Christopher D. Strom, CFA

Chris began his career with Mairs & Power as an Equity Research Analyst, before being promoted to Assistant Vice President in 2018. In 2021, he was promoted to Investment Manager and Vice President, as well as named co-manager of the Small Cap Fund.

In this role, he conducts extensive due diligence on an array of multi-cap holdings in a variety of industries, interacting with sell-side analysts, examining company filings/presentations, attending investment conferences and trade shows, as well as interviewing management teams, customers, suppliers, and competitors. He creates a Durable Competitive Advantages report based on Porter's 5 Forces on each company under coverage in order to grade its current competitive position, assess the sustainability of its competitive advantage, and determine the direction of its competitive advantage going forward. He also advises portfolio managers on relative attractiveness of individual equities and presents buy/sell recommendations to the Investment Committee.

He joined the firm after seven years as an Analyst with Zuckerman Investment Group in Chicago. Previously, Chris worked at Wells Fargo Investments and as an Equity Business Analyst with Riversource Investments (Ameriprise), both in Minneapolis.  

Chris earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Minnesota-Duluth and an MBA - Applied Security Analysis Program from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is a CFA charterholder.

Chris and his wife live in the Twin Cities with their two daughters. When they aren't busy taking care of their growing family, they enjoy trying new restaurants and breweries, as well as taking part in all the activities available in the area, especially the beautiful bike trails. They also enjoy traveling, with Europe a recent favorite spot, and Chris can often be found on the golf course in the summer.