President & CEO
Chris is the President & CEO of Affinity Labs, a company focused on building a global network of world-class, online communities. Founded in 2006, the company is led by an experienced management team and backed by the Mayfield Fund and Trinity Ventures.
Prior to founding Affinity Labs, he founded Military.com, the nation's largest military membership organization. Military.com connects its over 10 million members to the lifelong benefits of military service and provides public and private sector clients efficient access to the military market. Members trust Military.com for career, education and financial services. Founded in 1999, Military.com raised over $30 million from leading investors and strategic partners, including A&E Television Networks. In 2004, Military.com was acquired by Monster Worldwide (Nasdaq:MNST), the nation's leading careers company.
Prior to Military.com, Chris was a strategy consultant assisting companies in the airline, entertainment, and financial services industries. In addition, he assisted in the founding of Initio Pharmaceuticals, a biotechnology company focused on rational drug design.
Chris also served as a Naval Flight Officer in the United States Navy. While on active duty, Chris flew as a P-3 Navigator, Tactical Coordinator and Mission Commander in support of maritime interdiction operations in the Red Sea, NATO enforcement operations in the Adriatic, and counter-narcotics missions in Central America. Following his operational tour, Chris worked in the Pentagon as Aide to the Chief of the Naval Reserve.
An advocate for those who serve, Chris is a frequent speaker and has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Business Week, Financial Times, and others. He is also a regular guest on CNN and other national radio and TV programs. In addition, he is the author of The Military Advantage (Simon & Schuster 2006). He serves as an elected Director of the U.S. Naval Institute, a Governor on the USO World Board, and a member of the General Council of the Naval Order of the United States. Chris also serves as a Director of Cirrus Data and Ezboard, Inc.
Chris earned his commission from the NROTC program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he graduated with high distinction and was named a distinguished Naval graduate. He also holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School and is a Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute and a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
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