Chris Hyde has a belief that crafts, education and industry firmly go hand in hand. His experience of furniture retail, industry prototyping contract furniture making, a furniture restorer for the antique trade and volunteer youth worker, has supported his role as a Vocational Manager of a specialist professional furniture education and training centre that is Rycotewood.

Over the last twelve years he has led Rycotewood to be the only furniture centre providing foundation to higher education qualifications to gain many awards and endorsements. His participation in the Sector has a National voice in the development of furniture education standards.

Successful long standing partnership projects include, technical retail sales training for Harrods, engaging with employers in apprenticeship training and the development of the National School of Furniture, to offer further opportunity to share knowledge and skills across framework levels one to eight in partnership with Bucks New University.