Orlando Bravo ’92 stepped down from his post as a trustee on the Corporation — the University’s highest governing body — in May, two years before his term was set to expire. Bravo joined the Corporation in 2019.
Bravo built a name and fortune for himself as a co-founder and managing partner at the private equity firm Thoma Bravo. He cited professional obligations as the reason for his departure from the Corporation when contacted by The Herald.
“Being elected to the Corporation four years ago was a sincere honor. However, my business and other philanthropic commitments have prevented me from engaging at the level I had hoped,” Bravo wrote in an email to The Herald via a Thoma Bravo spokesperson. “As a result, I notified the Corporation that I (planned) to step aside before the end of my term to make room for someone else to serve.”
“I look forward to remaining a steadfast supporter of Brown in the years to come,” Bravo added.
“Orlando Bravo departed his role on the Brown Corporation given the challenge of balancing multiple priority commitments,” University Spokesperson Brian Clark wrote in an email to the Herald. According to Clark, premature departures from the Corporation are not unprecedented.
Around the time of Bravo’s departure, Thoma Bravo faced several lawsuits — including a shareholder lawsuit over the firm’s 2021 takeover of a manufacturing software company and another alleging the firm’s involvement in FTX’s alleged fraud. Clark emphasized that these lawsuits had no relation to his departure. Neither Bravo nor his spokesperson addressed requests for comment about the lawsuits.
The Corporation now includes 37 trustees. In May 2023 — before some members ended or began their tenures — it had 39.
The Herald previously reported that, among Corporation members, Bravo was a top donor to Republican-affiliated political causes, making two $500,000 donations to conservative super PAC America for Everyone in 2022. Bravo did not respond to multiple requests for comment on the two donations.
Charlie Clynes is the managing editor of digital content on The Herald's 134th Editorial Board. Previously, he covered University Hall and the Graduate Labor Organization as a University News editor.
Neil Mehta is the editor-in-chief and president of the Brown Daily Herald's 134th editorial board. They study public health and statistics at Brown. Outside the office, you can find Neil baking and playing Tetris.
