Chris Ingram

Chris spent the first 40 years of his business life in the media communications and marketing industry. He is regarded as the inventor of the modern media agency, having started The Media Department (TMD) in 1972 and Chris Ingram Associates (CIA) in 1976, which he built into an international, publicly-quoted business (Tempus Group). The business was sold to WPP in 2001 for £430 million and is now Mediadge:cia.

Under the name IngramEnterprise, he is now an active investor, helping entrepreneurs and SMEs build their businesses in the media; communications; digital and sport & leisure sectors. Over the years, he has bought into or bought out over 100 businesses.

In 2000, Chris was voted UK Business to Business Entrepreneur of the Year in Ernst & Young’s awards, having earlier been London Entrepreneur of the Year. In 2003-4, he was Entrepreneur in Residence at Wharton Business School.

In July 2007 Chris was made an Honorary Fellow of London Business School. He was Deputy Chairman of London Business School’s Foundation for Entrepreneurial Management until 2007 and from 2002-8 was Chairman of the Centre for Creative Business, a joint venture between London Business School and the University of the Arts, London to help principals in the creative industries improve their general business skills.

In 2008, he was honoured in Campaign’s Hall of Fame as one of those who have helped to shape the UK’s advertising industry over the last 40 years.

Chris’s passion is football and he is owner of Woking Football Club, since acquiring the Club in 2002 and in 2008 became a majority shareholder of a fast-growing 5-a-side football business, Azzurri Fives.

He is a keen collector of Modern British art and sculpture and in 2008, put his collection under long-term loan with The Lightbox, Woking’s new award-winning museum and gallery.

He is a Vice President of Shelter, the housing charity and his family charity, The Ingram Trust, supports approximately two dozen charities, both national and international, as well as local ones in Surrey.

Chris writes monthly business and marketing columns for Business XL and Campaign.