Before he was building a portfolio of outdoor brands, Chris Macaulay was climbing a different kind of mountain: the world of advertising. For over a decade, he worked across global agencies, but even as he scaled the ranks, something didn’t sit right.

"The agency model felt broken," Chris says. "We were getting paid for time instead of results. I wanted to build something where I had real skin in the game."

In 2019, that mindset became the spark for Killara Outdoors, the holding group Chris founded to acquire and grow outdoor brands with purpose.

"I didn’t start with the outdoor industry in mind. I started with the idea of building something real — something that could create long-term value. The outdoor space just happened to be where my heart and my thesis aligned."

The Leap: From Marketing Tactics to Operational Vision

Since launching Killara in 2019, Chris has been operating in the U.S. market for several years, splitting time between Texas and Colorado to build a boots-on-the-ground understanding of the brands he works with.

Chris’s background in marketing and advertising gave him a unique lens — one rooted in audience, behavior, and brand-building. But when he launched Killara, he had to learn the rest: operations, logistics, finance, manufacturing, supply chain. The hard stuff.

"You can be a killer storyteller, but if your warehouse is a mess, you’re not scaling anything. I had to get serious about the nuts and bolts. I surrounded myself with people who had done it before — then got in the trenches and learned."

That blend of brand instinct and operational discipline is now what defines Killara’s approach.

"We're building for the long game. We invest in people. We create structure. We don’t just bet on cool — we build it into something that lasts."

A Playbook for Founders

Through Killara, Chris now partners with founders across the outdoor space — from legacy lure companies to modern-day lifestyle brands — helping them scale responsibly while staying true to their roots.

"I’m not trying to flip brands. I’m trying to build them. That means putting systems in place. That means pouring into people. That means holding the line on brand values."

It’s a message that resonates with a new generation of entrepreneurs who aren’t just looking for capital — they’re looking for alignment, trust, and shared ambition.

What’s Next

Over the past few years, Chris and his team have expanded Killara’s footprint across the U.S., partnering with brands that range from heritage names to emerging disruptors. But the north star stays the same:

"We build outdoor brands that stand the test of time. We scale with care. We lead with conviction. And we back brands that deserve a bigger stage."

Inspired by the Killara mission?

Explore more at killara.com or pitch your brand to join the platform. Let’s build something that lasts.