Brett Messing

Since January 2011, Brett Messing has served as Senior Advisor to C40 Clinton Climate Initiative, a public service organization dedicated to coordinating efforts by large cities in tackling climate change. The newly formed organization combines previous efforts led by former President Clinton and New York Mayor Bloomberg. Prior to his current position, Brett Messing served as a Senior Advisor to Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and as COO of the Mayor’s Office of Business and Economic Policy. In this position, Brett Messing provided the Mayor with informed advice on economic development and management of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and the Port of Los Angeles.

He played a critical role in procurement policy reform, the adoption of growth-focused tax incentives and attracting BYD and Gensler to relocate their offices into Los Angeles. In 2005, Brett Messing founded GPS Partners where he served as Managing Partner. GPS Partners managed over $2 billion in hedge fund assets which were primarily focused in the energy sector. Notably, GPS Partners' hedge funds generated return in excess of 30 percent in 2006 and over 20 percent in 2007. GPS Partners gained recognition as the fastest growing hedge fund in 2007.

Brett Messing graduated Magna Cum Laude with an A.B. in Political Science from Brown University in 1986. During his undergraduate years, he served as Special Assistant to State Senator Richard Licht, and as Special Assistant to Lieutenant Governor Richard Licht. While in college, he ran unsuccessfully for the Rhode Island State Legislature as the Democratic Candidate for Rhode Island State Representative (District 43). Brett Messing graduated from Harvard Law School in 1989 and joined Goldman Sachs thereafter.

During his tenure at Goldman Sachs, from 1990 to 1997, Brett Messing worked in the capital markets and investment management divisions. He was a Vice President responsible for over $2 billion in client assets. Thereafter, Messing served as a Partner at Oscar Capital Management, a registered investment advisor founded by two Goldman Sachs alumni. He became a Managing Partner at Lehman Brothers and Neuberger Berman following the acquisition of Oscar Capital Management.

After his contract with Lehman Brothers expired, he set out to start his own business. Brett Messing sits on the board of the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation and the Advisory Board for the Public