Julian Chu

With a career spanning over 20 years, Julian is dedicated to the world of e-commerce and omnichannel retailing. He applies his deep expertise in advising and investing in consumer brands, retailers, and B2B software and service providers. He has a forte for helping senior executives navigate the complex and ever-changing market landscape.

At the private equity firm Castanea Partners, Julian worked closely with leaders of passion brands across beauty, fashion, food and beverage, home, and other categories building their digital capabilities, growing revenue, and increasing enterprise value. In that role, he selected Market Defense to serve Castanea’s prestige beauty brands and developed a high regard for the firm’s Amazon expertise and dedication to clients.

As an investor in several early-stage businesses, Julian is actively involved in industries like beauty and personal care, apparel, sports, and MarTech.

Julian previously served as the head of e-commerce for PUMA North America, the first head of Client Success for e-commerce software company Demandware (now Salesforce Commerce Cloud), and a practice leader in IBM’s retail/CPG industry group. He began his career as a management consultant working at the intersection of business and technology at Mainspring, Cap Gemini, and Digital Equipment Corporation.

Julian is a Harvard University graduate and continues to live with his family in Cambridge, Massachusetts.