Christian R. Strain

Christian is a Senior Advisor and former Managing Director of Summit Partners. He joined Summit Partners in 2005 and served on the Growth Products & Services team throughout his tenure at the firm.

Christian's board and investment experience includes GRESB, Normec (acquired by Astorg), Ogone (acquired by Ingenico), Peak Well Systems (acquired by Schlumberger), Sézane (acquired by General Atlantic), Sipartech (acquired by Blackstone), Veepee and Westwing Group (FRA: WEW).

Prior to Summit, Christian worked for Apax Partners in Paris where he was a member of the Technology and Telecommunications team. He holds a BA in history from Yale University and an MBA from Harvard Business School, and remains active with Yale and Harvard Business School related activities.

Christian is a former board member of Invest Europe, formerly known as the European Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (EVCA). He was formerly the Treasurer of Invest Europe, a member of the Mid Market Council, and the Chairman of the Growth Equity Group. Christian currently serves as a member of the Board of Advisors of the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), an independent, bipartisan organisation that develops principled national security policies and helps shape the choices of leaders in the U.S. government and the private sector. In addition, Christian is a certified EMT in France and volunteers regularly as part of a Red Cross ambulance crew in support of the Paris Fire Brigade. He is a dual French and U.S. citizen, and is bilingual in French and English.