Thriving people work better.

Meet Chris

Strategic thinker, experienced leader and asker of good questions, Chris is the Minister of Ministry Team Development at Westside Church, a large ministry based in the heart of downtown Vancouver, Canada. He coordinates large teams of volunteers made up of people from diverse professional and personal backgrounds. He’s passionate about teams working effectively together, and equipping and enabling others to lead. Using the Working Genius model, he’s built over 20 teams where volunteers feel empowered to serve the church in ways that align with their own unique gifts, abilities and working style.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Chris used his considerable strategic thinking and logistical skills to lead the church’s crisis management and pandemic response. Churches were deeply affected during the pandemic, as church programs and events function primarily in person. Chris developed strategies and detailed plans that allowed the church to continue operating, while complying with the health guidelines set by the Provincial Government and local health authority. He helped develop safety protocols, communications to the congregation, made sure that people were informed and cared for and guidelines were followed while the church was navigating a very challenging time.

Westside is located in the downtown core of the city of Vancouver, and as a church in a large urban centre there are many challenges to navigate from dealing with building logistics and parking to serving the local homeless population. Chris has specialized skills in de-escalation and calmly managing tense situations which can arise occasionally with people battling things like drug addiction who are a part of the neighbourhood. He oversees the churches Safety team and has brought in expert training and developed key safety measures that help keep both churchgoers and members of the local community safe.

Chris has a firm grasp of both technology systems and communication best practices having served as the IT administrator and interim communications manager for the church. He helped to implement a new church management software that helps to organize and schedule over 120 volunteers each week. He’s helped teams use automations and streamline processes, and he negotiated the contracts and worked directly with the vendor to develop solutions that would work for the organization and teams.

This past year, Chris, along with a team of key leaders, launched a new ministry he’s very passionate about called Marketplace Mornings. Marketplace Mornings is a quarterly breakfast meeting that seeks the good of the city by resourcing, connecting, and challenging Christian business people. Chris helps to project manage and facilitate the events, which are hosted at Westside Church.

Outside of work, Chris spends his time with his wife Tiffany and two rambunctious children, Teo and Cohen. They live together in Vancouver, a city which they love.

What People Are Saying

Chris played a crucial role in crafting and implementing a new volunteer service delivery model during the early stages of COVID-19. His proactive approach and insightful recommendations enabled our team to adapt and effectively support our community at large. Chris’s capacity to gather feedback, provide practical solutions and foster a collaborative environment makes him an exceptional leader. Additionally, Chris has a unique ability to synthesize complex ideas and articulate them in a clear, concise and compelling manner to a large and diverse audience. This makes him an absolute delight to work alongside and learn from.

I confidently recommend Chris for any organization seeking a strategic partner in developing and implementing effective leadership strategies, developing teams and/or managing large scale change.

— Tiffany Mutua

Learning and Development Program Manager
AbCellera Biologics

“Working Genius has helped me put not only language on what I can bring in a team project but also how to maximize my strength with my teammates. It gave me confidence and understanding of my place at work and taught me how to do work meeting more efficiently. Chris was a great facilitator, patient, well spoken, calm and made the experience personal and tailored to our team.”

— Ben Fontaine

Web and Graphic Design
YWAM Ships Kona

“When the world slowed down in 2020, I had the opportunity to serve Westside Church by starting the Remote Help Ministry (RHM) under Chris’ leadership. Chris is a leader who listens, welcomes feedback, and is not afraid of constant changes so that processes can be streamlined, team morale boosted, and for the good of the end user. Once the vision of RHM was established, Chris gave me margin to communicate with the ministry team and to execute processes, all the while providing and always offering support. What I appreciate about Chris is that he leads with humility, humour, and thoughtfulness—it is a joy to work with and alongside Chris.”

— Jessica Lam

Operations Coordinator
UGM (Union Gospel Mission)

"It has been a joy to have worked alongside Chris in many Faith & Work initiatives, most recently the Marketplace Mornings, where entrepreneurs and ministry leaders gather together. Chris has the unique perspective of having been both an entrepreneur and a pastor and has excelled in leadership in bridging these groups and in developing them through his work. His work with the Working Genius framework has been a game changer!"

— Enoch Weng

CEO & Co-Founder
Rise Above Finance

"Chris is nice to work with—he is very articulate and friendly. He was able to explain the Working Genius types in a unique way, which greatly helped our understanding of how we work together as a team."

— Kurstin Barta, BSc (Applied)

Plant Health Manager
Purple Springs Nursery

“Chris can bring together a group of high-performing people and get them moving together seamlessly toward a result that is vastly greater than the sum of their parts.”

— Mike Wilson

CEO
In Language Advertising

“I have had the pleasure of working and collaborating with Chris for 5+ years. It was evident that Chris possesses a great balance of professionalism, expertise in his craft and dedication to all those that are involved in the project at all levels. It is always a pleasure to work with Chris. He is always approachable, responsive, and adept at conveying concepts in a clear and concise manner. This has not only fostered a healthy working relationship but also ensured that all stakeholders were well-informed and engaged throughout projects. Working with Chris has been a rewarding and enriching experience. I wholeheartedly recommend Chris to anyone seeking a consultant who not only possesses exceptional expertise but also embodies the qualities of professionalism, integrity, and client-focused dedication.”

— Jenny Ng

Resident Services Manager
Shannon Oaks Vancouver

"Chris has helped the Marketplace Mornings leadership move forward in our ministry pursuit by never losing sight of the goal and working seamlessly behind the scenes to organize and move us forward. He tirelessly gives of himself to unite the team and backstop us as we strive to reach our goal. As a leader, Chris is a non-anxious presence for the teams he leads and works hard to facilitate feedback and conversation in order to empower those around him."

— John Rose

President
Rose Security Services Inc.

"Chris is brilliant at managing projects from inception to execution. He has an innate capacity to develop a vision and goal for a project, breaking down the vision into deliverables, planning, delegating tasks, and making sure all aspects of a project are delivered within the required time frame. He has a knack for bringing teams together and communicating a vision, and his attention to detail is impeccable. He is a great leader, and always delivers what is needed for a project."

— Brian Paza

Project Manager

“Chris sees solutions before most people recognize problems. He’s a gifted communicator and teacher. While being a deep thinker and strong analyst, Chris majors in the practical, bringing fresh insights, creative solutions, and a team approach to leading.”

— Anne Cochrane

Barrister & Solicitor
Partner, Kuhn LLP


I can help bring insight into

  • Leadership development/coaching

  • Job alignment/adjustments

  • Team cohesion and productivity

  • Who should be working together, and when

  • Creating a common language for discussing workplace wins, feedback, and frustrations

  • Clarity around stages of work