After 40 years of marketing to mature customers, Chris joined the Silver Marketing Association about four years ago whilst working as CEO of the JG Travel Group, initially as an individual member. His long career includes more than 25 years with Saga, and nearly ten years as CEO for accessible holidays charity Revitalise. He is now CEO of walking co-operative HF Holidays who are company members of the association.
‘I had previously partnered with Debbie Marshall when she was at Silver Travel Advisor, and I was keen to meet other organisations working in the sector to see what they were doing and share experiences. It has worked out really well and I’ve collaborated with several companies I have met through the Silver Marketing Association community.
‘And I particularly love the annual Summit. I have been to many conferences on marketing to mature customers, but the annual SMA Summit really opens the subject out. It’s great to hear sensible discussion about topics such as digital discrimination, for instance. At this year’s Summit, we heard very compelling reasons why door-drop marketing can still be very effective in an increasingly digital world.’
Chris was a keynote speaker at the 2025 Summit, tackling the changing face of the over 50s market using his own career of over 4 decades as the backdrop to his talk which received many accolades from a packed audience of marketers. Members can watch his presentation here (Chris’s keynote starts at 1 hour 39 minutes).
When his career began with Saga in 1983, the sector was made up of people who had lived through one if not two world wars. Now the mature customers are Baby Boomers.
‘Our formative years shape how we see the world as we grow up, but at a certain age, things level out,’ says Chris, who joined HF two years ago. ‘Our customers at HF are mostly over-50 and some are in their 80s, but rather than an overt focus on mobility issues which dominated at Saga, they are all active walkers. Our focus is on “thoughtful arrangements”, those little things that acknowledge our understanding of older customers that when needed are highly valued but often not noticed by those who don’t – that’s the art of catering to this market well.
‘For example, many older customers holiday on their own – for all sorts of reasons – and a common concern is whether they will find people to talk to. At HF that isn’t a problem, because our holidays are all about community connection and belonging. The magic ingredient at HF is that you instantly find people to chat to in our Country Houses and out on the trail.’
It was this sense of community that attracted Chris to the role of CEO in the first place. He loved the idea of working for a co-operative where the directors are an elected group of enthusiastic members who want to shape the organisation’s future. Now strong growth figures are enabling Chris to spearhead an exciting new project to redesign a number of key properties and introduce a feeling of connection between HF’s 16 Country Houses, whilst preserving the individuality of each one. First to get a makeover was Dolserau Hall in Southern Snowdonia, reopened this summer with interior design reflecting nature that helps to bring the outside in.
Ask Chris about his own retirement plans and he is genuinely stumped for a moment. ‘All my life I have been busy, so I’ll definitely carry on like that, although I’m not sure how. I’m a bit of a hobby hopper, but I always enjoy walking our two German Shepherds and the sense of achievement I get when I walk with HF guests from our properties, so hopefully I’ll explore more on foot.’
And the best advice he can give on ageing? ‘A creative marketing colleague told me many years ago always to frame ageing as a positive experience and she was so right. Don’t look on getting older as a period of decline but rather as something to look forward to, because it really can be a joy.’ Baby Boomers, take note!
Chris was in conversation with journalist Gillian Thornton
