Greg Brown’s research centers on alternative investments, including hedge funds and private equity funds. He is a leading expert on financial risk and the use of derivative contracts as risk management tools.

He is the founder and research director of the Institute for Private Capital.

Greg served as executive director of the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise from 2015 to 2023. During his tenure, he significantly increased engagement with faculty members whose research has strengthened the institute as a source of data-driven solutions to economic problems for the public and private sectors. The institute filled a vital role during the pandemic, creating a COVID-19 dashboard displaying real-time data for North Carolina business leaders and policymakers, enabling better-informed decisions about the state’s reopening. In 2022, Brown helped launch the American Growth Project, which supports government officials, business leaders and other decision-makers by providing real-time economic analysis and forecasts.

His research has been published in leading academic and practitioner finance journals, including The Journal of Finance, The Journal of Financial Economics, The Review of Financial Studies, The Journal of Derivatives and The Financial Analyst Journal. He serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Alternative Investments.

Greg serves on the board of directors of the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst Association.

He previously served as director of research for Amundi Smith Breeden Associates, a global asset management firm specializing in fixed income investments. He has served as a consultant on financial risk and portfolio management for money management firms, the U.S. government, nonprofits and Fortune 500 companies.

Prior to joining UNC Kenan-Flagler, he worked at the board of governors of the Federal Reserve System in the division of research and statistics.

He also worked in artist relations for a subsidiary of Capitol Records in Hollywood.

He received his Ph.D. in finance from the University of Texas at Austin and his B.S. with honors in physics and economics from Duke University.