I’m so sorry for your loss. I had the honor of working with Chris at Aviva. When the Singapore team came to the London office for onboarding, we got to work alongside the rest of the UK team in person, and Chris was one of them. Everyone was warm and friendly, but Chris’s kindness and genuine smile really stood out. We went through some tough stretches at work, and through all that stress, his smile never wavered. Given how full his plate always seemed to be, I was struck by how he still made time to help us.

There’s one story from our casual chats that has stuck with me. Chris mentioned he was a real coffee lover, the kind who ground his own beans and brewed coffee at home every single day before heading to the office. When I first heard that, it struck me as a bit much, since I knew his commute to London was at least an hour. To make it into the office by 9, he’d have had to be up by 5 am just to grind his coffee. I asked if that was really his routine, and he confirmed it with a nonchalant, slightly cheeky smile: “Well, yeah, that’s what it is.”That moment told me everything I needed to know about Chris: calm, steady, and disciplined.

Our time working together was brief, but I’m truly grateful to have known Chris. The world has lost a kind soul. Rest in peace, Chris.