Chris Elias

Communications Lead

Chris is an experienced communications professional and has led communications through major change and transformation programmes. He thrives on achieving great outcomes that make a difference to peoples’ lives, through campaign-based collaboration and emotional engagement through a natural, hands-on approach. Chris has experience in public, private and not for profit and third sector organisations. 

Chris is skilled in stakeholder engagement, creative thinking, visible leadership, strategic communications and insight based creative marketing (multi discipline). A committed communicator, Chris has experience of working with executive and non-executive boards as well as Trade Union Groups. Chris holds an IOIC Diploma in Internal Communications and am a TEDx organiser with the CIPR. He is also the former Chair and founder of Engage for Success Wales group. 

Key achievements

→ Provided communications support and change delivery expertise to a local authority to create and launch a transformation programme to deliver £65m of savings over 4 years while improving services to residents. The programme delivered £20m of auditable savings in the first year of delivery with a roadmap for a further £45m savings. 

→ Complete re-brand project management and implementation for a third sector organisation. Led entire re-brand projection working direct the CEO and engaging colleagues and it’s trustees. Development of new name, brand identity, legal and charity status compliance as well as embedding and rolling out the new brand both internally and externally. Coaching and training senior leadership team, and those in the business responsible for using the brand for corporate collateral. Delivery, content and SEO optimisation for their new website. 

→ Implemented the communication and engagement plan for a national water company to ensure business continuity and employee safety and engagement as we adjusted to the Covid19 pandemic. Introduced live streaming and new studio to support authentic senior leadership messaging. 

→ Set-up the first national Communicating Digital community of practice in Wales to support communication professionals to communicate digital change. 

→ Appointed as inaugural Internal Communications Manager to build and develop a communication framework in a private equity business that rapidly expanded through the acquisition of 5 companies across 5 sites in the UK. 

→ Set-up and chaired Engage for Success Wales. Engage for Success Wales was set up to support employers to better consider how better employee engagement could support building productivity in Wales, increase use of digital tools and technology and encouraging involvement and inclusivity in diverse workforces. 

→ Set-up and recruited an entire internal communications function for a private sector organisation and re-developed and internal brand to align 5 separate companies into one brand. This included implementation of intranet, employee engagement survey, employee quarterly events. 

→ Proposed and executed the first ever TEDxDVLA, supporting development of an empowered culture for a major UK government agency. 

Areas of Expertise

  • Communications
  • Engagement
  • Creative
  • Virtual and live events
  • Digital strategy
  • Change leadership
  • Operational delivery
  • Change management
  • Behavioural and culture change