Great Rock Capital, a private credit firm specializing in middle market lending, added Andy Brown as chief risk officer, succeeding Kathy Auda upon her retirement. In this role, Brown will oversee both the underwriting and portfolio management functions and will report to Stuart Armstrong, CEO.
“Following more than six years of dedicated service, Kathy will be retiring, leaving a legacy of exceptional leadership and significant contributions to Great Rock’s growth and success,” Armstrong said. “We are sincerely grateful for her commitment and the lasting impact she has made on our organization.”
Armstrong added, “We are pleased to welcome Andy Brown as our new chief risk officer. Andy is a best-in-class risk professional, and we are confident that his deep credit expertise and strategic vision will strengthen our foundation and guide Great Rock into its next phase of growth.”
Brown joins Great Rock with more than 20 years of senior-level experience in private credit and middle market lending. Most recently, he served as a managing director at Hercules Capital, a $6 billion publicly traded venture debt platform, where he spent five years overseeing underwriting and portfolio management. Prior to that, he helped launch a PE-backed private credit start-up, Encina Equipment Finance, where he oversaw credit and risk operations for three years. Brown began his banking career at GE Capital, where he spent over 16 years in roles of increasing responsibility. His tenure included serving as general manager to run GE Capital’s $2.5 billion corporate lending business in Australia and culminating in his appointment as global chief credit officer for GE’s capital solutions business. Brown holds a B.A. in mathematics from Northwestern University and his M.B.A. in finance and strategy from the Kellogg School of Management.
“I am thrilled to join the Great Rock team at such a dynamic time,” Brown said. “The firm has built an impressive platform, and I look forward to leveraging my private credit experience to help drive strategic growth, enhance risk management capabilities and contribute to its continued success.”
