Christopher Stradling
Managing Director
Chicago Mergers & Acquisitions Consumer cstradling@lincolninternational.com +1 (312) 580-8325My passion is positioning high-quality businesses for maximum valuation. I thoroughly enjoy partnering with business owners to reach their goals through life-changing transactions.
As co-head of Lincoln’s consumer group, Chris leads the firm’s consumer product initiatives and advises companies on mergers and acquisitions. Through a hands-on style of processing deals, Chris develops close relationships with owners and management to learn the priorities of all stakeholders and position companies for maximum valuation.
Chris has deep knowledge of the key dynamics, such as ecommerce and direct-to-consumer marketing, that drive the consumer industry. He brings significant experience leading transactions in the active lifestyle, ecommerce, functional apparel, food and beverage, home furnishings and merchandizing sectors. Chris and his teams lead processes that yield outlier valuations through identifying and positioning his clients’ unique points of differentiation.
Chris brings practical life experience having spent his pre-college years deeply involved in running his family’s business, as well as post-educational stints working in operations and corporate development in a Fortune 500 company and auditing large companies at a major global accounting firm.
Chris holds a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Science from Northern Arizona University.
Recent Transactions
Perspectives by Christopher Stradling
As Outdoor Recreation Increases, So Does Opportunity for Investors
Over the past several years, an increasing number of US consumers have focused on living healthier lifestyles, driving growth for active and outdoor recreation sectors. This trend has continued despite COVID-19, shelter […]
Bright Road Ahead for Investors in the Automotive Aftermarket
As Americans keep close tabs on their budgets and have more time on their hands while at home, the thought of personally performing maintenance and repairs, such as changing a headlight, is […]
E-commerce and the Compression of Retail Disruption
In recent years, the consumer shopping experience was already experiencing rapid upheaval with e-commerce growing from 6.5% of total retail sales in 2014 to 11.0% in 2019(1); COVID-19 only accelerated the disruption […]
Consolidation in Automotive Services Set to Accelerate with COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically altered the way people behave and how businesses operate. As part of those changes, society has also altered the way it moves. More specifically, in the post-COVID […]
