References

During my 4-year tenure as Chair at Hortons Social Purpose Committee, it has been my good fortune to have Christopher Tipton as a member of the team. The Committee was created by Hortons’ shareholders to help people in Birmingham deal with the economic, social and personal problems that they are facing. We live in very tough times, and assistance is often hard to find. The Committee strives to allocate funds with precision and make a beneficial difference to those most requiring this help. We set out petite but influential and the progress has been remarkable. Small sums of money forensically targeted enable sustained improvement. This has been a constant feature of the work undertaken.

Christopher Tipton has been at the centre of this project, and his contribution has been simply beyond reproach. He possesses an exceptional intellect which he combines superbly with finely tuned administration skills. He is extremely hard working in a manner that ensures the combination of obvious effort with meaningful progress.

Metaphorically there is “more heat and little smoke”.

As a result, the committee runs smoothly with an exemplary governance structure, underpinned by financial rigour. Undoubtedly, the programme of post-graduate study he undertook on a part-time basis has made a significant contribution to the operation of the committee’s multiple endeavours. It surprised nobody when we discovered he had achieved a distinction in his studies.

Christopher is a remarkably calm and considerate individual who approaches problems with a keenly analytical mind. He is always open to debate and is very keen to learn. Naturally he subscribes fully to the philosophy “Best Argument Wins”. His opinions are fact based, well referenced and always substantiated. A major strength is that he avoids sentimentality whilst retaining an unshakable passion to improve the lives of others.

It is a privilege to work alongside him and watch him develop into a quite exceptional individual.