Chris Harrison
Founding Partner
Chris is the Managing Director and Africa Partner of The Brand Inside thebrandinside.com, a Culture Change consultancy which works inside major organisations to align staff behaviour to better deliver the brand promise.
The Brand Inside was launched in the UK and Europe in 2001 and has now been operating in Africa for ten years.
During this time Chris and his team have intervened in more than 50 enterprises in seven Africa markets. Delivered full-scale business transformation programmes in diverse economic verticals such as logistics, agriculture, manufacturing, telecoms, fintech, insurance, microfinance and tourism.
Before this, Chris was a Marketer and an Adman for 30 years, starting as a Brand Manager with the brewer Bass plc and ending with the global advertising network Young & Rubicam Inc., where he rose to be the Executive Chairman for Africa with responsibility for 22 markets.
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For nearly two decades, Chris has written weekly columns on branding and culture in Africa’s national newspapers and on social media feeds. His book ‘Marketing Medicine. A shot in the arm for business in Africa.’ Was published on www.amazon.com in 2019. His column Culture Change can be found in Kenya’s Daily Star newspaper every Wednesday.
Chris served as a Council Member of the Marketing Society of Kenya and was Chairman of the Advertising Practitioners Association of Kenya for many years.
He has been the Chairman of a number of Kenyan charities, and served as a non-Executive Director at Mayfair Insurance for three years.
Chris holds a Master’s Degree in History from St. Andrews University in Scotland and is a graduate of the McCann Global Leadership Programme at Columbia University, New York. In 2021 he studied to become an ICF (International Coaching Federation) Certified Coach and now offers personal coaching services under the brand www.helmsman- coaching.com
Outside of work, Chris served in the British Army Reserve for fourteen years, attaining the rank of Major. He is married with three children and has active interests in travel, military history, vegetable gardening and fly fishing.
Speaking of his vision for Amalgam, Chris says: “This is Africa’s time. And for this time Africa needs a new generation of leaders in business. Men and women with broader skills and greater self-awareness. Leaders who set bold agendas. Leaders who motivate change and growth.
Leaders who are equipped to inspire the fullest contribution from their employees.”
