Adrian Smith

Director

LinkedIn
“I joined Advent in 2025, drawn to the firm's highly collaborative culture and its long-standing track record of partnering with founders to build enduring businesses. I am motivated by the challenge of identifying and unlocking investment opportunities, and I find real personal fulfilment in learning from founders and colleagues across the firm.”

I bring over 20 years of mid-market private equity experience across direct investing, advisory and executive management.  I began my private equity career in 2004 at Standard Bank and later joined Affirma Capital in 2008, where I invested in more than 30 businesses across seven countries.  This experience provided exposure to the full private equity lifecycle and shaped my approach to working closely with founders and management teams to support growth and long-term value creation.  In 2021, I joined EY Australia as Head of Private Equity Origination, before moving to Advent.

Outside of work, I am a passionate runner and enjoy spending time with my family.  Most weekends involve ferrying the kids to sporting and social commitments, watching live sport and catching up with family and friends.

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