08 September 2026
3 min
In this quarter’s fireside chat, we sit down with Chris King, our Head of Charities, Foundations and Endowments. He chats us through his career to date and life outside work, from his newly acquired allotment to volunteering at his children’s school. And if you’ve ever wondered what it’s like dealing with drunk celebrities on a credit card hotline, Chris gets into that too!
I’ve always had an interest in investments and markets – my job allows me to put that into practice, which is great. I also love having the ability to improve people’s lives by making them more financially secure.
I just got an allotment, so I’ve been spending a fair bit of time there recently. It hadn’t been cultivated for a while and was just a field of grass, but I’ve got big plans!
I’m a school governor, which means I can use my financial experience to help my kids’ school make the most of their resources.
I’d be doing everything I could to encourage collective defined contributions (CDC) to get off the ground. DB isn’t coming back in the private sector, sadly, but CDC at least addresses some of DC’s shortcomings, and will mean people can have better retirements.
The best consultants are those who can communicate complicated ideas simply. That’s the key to building good relationships with clients.
Try to look for opportunities to make a difference. If you notice something that could be done better, try to see what you can do to change it. And don’t be afraid to ask for help!
There have been quite a few, but one I remember was finally getting a client to agree to de-risk after mulling it over for a long time just before Covid-19 hit. They came through the pandemic in a much better place than they would’ve been had they not implemented what I recommended.
While I was at university, I worked the night shift on the credit card hotline for Coutts, the private bank. I once had a very drunk Cilla Black and Dale Winton ring up together from Spain after she’d lost her card!
I’ve had tangible perks like company cars and share schemes before, but I think the flexibility to start and finish the day at a time that fits in with family life is fantastic. It means I can take the kids to school quite a lot, which is great while they’re little.
I absolutely love Peacemaker. It’s silly and over the top, but it’s so much fun. It’s definitely one to watch on the rare occasion I have the house to myself.
I listen to quite a few podcasts. My favourite is ArsenalVision.
Sunday roast is among Britain’s best dishes and one of our many gifts to the world. I love cooking it for family and friends, so hands down it’s a Sunday roast. A home-cooked one, too – pub/restaurant roasts aren’t as good as those done at home.
Football. I’m a huge Arsenal fan – I live close to the stadium and try to attend as many games as I can get tickets for.
I’ve always been more of a night owl and I’m quite happy staying up late. But with two young kids, I also have to get up early!
City life, for sure. I like being around people and I’m very happy living in London. I grew up in the North Yorkshire countryside and got frustrated with the lack of things to do.
I’d say drama. Making a really good comedy is hard and they’re few and far between. That’s why people are still watching old stuff like Fawlty Towers. There’s so much good drama on TV these days. I’ve recently enjoyed Le Bureau des Légendes and La Maison.
Chris leads our charities, foundations and endowments team. If you'd like to discuss your organisation's investment strategy and objectives, please visit our charities page or get in touch.
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