Chris Cowls

Chris Cowls is a Visiting Professor at the University of Surrey's Surrey Hospitality and Tourism Management department. He is also the CEO of Eproductive Ltd, a tech company he founded in 2000, specializing in digital solutions for hotel people management and charity retail sectors. His academic work includes lecturing on hospitality topics and leading research, such as a 3-year ESRC-funded study on hotel labor productivity.

• Education: MA from the University of Aberdeen, MBA from the University of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne.

Research interests focus on hospitality technology, labor productivity optimization, and digital transformation in service industries. He co-founded the fiftytwenty network of UK hospitality leaders and has served as a Non-Executive Director/Trustee at St Martin-in-the-Fields for nearly 30 years.

• Awards: MBE (2019), Fellow of the Institute of Hospitality.

Professional roles include advisory work in hospitality sectors globally and active involvement in charity initiatives. His grants include ESRC funding for labor productivity research.