Chris Jackson was born and educated on Tyneside, and worked initially as an engineer with BT. Realising that although this was a reasonably secure job, any progress would only be via ‘dead men’s shoes’, he left aged 21 to sample self-employment and the world of enterprise.

After a brief period working for a small local company which ended in redundancy, he found himself married, mortgaged and on the dole. This was a sharp lesson in DIY and he figured that if he couldn’t earn at least what he was getting in benefits he should be shot at dawn and promptly ‘signed off’.

The next twenty years saw him go from self-employment to director then chairman of a successful company that operated in the service sector. Along the way he sat

on various committees and boards, but then decided that he was becoming bored and needed a new challenge. At the tender age of 44 he graduated from the University of Durham Business School with a Masters degree.

This may have been the catalyst to ‘what happened next’ for in true entrepreneurial style he sold the company and bought a small cruise ship and began running cruise holidays off the West Coast of Scotland. Only it wasn’t quiet that simple….

Having just completed his fifth successful season, Chris is now looking to sell his first boat – Chalice – and move this business forward into new areas.

When not at sea, Chris also works as a business mentor and counsellor. He’s a keen photographer and writer, with a passion for the outdoors and wildlife.