His talk focused on the importance of Dads for children and young people's development.

Chris has lectured in the School of Education at Victoria University of Wellington since 2004. He teaches in courses that focus on human development, adolescent and youth development and child and adolescent mental health. 

Early in his career he managed a national research project on resiliency the role of early childhood education in supporting the development of family/whānau resilience. Later he worked for Suicide Prevention Information New Zealand and the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand as an information officer and community educator.