Mr. Chris Gordon

Biography

Chris MM Gordon MBS BSc (Theoretical Physics) DipCorpGov DipIoD FInstM Chris Gordon is a Teaching Fellow at Trinity Business School, where he lectures across the Trinity MBA (Full-Time, Executive, and Flexible Executive) programmes. His teaching focuses on social enterprise, social entrepreneurship, social innovation, and the governance and systems contexts in which purpose-led organisations operate. Alongside his academic role, Chris is Chief Executive Officer of the Irish Social Enterprise Network (and Buy Social Ireland) and Managing Partner of Collaboration Ireland, working at the intersection of policy, enterprise development, and societal impact. He also serves in a voluntary capacity as Chair of the EnergyCloud Foundation, an international initiative addressing energy poverty through the redirection of surplus renewable energy, and as Chair of Transparency International Ireland, an initiative to combat corruption. Chris"s work spans Ireland, Northern Ireland, and wider European contexts, with a particular interest in how place, history, and socio-political systems shape enterprise responses to complex social and environmental challenges. He engages regularly with national and European policymakers and has contributed to sectoral strategy, consultation processes, and policy development in the areas of social enterprise, social value, and responsible procurement. His work and commentary have featured across Irish and UK media, including RTÉ, BBC, The Sunday Times, The Irish Independent, Today FM, and the Sunday Business Post. Chris is a Fellow of the Institute of Leadership (UK) and a B Leader accredited by B Lab Europe. He is a Social Innovation Fellow of StartingBloc (USA), a Constellations Society Fellow (France), a Tällberg Pathfinder Fellow (Sweden), and a recipient of a US Department of State award for work on social enterprise and long-term unemployment. He holds a Diploma in Company Direction from the Institute of Directors Ireland. He holds a BSc in Theoretical Physics from Queen's University Belfast and a Masters degree in Business Studies from the University of Ulster. His academic and professional interests are grounded in systems thinking, governance, ethics, and the practical application of theory to real-world societal challenges.