Chris MM Gordon
Director CEO, Irish Social Enterprise Network · Teaching Fellow, Trinity Business School · Chair, Transparency International Ireland - Chair, EnergyCloud Foundation
- Ireland Dublin
Ireland's leading voice on social enterprise, social procurement and purpose-led governance
Media
Social
Biography
Chris works closely with Government on social enterprise policy. He represents social enterprise on the Stakeholder Engagement Group that monitors Trading for Impact, the National Social Enterprise Policy 2024 to 2027, and chairs its Social Procurement committee with the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht. In 2024 the European Commission appointed him a National Social Economy Expert. He is a WeBuySocialEU Ambassador.
He is a Teaching Fellow at Trinity Business School, where he teaches social enterprise and social innovation on the MBA and MSc programmes and is Academic Director of the Executive MBA Capstone Strategic Company Project. He is a co-author of research on place-based learning published in Management Learning (2026).
Chris chairs Transparency International Ireland and EnergyCloud Foundation, an international movement that diverts surplus renewable energy to homes in fuel poverty. He is Managing Partner of Collaboration Ireland, advising purpose-led organisations on governance and strategy.
He is a Chartered Manager and Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute, a Fellow of the Institute of Leadership, a B Corp Consultant trained by B Lab, and a Certified Company Secretary Professional. He holds the IoD Diploma in Company Direction, a Master of Business Studies and a BSc in Theoretical Physics. He is a Climate Reality Leader and an Erickson Professional Coach.
Chris is a sought-after MC and moderator. He has hosted the European Union Social Economy Summit, the European Social Economy Awards and the European Investment Bank Institute Social Innovation Tournament, and Europe Day at the Mansion House for 50 years of Ireland in the EU. He lectures for the Institute of Directors, IBEC Academy and UCD Innovation Academy on sustainability, ESG and social enterprise. His work has featured on RTÉ, the BBC and Today FM and in The Sunday Times, the Irish Independent and the Sunday Business Post.
Industry Expertise
Areas of Expertise
Accomplishments
Chartered Manager and Chartered Fellow, Chartered Management Institute
2026-08-04
Awarded Chartered Manager and Chartered Fellow (CMgr FCMI) from Chartered Management Institute, recognising senior strategic leadership and management practice.
Chair, Transparency International Ireland
2025-06-10
Leads the board of Ireland's anti-corruption and integrity organisation, overseeing strategy, governance and its public voice on transparency.
Chair, national Subcommittee on Social Procurement
Appointed under Trading for Impact, the National Social Enterprise Policy, from the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, to lead work on opening public and private procurement to social enterprises.
Social Innovation Fellow at StartingBloc
2012-06-29
The StartingBloc Fellowship brings the brightest young leaders and provides them with access to the resources they need to address the most pressing global challenges of our time. The most critical resource that our Fellows gain access to is a tight-knit community of social innovators based across the country and the world. Fellows are young leaders who share a common set of values. They believe that economic value creation and social value creation are complementary. They believe in making mone
Constellations Society Fellowship
2012-08-30
The Constellations Society aims to create the first global think tank on governments and major institutions on five continents, with five pillars of focus: economics, politics, science, religion and the arts. The Society aims to do this by creating a social network that brings together the elite of the new generation: it is the younger generations who will decide what kind of world they want to live in, and it is they who will discuss and make recommendations on fundamental issues.
National Social Economy Expert, European Commission
2024-02-06
Appointed by DG GROW European Commission. Authored the Commission's discussion paper on Ireland's National Social Enterprise Policy.
Ambassador, WeBuySocialEU and EU Proximity and Social Economy Platform
2024-02-14
Champions European Commission initiatives that use public procurement and local supply to deliver social goals.
Northern Ireland Coordinator Children of Chernobyl Student's 10K Walk
2005-05-30
Raising awareness and funds for those in Belarus affected by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Responsible for organising and promoting 10k walk and run through Queen's University of Belfast and then University of Ulster throughout Northern Ireland. Responsible for media through TV3 and the Star, community development, team building and event management
The Argus: Two local students help the children of Belarus: http://www.argus.ie/news/two-local-students-help-the-children-of-belarus-959864.html
Tällberg Pathfinder Fellow
Selected in 2012 by the Tällberg Foundation in Sweden for its fellowship for emerging leaders working on global challenges.
US State Department award, Boston College
Recognised in 2012 through a US State Department programme for work on social enterprise and tackling long-term unemployment.
Launched BuySocial.ie
Launched Ireland's national social enterprise directory in 2016, connecting social enterprises with public bodies, businesses and the public.
Chairperson, EnergyCloud Foundation
Chairs the international body of a movement that diverts surplus renewable energy to homes in fuel poverty, leading its governance and growth across Europe.
Author, Social Enterprise Toolkit
Wrote Ireland's free online guide to starting and running a social enterprise, covering purpose, legal form, finance and impact.
Over €1.9 million in EU funding secured
Secured and led EU projects Net-Works (€513k), BuyWISEly (€325k) and GreenBoost4WISEs (€1.05m) for Ireland's social enterprise sector.
Presidential Medal, Ireland United States Alumni Association
Awarded for services to the Association, which he led as President, strengthening Irish and US civic and leadership links.
Peer-reviewed article in Management Learning
Co-author of research on how place-based learning helps students, educators and practitioners co-create social value, drawn from 82 projects over six years.
Education
Dorset College
Diploma in Corporate Governance
Corporate Governance
2012
The Climate Reality Project
Climate Reality Leader
Climate Leadership
2020
Erickson Coaching International
Erickson Professional Coach (EPC)
Coaching
2021
Social Value International
Social Value Practitioner
Social Value and Impact Measurement
2020
Buy Social Canada
Social Procurement Professional Certificate
Social Procurement
2025
Institute of Directors Ireland
Diploma in Company Direction
Company Direction
2022
The Corporate Governance Institute, accredited by Birkbeck, University of London
Certified Company Secretary Professional (CCSP)
Company Secretarial Practice
2026
B Lab Europe
B Corp Consultant, trained by B Lab
B Corp Certification, B Lab Standards V2
2026
Chartered Management Institute
Chartered Manager and Chartered Fellow (CMgr FCMI)
Management and Leadership
2026
Queen's University Belfast
BSc
Theoretical Physics
2004
University of Ulster
Masters
Business
2006
Affiliations
- Ireland United States Alumni Association (President Emeritus)
- Institute of Directors Ireland (Member)
- The Institute of Leadership (Fellow)
- Chartered Management Institute (Chartered Fellow)
- WeBuySocialEU (Ambassador)
- Trading for Impact Stakeholder Engagement Group (Chair, Social Procurement Subcommittee)
- EnergyCloud Foundation (Chairperson)
- Transparency International Ireland (Chair)
Links
Languages
- English
Media Appearances
Chris MM Gordon on Social Procurement Opportunities and Social Enterprise in Ireland
Impact Boom online
2023-05-08
Interview with Impact Boom on social procurement opportunities for social enterprises in Ireland, community benefit clauses in public tenders, and the growth of the Buy Social and B Corp movements.
Event Appearances
MC and Host
Retail and Brand Experience World Congress Barcelona, Spain
MC and Host
WHU Sensability Conference WHU Otto Beisheim School of Management, Germany
MC and Host
Responsible Innovation Conference Croke Park, Dublin
Facilitator
Conference on the Future of Europe, Transnational Digital Citizens' Dialogue Brussels (online)
MC and Host
SoCircular, Celebrating Dublin's Social and Circular Economy Mansion House, Dublin
MC and Organiser
Our Energy Future in a World of Disinformation, ENAM Conference 2023 Dublin
Speaker
National Sustainability Summit Leopardstown, Dublin
MC and Host
Circular Economy Hotspot Dublin 2023 Dublin
MC
European Investment Bank Institute Social Innovation Tournament Dublin and Luxembourg
MC
Social Economy Action Plan and Ten Years of Social Economy Europe European Parliament, Brussels
MC and Host
Europe Day Conference, 50 Years of Ireland in the EU Mansion House, Dublin
MC
European Social Economy Awards, Social Economy Europe Ljubljana, Slovenia
MC and Host
European Union Social Economy Summit (EUSES) Mannheim, Germany (online)
Sample Talks
Buying Social. How Public Spending Can Build Stronger Communities
How social procurement works in Ireland and Europe, and how public bodies and corporate buyers can include social enterprises in their supply chains lawfully and practically. For procurement, local government and corporate audiences.
Style
Availability
- Keynote
- Moderator
- Panelist
- Workshop Leader
- Host/MC
- Corporate Training
Fees
Articles
Social Enterprise Toolkit
Irish Social Enterprise NetworkChris MM Gordon
A free guide for people and communities in Ireland starting and growing a social enterprise, covering mission, market analysis, legal structures, finance, social impact and self-care. Published in 2017 with support from Community Finance Ireland, Dublin South City Partnership and Dublin City Council.
The National Social Enterprise Policy in Ireland (Discussion Paper)
European CommissionChris MM Gordon
Discussion paper written for the European Commission in 2024, analysing Ireland's 2019 to 2022 National Social Enterprise Policy and the 2024 to 2027 policy, including administrative structures, stakeholder engagement, visibility and monitoring, and alignment with the EU Social Economy Action Plan.
Teaching social innovation through place-based learning: Facilitating perspective sharing in co-creating social value
Management Learning (Sage)S. M. Cannon, G. Donnelly-Cox, R. Hazenberg, C. M. M. Gordon and J. Hughes
Peer-reviewed article (2026) developing a model of social value co-creation between practitioners, educators and students, based on 82 place-based learning projects over six annual cycles.
