Insights
From the Olympic Start Gate to Clavana: Welcoming Chris Del Bosco
Clavana is proud to welcome Chris Del Bosco, three-time Olympian, X Games medallist, and Ski Cross World Champion, to its Origination Team. One of the most respected competitors in the sport, Chris now brings his precision, resilience, and high-performance mindset to private-markets origination while leading a resurgence of U.S. Ski Cross and targeting Milano–Cortina 2026.
From the Olympic Start Gate to Clavana: Welcoming Chris Del Bosco
Clavana is proud to welcome Chris Del Bosco to the Clavana Elite Athlete Program, joining our buyside sourcing team as an Originator. A three-time Olympian, X Games medallist, and World Champion in Ski Cross, Chris is one of the most respected figures in the sport - known for his precision under pressure, competitive clarity, and unwavering pursuit of excellence .
That same mindset now fuels his transition into private-company outreach and founder engagement at Clavana.
A Career Defined by Elite Performance
Raised in Vail, Colorado, Chris grew up on Golden Peak, skiing as soon as he could walk. His talent was unmistakable from an early age, earning Junior Olympic gold medals, Whistler Cup podiums, and international starts for the US in alpine racing.
His move into Ski Cross marked the beginning of a defining career:
26 World Cup podiums
World Champion (still the only North American male to win the title)
Three Olympic Games
Five X Games medals
Chris became known worldwide for his “gold-or-nothing” mentality - most famously demonstrated at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, where he chose to chase gold rather than settle for bronze. It remains one of the most iconic competitive decisions in modern Ski Cross.
A New Chapter: Leading the Resurgence of US Ski Cross
After 15 years representing Canada, Chris recently switched allegiance back to the United States - returning to his birthplace and taking on one of the most ambitious goals of his career: helping build a competitive US Ski Cross programme from the ground up.
Supported by the German Ski Cross Team and a small but determined US contingent, Chris is now working to grow the sport domestically while pushing toward one final Olympic appearance at Milano–Cortina 2026.
Translating Elite Performance into Deal Origination
Beyond the slopes, Chris has collaborated with global sponsors, brands, and high-performance programmes throughout his career - developing a commercial instinct that complements his athlete mindset. In origination, as in Ski Cross, timing and calculated risk create the edge - and Chris offers both in abundance.
At Clavana, Chris brings:
Calmness under pressure
Disciplined execution and precision
Instant credibility with founders
Authentic, emotionally intelligent communication
A world-class competitive engine
Our clients trust Originators like Chris to engage founders others can’t reach, bridging conversations that unlock opportunities algorithms alone would miss.
A Natural Fit for Clavana’s Modern, Human, High-Performance Culture
Chris joins a growing roster of world-class athletes powering Clavana’s Elite Athlete Program — a model built on the belief that elite performers, when paired with precision commercial training, make outstanding originators.
“Chris is a rare combination of elite-performing athlete, respected leader, and grounded competitor,” said Lara Hughes-Francis, Co-Founder of Clavana. “His discipline, humility, and competitive mindset align perfectly with the culture we’re building at Clavana — modern, human, and fiercely effective.”
He embodies everything our culture stands for: discipline, humility, resilience, competitive sharpness, and a deeply human approach to relationship building.
Welcome to Clavana, Chris, we’re honoured to have you translating elite performance into fiercely effective origination.
The Clavana Elite Athlete Program
Clavana’s Elite Athlete Program was created to support world-class athletes as they pursue their competitive ambitions while building meaningful careers beyond sport.
We recognize that elite athletes share many of the same qualities that make outstanding dealmakers: resilience, competitiveness, focus under pressure, adaptability, and exceptional communication. They are driven, disciplined, fiercely independent, and equally at home collaborating in teams to achieve something greater than themselves. These are the same traits that power success in origination, relationship management, and leadership within the financial and professional services industries.
Through the program, Clavana provides hands-on professional experience in origination, business development, and deal sourcing. This naturally aligns with the athlete mindset of persistence, curiosity, and continuous improvement.
The initiative offers both economic and structural support, creating a bridge between athletic excellence and future professional pathways. It helps athletes gain transferable skills, build networks, and develop commercial acumen while maintaining the flexibility required to train, travel, and compete at the highest level.
“Our goal is to create opportunities that not only recognize the discipline and intensity it takes to compete globally, but also provide a meaningful platform for transition, from sport to professional life,” said Clive Cooper, Co-Founder of Clavana, who has also enjoyed a remarkable career representing New Zealand in duathlon and continues to compete internationally. “This is about empowering exceptional individuals to thrive both on and off the field.”
By launching the Clavana Elite Athlete Program, the firm aims to champion those who embody the same grit, intelligence, and focus that drive success in investment and entrepreneurship - and to help them build futures that are as purposeful as their athletic careers.
About Clavana
Clavana partners with leading private equity funds, portfolio companies, and acquisitive corporates to deliver AI-driven market mapping, proprietary research, and fiercely effective deal origination.
Built on a simple belief - people power deals, not spreadsheets - Clavana represents a new breed of M&A origination: modern, human, and results-driven.
By combining data science with senior origination expertise, Clavana cuts through noise to uncover the right off-market opportunities and connect clients with the deals that move the needle.
Headquartered in the United States with a global, remote-first team, Clavana helps today’s dealmakers buy better, build better, and sell better.
