Chris Gordon began his career as a trainee Chartered Surveyor with Hillier Parker in London.

In 1975, he joined his father in setting up Rockley Point sailing school in Poole Harbour, Dorset.  After establishing Rockley Point, Chris relocated to Fort Lauderdale in the US where he spent a year running a small charter fleet in the Bahamas.

In 1982, after learning that a company named Island Sailing was on the market, Chris returned to the UK and bought the company from Guinness. At this point, Island Sailing acquired 48 yachts which were all lying in the Mediterranean. By 1987, this had risen to 250 yachts, at which point Island Sailing bought the Yacht Cruising Association, one of its biggest competitors. Chris named the new company Sunsail International.

Following a succession of purchases of American, European and British charter companies, Sunsail went on to become the largest yacht charter and holiday firm in the world with over 1,200 yachts and 11 watersport hotels.

In 1999 Chris sold Sunsail to First Choice Holidays PLC (now TUI PLC)

After the sale of Sunsail International, Chris spent five years as Managing Director of the Marine Division of First Choice Holidays PLC.

Chris left First Choice in 2004, and in 2005 he bought Coconut Island, in Phuket, Thailand, and began work turning it into The Village, Coconut Island – Phuket’s premier island resort.

Today, Chris is based in Phuket and currently serves as the Managing Director of The Village Management Company and The Village Group Singapore.