Chris is a former family office President/CIO with a ~20-year track record of buying, operating, and growing retail and real estate operating companies. Chris is a passionate entrepreneur with success in building companies and creating unique and exceptional customer experiences.
For the last 17 years Chris worked for the Marcus family, first at their public company where he served as the company's Director of Real Estate and as a member of the investment committee. Fourteen years ago, he left the public company to start and run the family office, Marcus Investments. At Marcus Investments, Chris founded Berengaria Development, a commercial real estate development and investment firm focused on retail and senior living assets. When Chris wasn't guiding Berengaria, he was capitalizing and running other family ventures, including the purchase and rebranding of a vertically-integrated retail franchise, Verlo Mattress, and the operation of a restaurant company, Hospitality Democracy.
Chris holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a BA from the College of William and Mary. He serves on the Boards of ACG Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music. He is an advisor to Dragonfly Group, a value-add investment firm focused on the media industry. Chris co-founded two MBA competitions, the ACG Wisconsin Cup and the Kellogg Real Estate Challenge, and regularly speaks at family office events about investment strategy. He is an active participant in the International Franchise Association and is a certified franchise executive (CFE). Chris is an advisor/investor in various entities with the Marcus family and other successful entrepreneurs.
Chris lives with his wife and their four children in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In his spare time, Chris plays the cello, advises his children on their eSports endeavors, and invests in music royalties. Chris met his wife in France during their Junior year abroad and enjoys finding opportunities to use his French speaking skills and connecting with French culture.
