Episode 235: Elizabeth Browne of Elevate at GCM Grosvenor: A Non-Linear Path to Empowerment and Change

Elizabeth Browne is Managing Director and Co-Head, Elevate at GCM Grosvenor, where she works in the Sponsor Solutions division. She was previously Head of Entrepreneurship and Family Office Partners at RedBird Capital Partners and was a senior member of the investment team at DNS capital, a family office. She has held numerous board roles.

Our far reaching conversation starts with Elizabeth's upbringing in Chicago and her family's history, in which glass ceilings were shattered and women were expected to have every opportunity that men had. 

We chart her course through college in Montreal and then her early roles in emerging markets including China.  As a witness to corporate transactions amid the M&A boom in China we discuss lessons learned.  This is a fascinating discussion which examines the customs of how business is done, the importance of viewing networking in a non-transactional way, and how, especially in emerging markets, improvisation is sometimes the order of the day. 

Championing the rights and causes of women and girls is a lifelong dedication for Elizabeth through both industry groups and NGO and charity work and we talk a little about the origins of this passion and how the cause has evolved. 

Moving back to her professional path, we speak then about the Grosvenor Elevate Platform, its seeding activities and the kind of opportunity set it perceives among Emerging Managers - which tend to be mostly first and second vintage funds that are below $1 bn. We end with a rousing reminder of the importance of industry networks, supporting eachother and being the change we wish to see. 

Series 1 of 2024 is supported by Apollo Global Management, a leading provider of alternative asset management and retirement services solutions. Apollo seeks to provide clients excess return at every point along the risk-reward spectrum and is focused on empowering retirees, building and financing stronger businesses and driving a more sustainable future.