Bio

In the early ‘90s, while working on a consumer IPO at William Blair & Company, Chris discovered a passion for the industry, and he has never looked back. His career has afforded him opportunities to engage with a wide range of consumer, ecommerce, retail and franchising brands, including many that grew to become household names. Maintaining his focus on the consumer sector, Chris has spent 20+ years leading and structuring deals as a placement agent, M & A advisor, IPO underwriter, and more recently, investor. In 2014 Chris partnered with Meadow Lane Capital and one year later formed AHR Growth Partners with John to be able to work more effectively with promising brands at an earlier stage. As an entrepreneur himself, Chris appreciates the unique challenges growing companies face, the importance of properly resourcing key strategic and financial initiatives, and the role that flexibility and creativity can play in driving successful outcomes. Chris earned a B.A. in History, cum laude, from Cornell University and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He spent almost 20 years in consumer investment banking at William Blair & Company and one year at Partnership Capital Growth prior to its acquisition by Piper Jaffray. Chris started his career as an Analyst in the Investment Banking Division of Goldman Sachs & Company. While Chris is often on the road, he lives in the Chicago suburbs where he grew up with his wife, who he met in high school, and their two teenagers.