Meet Montrose — Colin Strasser

Name? Colin Strasser. Some people call me CJ. Well, only one person, but I kind of like it.

Position? Currently sitting. (I can’t resist a dad joke, sorry.) In the bigger sense, I’m founder and chief executive of Montrose Software.

Favourite Quote? “King Phillip came over for grass seed.”

What do you do at Montrose? My job is to make sure everyone is able to do their best work.

What superpower do you bring to the team? I have an endless supply of dad jokes. See above.

What gets you out of bed and into the office each morning? I’m excited each day that I get to work with some of the brightest and most passionate people I know, solving challenging problems for world-renowned clients.

What direction did you take to get here? I discovered a talent for writing software as a teenager. After studying computer science and engineering, I was a programmer on Wall Street before starting a successful internet consultancy during the rise of the internet. In 2012 my team and I went on to form Montrose Software.

If you had Bill Gates’ money, what would you spend it on? I’d leverage the money to bring real, lasting change to our politics, perhaps by helping Katharine Gehl advocate for ranked choice voting. If there’s some money leftover, I’d love to see our planet from space.

What is life outside of Montrose like? I enjoy traveling, which is fortunate as I spend several months a year away from home, as well as sailing, word games and spending time with my wife, three kids, and two dogs.