Meet Chris Traynor, Contracts Manager at #think. With nine years across rope access behind him, Chris takes ownership of programme delivery from tender through to handover. One point of accountability for clients from day one.

As a specialist provider of rope access, confined space and industrial access services across the UK, Think Access invests in people who combine genuine technical ability with the leadership to run complex work safely. Chris is a strong example of both.

From the British Army to Rope Access

Chris left the military in 2017 after a career that took him around the world on operations and training exercises, including a combat operational tour of Helmand Province in Afghanistan with the 1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment.

That background matters more than it might first appear. Rope access work is planned, briefed and executed in much the same way as a military task. Sites change, weather turns, scopes move and the people on the ropes need someone who can reassess and re-task without losing control of the job.

Chris is no stranger to fast paced, high pressure environments. It shows in the calm way he runs a contract, in how quickly he can rebuild a plan when something on site does not go to programme, and in the trust his teams place in him.

Nine Years on the Ropes

Chris began his journey in the industry nine years ago at Highersafe, starting out as a Level 1 rope access technician. Beginning at technician level gave him a grounding that no amount of classroom training can replace. He learned the work from the rope down, which is exactly why he understands what he is asking of a team when he sets a scope of work. He qualified to Level 2 in 2018 and revalidated in 2021, so rigging and rescue are hands on skills for him rather than something he signs off from an office.

Since joining #think, Chris has played pivotal roles in delivering a range of challenging and high profile projects, demonstrating exceptional leadership alongside the technical skills he built on the ropes. He is the kind of manager who has done the job he is supervising, and clients and technicians alike notice the difference.

The Contracts Manager Role

As Contracts Manager, Chris now sits across multiple projects rather than a single site. He is responsible for planning and resourcing work, keeping programmes and budgets on track, and acting as the point of contact clients rely on from the first site visit through to handover.

It is a role that rewards exactly the mix he brings. He can read a technical scope because he has delivered one, he can spot a programme risk before it becomes a delay, and he can hold a difficult conversation with a client or a contractor without losing the relationship.

Safety and Welfare Come First

Chris holds both NEBOSH and IOSH certification and has a keen interest in the safety and welfare of all employees. For him that goes further than paperwork and permits.

Working at height and in confined spaces carries real risk, and managing that risk well means creating a site where anyone can stop the job and raise a concern without hesitation. Chris builds that culture into every contract he runs, looking after the wellbeing of the people on site as carefully as he looks after the programme.

A Proven Track Record at Protos EFW

Before stepping into the Contracts Manager role, Chris was Site Manager at Protos EFW, where he played a key part in delivering multiple scopes of work all running simultaneously.

The packages under his management included:

That list is not exhaustive, and it is worth pausing on what it represents. Delivering any one of those packages well on a live energy from waste site is an achievement in itself. Delivering all of them at once, with different trades, programmes, inspection regimes and access requirements running side by side, takes genuine coordination and a firm grip on the detail.

Every scope was delivered on time and well within budget for the end client. That is the sort of result that turns a single project into a long term client relationship, and it is why Chris is trusted with our most demanding work.

Pushing the Limits Off Site

When he is not on site or planning projects, Chris is an avid endurance athlete who likes to push his body to the absolute extremes of capability.

It is a fitting hobby. The mindset that gets someone through the last few miles of an endurance event is the same one that gets a complex contract through a difficult week, and Chris brings it to work with him every day.

A Valued Part of the Team

Chris’s combination of technical skill, operational discipline and a genuine commitment to the safety of the people around him makes him an asset to Think Access and to every client he works with.

If you are planning a project that calls for rope access, confined space work or industrial access services, Chris and the team are ready to help.

We asked Chris…

Are you an early bird or a night owl?
“Early bird, and it was not my decision. The Army had me up at half five for years and my body never gave the habit back. Best part of the day is done before most people have found their first coffee.”

What’s something big or small that you’re really bad at?
“Sitting still. Put me on a beach for a fortnight and I will last about two days before I go looking for a hill to run up.”

What should we buy you at the bar?
“A cold pint, but only the one after a race. Anything else tastes like a training session I have not earned yet.”

What’s your slogan for life?
“Slow is smooth, smooth is fast. It works on the ropes, it works on site and it works at mile twenty.”

If you could have an unlimited supply of one thing, what would it be?
“Time. Give me more hours and I will fill every one of them. Failing that, flapjack.”