle East.
A leading Birkman Certified Consultant, he helps individuals and executive teams understand how they can best achieve maximum productivity and happiness, and helps senior school and university students to make the right start in life.
Privileged to have worked around the world, he co-created the Executive Search arm of the largest Tech recruitment group in Europe, then in 2000 set up and ran the Executive Search division of Australasia’s leading dot com recruiter. There he also co-founded VC Watch, which became Australasia’s principal networking forum for Internet entrepreneurs and Venture Capitalists.
Chris then joined Heidrick & Struggles, the world’s leading Executive Search Firm, where he specialised in Financial Services & Technology before becoming co-head of their UK Healthcare & Biotech Practice.
Alongside his consulting career, over 14 years Chris devised and ran children’s workshops, first for the Edinburgh International Festival, and then Independent Schools Victoria (ISV) and the Arts Learning Festival Melbourne. He also acted as advisor to the CEOs of both ISV and The Association of Independent Schools of South Australia (AISSA) on structural reform, arts-centred education and other matters.
Chris is President of the Old Dunelmian Society, the body that represents all DCSF alumni. He also enjoys a career as an operatic tenor.
