Chris Leishman

About Chris

Experience

1. 

   Primary Venture Partners · Freelance

   • Expert

     Apr 2024 - Present · 2 yrs·Current

     As an Expert, I provide strategic advice and guidance to the investment team and founders within the Primary portfolio and broader network.

2. G

   Gambrel Gallery · Part-time

   • Board Member

     Jun 2021 - Present · 4 yrs 10 mos·Ashland, Oregon, United States·Current
3. B

   Bloc-A AG · Part-time

   • Investment Advisor

     Feb 2016 - Present · 10 yrs 2 mos·Current

     Bloc-A is a private family office based out of Zug, Switzerland. As a trusted partner of the Bloc-A team, I conduct investment analysis and provide strategic advice, with a particular focus on investments in technical sectors.

4. 

   Vercel

   • Chief Operating Officer

     Jun 2019 - May 2021 · 2 yrs·San Francisco Bay Area

     Building products for front-end developers and designers. And those who aspire to become one. As the first executive hire at Vercel, I was responsible for forming the executive team, establishing the company structure and operating models, rebranding the company, and handling all people, board, financial, venture funding, legal, and administrative activities. During my tenure, Vercel's valuation grew from approximately $60M to $1.2B over 24 months, with 300%+ YoY ARR growth, and has become the clear leader in the front-end development space with a valuation over $9B.

5. 

   ConsenSys

   • Portfolio Manager - ConsenSys Core Engineering

     Dec 2017 - Apr 2019 · 1 yr 5 mos·San Francisco Bay Area

     Established a global, remote-first team to develop and implement critical infrastructure and open-source software for the global decentralized blockchain network, Ethereum. Achievements include: - Established the Core Engineering organization, developing working models, agreements and collaborative approaches for managing and growing decentralized, high performance teams. - Lead the design, architecture, and development of open-source libraries and software products, including blockchain clients. - Developed ecosystem relationships and joint ventures for the development of core Ethereum software and tools. E.g. https://link.medium.com/kzE0vqpLQT

Education

1. 
   University of MelbourneBSc, Computer Science, Engineering1995 - 1999

Skills