A Different Kind of Buyer: A Successor You Can Trust.
The word Amana comes from Swahili, meaning trust. It reflects the heart of what I stand for: trust between business owners and successors, between teams and leadership, and between generations.
For me, Amana isn’t just a name, it’s a promise to lead with integrity, to honor commitments, and to protect the legacy of the business I am entrusted to continue.
My Mission
My mission is simple: to acquire and continue the legacy of one great company, preserving what makes it special while building toward an enduring future for decades to come.
My Purpose
Trust and integrity are foundational. My purpose is to ensure that your company continues to thrive, honoring its people, protecting its reputation, and investing in its people.
MyVision
I will be your trusted successor, the son you wish you had. I will offer peace of mind by being a steward who cares deeply about your business's legacy, its people, and its future.
ABOUT ME
Your Future Successor
I’m Chris, the Chief Succession Officer at Amana Succession Partners. I’m a proud fourth-generation New Orleanian, shaped by a family of U.S. veterans (my father a Marine, my grandfather in the Army) along with nurses and civil servants who taught me the values of grit, humility, and service. Before earning a full-tuition scholarship to Babson College, I got my start working in restaurant kitchens and on construction sites spraying insulation , experiences that gave me a deep respect for the people who keep our communities, and the world, running. And before earning a Master’s from Stanford, I worked on over $10 billion in private equity transactions and built a career defined by empathy, discipline, and integrity. But the most important lesson I learned was that real success comes from the people leading and operating the business, not from analysts behind a spreadsheet (I used to be one of them). Today, I am focused on acquiring one essential business: one that powers everyday life and deserves a successor who will honor its people, legacy, and future. I’d love to be the son (or nephew) you never had.
Before attending Babson College, I began my career in restaurant kitchens and construction sites. My values are rooted in empathy, discipline, and action, shaped by life’s adversity and professional rigor. I have worked in emerging markets, advised on global transactions, and led both for-profit and nonprofit operating teams. Across these contexts, I have earned a reputation for showing up with integrity, building trust, and driving execution.
I am drawn to industries that matter—those that quietly power the backbone of society. I am particularly drawn to the industrial and commercial refrigeration sector for its essential role in food systems, healthcare, and logistics. Leading such a business is more than a financial opportunity, it’s a calling to create enduring value and serve society.
I believe the best businesses, like families, are built on trust, care, and shared purpose. Through Amana Succession Partners, I am committed to carrying those values forward as a successor and steward of your company’s legacy, its people, and its future.
MY APPROACH
An Operator’s Approach to Succession
Your business tells a story of sacrifice, perseverance, and purpose. Through Amana Succession Partners, I honor that story by partnering with you in a way that shows deep care for your people, customers, and community. My approach is rooted in stewardship, not disruption: preserving what works, strengthening what can grow, and ensuring the legacy endures for generations.
I focus on partnering with:
Owner-operated or family-owned companies with an unclear succession plan: where legacy, not just liquidity, matters.
Business-to-Business (B2B) service providers that deliver essential support to other companies.
Businesses with low exposure to automation or AI disruption, where human skill and judgment remain vital.
Companies generating at least $1 million in annual profit, EBITDA, or Seller’s Discretionary Earnings.
My goal is to serve as a trusted successor, preserving what makes your business special while building the systems, people, and processes to ensure it thrives for decades to come.
I THINK LIKE YOU DO.
What Makes Me Different?
I may have worked in private equity, but I intentionally built Amana Succession Partners to be different. My committed investors aren’t anonymous institutions chasing short-term returns: they’re proven operators, family business owners, and entrepreneurs who have committed their own capital and understand what it takes to build something that lasts.
That means my investors and I bring more than money. We bring empathy, experience, and a long-term mindset. We know what it feels like to care deeply about employees, customers, and the community because we’ve lived it. I will preserve the business you’ve built and support its growth for generations to come.
The difference is how I think, operate, and care for what you’ve built, and this is how that difference shows up compared to private equity and corporate acquirers:
| Category | Private Equity | Corporate Acquirers | Amana Succession Partners |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leadership Transition | Replaces CEO; installs hired managers | Original leadership often exits | Entrepreneur steps in as CEO with seller support to ensure a smooth, values-aligned transition |
| Employee & Culture | Cost-cutting often affects morale | Culture diluted through integration | Prioritizes people and cultural continuity, protecting what makes the company special |
| Legacy & Brand | ROI-focused; legacy not a priority | Brand often absorbed or rebranded | Deep commitment to preserving legacy, reputation, and community relationships |
| Deal Flexibility | Less flexible; investor-driven terms | Rigid corporate priorities | Highly flexible; co-creates deal terms and transition plan with the seller |
| Time Horizon | 3–5 year hold; exit-driven | Long-term, controlled by HQ | Long-term value creation; no forced exit timeline |
| Support & Advisory | Financial experts; less hands-on | Large teams; impersonal oversight | Backed by entrepreneurs and ex-operators who provide hands-on, practical guidance |
CONTACT ME
Have A Business to Refer or Want to Discuss Your Succession?
I welcome a conversation with you and/or intermediaries at every stage of the journey, whether you’re exploring options for the future or ready to transition today.
If you refer me to a company that I ultimately acquire and succeed, I offer a success fee as a token of appreciation.
Interested in discussing succession or have an opportunity? Please complete the short form, and I’ll follow up promptly and confidentially.
I treat every conversation with respect, transparency, and discretion.
