Release Details

The Beneficient Company Group announced it has hired two deeply experienced Managing Directors to strengthen the firm’s Underwriting and Originations teams:

• Maureen Downey, Managing Director of Underwriting, will drive Ben’s ongoing development and execution of its proprietary valuation and risk management models as the company continues to offer investors liquidity solutions across a broad range of alternative assets.
• Casey Brunner, Managing Director, Head of Sponsor Firm Preferred Liquidity Program, will play a key role in leading the effort to offer general partners and sponsor firms a turnkey, simple, rapid, and cost-effective solution for providing liquidity to their limited partners. He will also oversee the South region for Ben’s Originations team, one of seven regions that make up Ben’s national Advisory Channel.

“We are thrilled to welcome Maureen and Casey to Ben,” said Brad Heppner, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ben. “The depth and quality of experience both bring to Ben will help us accelerate our growth strategy as we continue developing our products to best serve our wide—and growing—range of clients seeking liquidity solutions for their alternative assets.”

Ms. Downey joins Ben after serving as Managing Director, Portfolio Manager, and Head of New Product Development at Sharespost100 fund. She previously held senior investment roles at Pantheon Ventures and Goldman Sachs. She holds an MBA degree from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, an International MBA degree from the Rotterdam School of Management, and two B.A. degrees from Claremont McKenna College.

Ms. Downey’s experience creating alternative asset investment products and services as well as in investing in private equity and secondary assets will add significant value to Ben as the company builds its unique liquidity platform and related service offerings in the alternatives space.

“Ben’s business model offers a unique opportunity to explore new underwriting strategies across a wide range of alternative assets,” said Ms. Downey. “I am looking forward to collaborating with Ben’s experts to continue developing innovative ways of providing liquidity to clients in need of solutions.”

Mr. Brunner joins Ben from his role as Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Gondola Capital, where he provided advisory and placement agent services for alternative investment fund managers seeking capital acquisition within the institutional and private wealth channels. During his career, he has also held senior leadership positions at Invesco Ltd, Hatteras Funds, LP, and The Rock Creek Group. Mr. Brunner received an MBA degree from Northwestern University and a B.S. degree in finance from Indiana University.

“I am excited by the opportunity to join a company working at the forefront of alternatives,” said Mr. Brunner. “Ben’s liquidity solutions will be a game changer for the industry as well as a critical resource for individuals and institutions that historically have lacked access to suitable liquidity solutions for their alternative assets.”