After gaining her degree from Glasgow University, Chris joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1985 as an Air Traffic Control Officer. She has served at many RAF airfields, including Brize Norton, Valley, Leeming and Marham. Following promotion to Squadron Leader and an appointment as the Senior Air Traffic Control Officer at Linton-on-Ouse, she moved to the Operational Requirements (Air) Directorate in the Ministry of Defence and then attended the Advanced Command and Staff Course (ACSC) in 2000.

Following promotion and a staff appointment supporting the Commander-in-Chief Personnel and Training Command/Air Member, she was appointed as Officer Commanding Operations Wing at RAF Northolt and then returned to the ACSC as Directing Staff. As a Group Captain she joined the Royal College of Defence Studies in 2010 prior to her appointment as the Commanding Officer at RAF Halton.

On promotion to Air Commodore, she left her role in Programmes and Plans at AIR Command and joined No 22 (Trg) Gp as the Director of Ground Training and Senior Air Staff Officer. She retired from regular service in June 2020 in the rank of Air Vice Marshal, her last role in being the Chief of Staff Personnel/Air Secretary.

She was a Trustee of the RAF Sports Federation for 8 years and left the Charity after handing over as Chair in February 2020. She joined the RAF Benevolent Fund in April 2020, taking over as CEO. Married to James, Chris has two teenage children and enjoys photography, running and dog walking and squeezing in her passion for skiing, motorbikes and cooking, around a busy family life.