CHRIS WRIGHT

Born and educated in Ipswich, England, Chris Wright decided early on that words would shape his future. Initially training in local newspaper journalism, Chris soon tired of parish pump politics and then made the unorthodox move into newspaper advertising: "not least because I noticed that the guys in the ad department drove shiny company cars, wore decent suits and were first to buy a round of drinks, for the not entirely unrelated reason that they could actually afford to."

Once handed the keys of the domestic appliance white Ford Escort and having treated all the reporters to a pint, Chris quickly warmed to the pace and pressure of the commercial world.

"The three years I spent in advertising exposed me to every type of business, what made successful companies tick and how to develop that success."

Feeling that his writing ability was under-utilised, Chris kept his hand in with a spare-time newspaper motor racing column "for peanuts". When the chance came to work as an in-house market communications manager in construction products, he grabbed the opportunity to amalgamate his skill set and stayed with the same company for nearly 12 years.

In 1999, he felt ready to realise a long held ambition to run his own market communications consultancy, forming CAW Market Communications. He describes receiving the last salary packet and handing back the company car as "character building moments".

Since its formation, CAWMC, as Chris tends to abbreviate it, has gone on to service the promotional requirements of some of the biggest names in construction products.

"I believe CAWMC has been successful because I developed into a good listener and have always been fortunate to work for outstanding employers and clients. The important thing is to never stop learning."