Chris Levy

Chris Levy’s career commenced in advertising and sales promotion in the early sixties, followed by senior Marketing positions with The Nestle Company (1966-69), Richardson-Merrell Pty Ltd (1969-72), Jardine Matheson Australia (1972-75) and Sunburst Foods Pty Ltd (1975-79).

In 1979 he joined Pizza Hut Australia as Director of Marketing. In 1981 he became Managing Director, and then Area Vice President for Australia and South East Asia.  Over the following seven years, he negotiated franchises and opened new markets in Singapore, Malaysia, Korea, Taiwan, Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Japan. He was also responsible for the growth of Pizza Hut in Australia and New Zealand, from some 116 units in 1981 to more than 200 units in 1987, building a strong network of both franchised and company-owned outlets.

In 1984 Chris was elected Founding President of what is now the Franchise Council of Australia, a body formed to promote high ethics and standards in the franchising community.  He is an honorary Life Member of the FCA.

In 1987 he was appointed Managing Director of Sizzler Restaurants Australia Limited, which held franchise rights for Sizzler Steak Seafood and Salad Restaurants in the northern half of New South Wales and the state of South Australia.

In January 1989 Chris was appointed Managing Director of The Executive Connection (TEC), an organisation which conducts specialised coaching work with Chief Executives of Australian companies.  Member CEOs meet for a day each month to learn from visiting speakers and each other. Worldwide membership of TEC exceeds 8000, and includes CEOs in Australia, USA, UK, Canada, Malaysia, Singapore, Brazil, and Russia. Chris left TEC in June 1997, and remained a Director of the organisation until June 2003.

From June 1998 to August 2001, he was Chairman of Australian Kitchen Industries, the largest kitchen manufacturer and retailer in the country.

After many years working with CEOs and company executives at all levels, Chris has developed a workshop which teaches key communications skills in “Dynamic Discovery”, and “Constructive Confronting”.  Participants learn simple frameworks which they can apply immediately to both home and workplace situations. He also presents Marketing workshops for small to medium sized businesses which do not have their own Marketing staff.

Chris is an experienced Chairman and Facilitator for industry and corporate workshops and seminars. He is Managing Director of Marketing Imagination Pty Ltd, a business consultancy specialising in Franchising, Marketing Strategy and Executive Coaching. He is also an Honorary Board Member of the House with No Steps, a charity which provides support and  employment for over 1200 people who are physically or mentally challenged.

Chris is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management.  His leisure interests include sailing, jazz and classical music, veteran cars, bushwalking, woodworking, theatre and films.

Chris Levy talks about:

Close Encounters – a communications workshop for creative coaching and constructive confrontation.

This workshop covers two important aspects of our day-to-day communication. Participants improve their ability to discuss significant issues with others, and also to confront difficult or unwanted behaviour with work colleagues, family members, and business associates. These techniques apply equally well in the workplace or at home.

The major segments of the workshop include:

• Dynamic Discovery: How to help someone explore a business or personal issue so that they can discover their deeper thoughts and feelings, devise their own solutions, and determine a positive course of action.
• Constructive Confronting: How to confront a person about behaviour which needs to change, in such a way that he or she will be encouraged to discuss the key issues with you in a receptive and constructive manner.