Chris Sheppard is a Managing Director at ACT Capital Advisors, bringing over a decade of experience in mergers and acquisitions. He has successfully completed more than twenty transactions across a wide range of industries, including online retail, distilleries, manufacturing, oil and gas, solar energy, building materials, SaaS, healthcare services, professional services, construction, metal fabrication, logistics, wholesale/distribution, consumer product design, and third-party administrative services.

Before joining ACT, Chris served as a combat engineer officer in the United States Marine Corps, attaining the rank of Major. He completed two combat tours in Iraq, including participation in the 2003 invasion and the Second Battle of Fallujah in 2004. Prior to his military service, he worked as a newspaper reporter for The Arizona Republic, developing a strong foundation in communication and investigative research.

Chris holds dual bachelor’s degrees in Economics and Political Science from the University of Washington. He later earned a Master of Mass Communication from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication while serving in the Marine Corps. In 2008, he returned to the University of Washington to complete a Juris Doctorate from the School of Law, an MBA from the Foster School of Business, and an LL.M. in Taxation.

He also holds the Certified Merger & Acquisition Advisor (CM&AA) certification and the Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) designation. In 2012, Chris and his business partner won the University of Washington Business Plan Competition Grand Prize, besting a field of 101 competitors.

A passionate world traveler, Chris has visited over 40 countries and lived on four continents for more than three years. In 2022, he spent six weeks in Ukraine and Poland, assisting refugees and delivering medical and humanitarian aid in the aftermath of the Russian invasion.