The short version
I’m Chris — a physicist turned data and AI leader. I’ve spent 20 years going from scribbling equations on blackboards at Cambridge to building ML platforms used by hundreds of thousands of people. These days I help organisations figure out what to actually do with their data, and then I help them do it. You can see the full range of services I offer or browse selected case studies to see how I’ve helped others.
I’m based in Leysin, in the Swiss Alps, which is a great place to think clearly and a terrible place to avoid getting distracted by mountains.
The longer version
I did my PhD at Cambridge in theoretical physics — specifically supersymmetric quantum mechanics, which is exactly as impractical as it sounds. But it taught me how to take apart complex problems and find the structure underneath, which turns out to be useful well beyond academia.
After postdocs at UCL and the University of Luxembourg, I moved into industry and found my way to AI and data. Since then I’ve worked across the full spectrum: NLP research at a startup in Lausanne, cybersecurity AI at Cisco, building an ML platform across four continents at a billion-dollar EdTech company, and most recently as Chief Data & AI Officer at Obrizum, where I led a 10-person engineering team through Series A/B growth.
Along the way I’ve deployed ML and LLM features to 200K+ users, authored 7 published patents, achieved ISO 42001 AI governance certification, and secured over £2M in innovation funding. I’ve also learned — sometimes the hard way — that the hardest part of data and AI is rarely the technology. It’s getting the right people aligned around the right problem.
How I work
I start with the business problem, not the tech stack. I ask a lot of questions early on, because the most expensive mistake in data projects is solving the wrong problem efficiently.
I work as part of your team, not as a consultant who parachutes in with a slide deck and leaves. I write code, I get into the data, I’ll pair with your engineers if that’s what’s needed. I also know when to zoom out and talk strategy with your leadership team — I’ve done investor presentations, technical due diligence, and board-level reporting plenty of times.
I’m pragmatic. I’d rather ship something useful in two weeks than design the perfect architecture that never gets built.
Let’s talk
If you’re looking for someone who can help you make sense of your data, build something real with AI, or just want a second opinion on your data strategy — I’d love to hear from you. The first conversation is always free.
Outside of work
When I’m not at a keyboard I’m usually on a bike, on skis, or running up something steep. I raced the Dolomiti Superbike World Cup and finished in the top 50, which I’m still unreasonably proud of. I’m a member of the Swiss Rocketry Association (yes, we build actual rockets). And I occasionally write about endurance sports and technology on my blog.