Christopher M. Kinsey

CEO
Kinsey Intterests, Inc

Laureate 2023

Chris Kinsey is a Shreveport native that grew up in the Ark-La-Tex and decided to return and stay after the conclusion of an eleven-year educational journey.

During his formative years, Chris was active in a local Boy Scout Troop that provided a constructive outlet for his interest in exploring, camping, and the outdoors.

When it was time for high school, Chris attended Culver Military Academy in northern Indiana followed by a B.S. degree in business from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. During those high school and college years, the learning didn’t always come from a book. There were on the job vocational skills acquired through summer jobs as a roustabout in the oil fields of central Louisiana as well as offshore work in the Gulf of Mexico. After a short stint working for an oil and gas company in east Texas, Chris attended LSU in Baton Rouge for an MBA and finally finished his education as a graduate of the OPM program at Harvard Business School.

No matter the path taken, the direction was always consistent, and the goal was to obtain a solid business foundation with an emphasis on entrepreneurial studies and leadership training.

Chris’ father, Norman Kinsey, was a Jr. Achievement Laureate in 2000 and together with his mother, Peggy, raised Chris and his three siblings in a household that placed a strong emphasis on hard work and personal responsibility.

After his return to Shreveport in 1979, Chris joined his father and brother, Glenn, at Kinsey Interests, Inc. Although the company’s initial base was built on oil and gas production, the family ultimately developed a diversified business plan based upon a variety of investments ranging from commercial real estate and timber to private equity and venture capital.

Today, Kinsey Interests is proud to say that they have invested in companies that have created over 500o local jobs throughout the Ark-La-Tex as well as 5,000 international jobs.

Chris’ parents always demonstrated a strong sense of civic commitment and through their encouragement and example, Chris became involved in numerous local, state, and national organizations. Most notably serving as state chairman for the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, The Louisiana Nature Conservancy, Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation and the Council for a Better Louisiana. Locally, he served as board chair for the Norwela Council of the Boy Scouts of America and the Metropolitan YMCA.

His strong belief in the empowerment of education led to his board service as a trustee for his alma mater, Trinity University where he co-founded their program of entrepreneurial excellence.

In 2005, Chris married the former Judy Mayer, and today they are the proud parents of Austin Lewis Kinsey.

There are numerous hobbies and outdoor activities that have kept Chris busy, but there was always a special emphasis on international travel, hunting, and aviation.