Chris truly brings the ASPIRE values to life!

Achievement: When Chris is involved in a project or initiative, you know it’s going to be successful. He understands what must be done to not only move the business forward, but also to serve our stakeholders, and he works to create actionable plans and processes that move the needle.

Stewardship: Chris truly believes in OA’s ability to be there for our customers when they need us most. He values the trust customers place in us, and he is passionate not only about protecting our customers, but about telling this story and bringing it to life.

Partnership: Chris understands the importance of partnership – for our customers and our internal business partners. He works to deliver outcomes that are mutually beneficial, and he has a true ability to understand where the other person is coming from – finding solutions that meet specific needs and building trust along the way.

Integrity: One simple interaction with Chris is all it takes to see his integrity and character. Chris is humble, trustworthy, empathetic and principled. He does what is right and stands up for the moral and ethical values that make OA such a unique company. He treats everyone with respect and is a true role model for his team and fellow associates.

Responsiveness: A quick glance at Chris’ calendar proves he’s pulled in many directions and is a trusted team member involved in many projects and initiatives. Despite his extremely busy schedule, Chris finds a way to be there for his team and coworkers. I can’t count the number of times when I’ve had to reach Chris to discuss something urgent, and he’s quick to reply and get in touch with me. He is quick to turn a project deliverable and ensures he does his part to keep projects – and individuals – moving at the right pace and in the right direction.

Excellence: Chris continually pursues excellence – in our people and our processes. He holds development in high regard and continues to not only set the bar higher, but equip his team to meet the challenge. He is conscientious and intentional about using every situation as an opportunity to move us forward.


Chris is well-respected and adored by our entire team. I believe this stems from the fact that we all have unwavering trust in Chris’ abilities, character and leadership style. Chris is exactly who he seems to be – a calm, steady leader who values each person and perspective and truly wants the best for us, for our business and for our customers. Chris is the opposite of drama – and even in challenging situations, I’ve never seen him get frustrated or speak negatively about others. Chris creates an environment that feels safe and supportive, and on many occasions, our team has had very real discussions about issues and challenges. Chris doesn’t judge and he truly listens, but he doesn’t stop there; instead, he moves into thoughtful action and helps us find ways to address the issues that are slowing us down. The result is a team that is engaged, productive, supported and empowered to do great work that makes a difference.

Chris has an amazing track record, and he’s pulled into so many different projects because of the unique insights he brings. Chris leads successful initiatives because he is in a class of his own when it comes to bringing a vision to life – and ensuring the project team understands the vision as well. Chris sees the full picture, understands each stakeholder’s unique needs, knows the story we need to tell, and understands the specific actions and deliverables that will get us there. He has been instrumental in developing foundational process and editorial calendars for our executives across the enterprise and lines of business. He’s involved in large projects like national sales meetings, annual reports and product launches, as well as smaller but important projects relating to specific customers or one-off messaging. His work surrounding the enterprise response to the many events of 2020 is another major example. From COVID, to social justice, to elections to market volatility, Chris has ensured OA has the appropriate messaging, tone and visibility.

I honestly don’t know where to begin on this! Chris is an amazing leader who takes development and empowerment seriously. First of all, Chris supports his team members and “has our backs.” I have never doubted for a second that Chris trusts me and values what I can bring to the table. I don’t say this as a reflection of me, but as proof of the foundation he has built for our team. I am certain each of my team members feels this support and trust as well. Because that’s in place, we are more empowered to take ownership of our projects, to speak up, and to take on additional responsibility. At the same time, Chris is our coach. He doesn’t ever hover or micromanage, but he is there when we need counsel, guidance or even just to throw ideas back and forth. He’s also quick to celebrate our successes, point out when we’ve brought EWA values to life, or shown major developmental growth.

Chris is also committed to our growth and development overall. He values what’s important to each of us and wants to help us grow in these unique areas. He wants us to understand our career paths and what’s required developmentally to move to the next stage of our careers. He wants to pass on skills or knowledge we might not have thought about (even this week, he gave our team an amazing rundown of how to write video scripts). In addition to normal team meetings, Chris has created meetings specifically devoted to development, and he asks the team to share areas where they feel like they could grow.

Chris has a unique ability to understand process gaps and roadblocks, and he works to build better processes that drive innovation and positive change. He has created countless OA ways and process guides for the communications team, helping us to operate more efficiently and our stakeholders to better understand the complex communications process. Chris isn’t afraid to share new ideas and implement new processes when he sees the old ways aren’t cutting it. Chris takes this even further, though, by engaging all team members and project stakeholders to weigh in on the processes that impact them – ultimately creating something that works for everyone. He has a unique ability to outline a process or plan visually, mapping it out in a user-friendly way – and he always has the best new technology to accomplish this!

I’ve learned so much from Chris, who truly leads by example. He is quiet and humble, but so quick to call out the great work of others. He’s a master storyteller who has a unique and inspiring way of plotting a course for the comms team. Above all, Chris deeply and genuinely cares. He believes in the important work we’re doing for our customers. He is committed to telling the story of why OA is so unique. He is an advocate for his team, and he cares about them personally and professionally. Chris makes OA better, plain and simple.