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
U.S.-China tensions, tariffs and tightening regulations
Tension and tariffs drives Chinese M&A activity to markets outside the U.S. Mounting tension between Washington, D.C. and Beijing are top of mind in the dealmaking climate. As tariffs continue to dominate […]
Mergers & Acquisitions magazine Q&A Excerpt: Chris Stradling Shares Outlook
Originally published by Mergers & Acquisitions on May 28, 2019 | Excerpt from interviews with eight M&A advisors serving the mid-market Buyers should specialize, recommends Christopher Stradling, Lincoln International What is your […]
The Millennial Impact on Consumer Investment
It’s not a millennial moment, it’s a movement. While the millennial generation is blamed for everything from lower birth rates to declining mayonnaise sales, one thing is clear: they are a major […]
It’s Not Innovate or Die; It’s Innovate or Buy
The retail industry isn’t dying, it’s changing. While store closures and bankruptcy headlines are still prevalent, consumer sentiment in September 2018 reached the second-highest level since 2004, according to the University of […]
