Leslie's Expertise

Les Brun is Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ariel Alternatives, LLC, where he chairs the investment committee. He is also a board director for platform company, My Code—a leading multicultural media and marketing services firm. Les has over 42 years of investment banking, commercial banking and financial advisory experience, including as founder, CEO and chairman emeritus of Hamilton Lane, a leading global private markets investment management firm. In addition to his role at Ariel Alternatives, Les is chairman and chief executive officer of Sarr Group, LLC, a diversified holding company for his personal investments. He is currently lead director of Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc., serves on the board of directors of Corning, Inc. and the advisory board of Guardian Capital Partners GP, LP. He is also a senior advisor to G100 and World 50, a private platform of peer-to-peer communities for senior executives and directors from some of the world’s largest companies, and an advisor in Bank of America’s enterprise executive development program, where he helps coach and develop executives. Les serves as a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Les has extensive experience as a corporate director and was formerly lead director of Merck & Co., Inc., chairman of the board of directors of CDK Global, Inc., chairman of the board of directors of Automatic Data Processing, Inc., and chair of the compensation committee of Hewlett Packard Enterprise. He was a board member of the Richcourt Group, a Hamilton Lane company specializing in hedge fund of funds management. In addition, he was chairman of the U.S. Small Business Administration SBIC advisory council, and a member of the committee for the reinvention of the Small Business Administration. Les holds a BS from the State University of New York at Buffalo, where he has been recognized as a distinguished alumnus. Les was previously named by the NACD as one of America’s top 100 corporate directors and was inducted into the 2019 business hall of fame for Philadelphia Inquirer’s industry icons.