Chris Marsden

Chris Marsden is IQ-EQ’s Group General Counsel, based in London.

Chris is responsible for all legal matters, Group governance, sustainability and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) at IQ-EQ.

As well as being a member of IQ-EQ’s Group Management Team and Group Risk and Compliance Committee, Chris chairs the Group Business Ethics and Sustainability Committee and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. He also acts as Company Secretary for the Group Supervisory Board.

Professional – Personal

Chris achieved a degree in Modern History from the University of Oxford as well as postgraduate qualifications in law in Oxford.  He has been a UK qualified solicitor continuously since 2005.

Chris has 11 years’ experience working for international law firms (primarily Clifford Chance in its Financial Institutions Group), where he worked on M&A, strategic initiatives and regulatory issues. During that time, he also spent 18 months on secondment in the Legal team of a FTSE 100 bank working on a complex corporate reorganisation and with the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) on implementation of EU financial services regulations.  He collaborated with the Economist Intelligence Unit on legal publications and gave presentations at the Academy of European Law on legal and regulatory developments.  He worked with multiple blue chip global financial services businesses and financial sponsors on M&A and other important strategic initiatives.

Chris moved in-house in 2015 and has nine years’ experience in General Counsel roles within the investor services sector.  In addition to legal and regulatory risk management, he has been involved in the execution of multiple M&A transactions during this period, including carve-outs and complex integration projects.  He has worked on political and geopolitical risk management (including as chair of the Brexit Steering Committee).  On the business side, he has experience as a company director in the UK and as executive sponsor for a governance business.  During his career he has supervised and mentored over 20 trainee solicitors, many of whom are now in senior positions across the legal and financial services sectors.  He is also actively involved in regulatory relationships and has met with regulators in multiple jurisdictions.

In addition, Chris has 14 years’ experience as trustee of an educational charity in the UK. He has worked with The Prince’s Trust to support social enterprises and on multiple sustainability and DE&I initiatives at IQ-EQ.

Chris enjoys learning, problem-solving and working with people to achieve successful and sustainable growth.

Outside the office, Chris enjoys spending time with his family and travelling (ideally at the same time).  At the weekend, he is typically found standing on the touchlines or at concerts supporting his daughters in their sporting and musical pursuits.