General Atlantic Co-President Martín Escobari ’94 Appointed to Harvard Management Company Board

The Harvard Corporation appointed Martín Escobari ’94, co-president and head of global growth equity at the firm General Atlantic, to Harvard Management Company’s board of directors, the University announced on Wednesday.

Escobari, who began his term on March 1, now serves as one of 11 board members elected by the Harvard Corporation — the University’s highest governing body — joining HMC in stewarding Harvard’s $53.2 billion endowment. The company does not have a fixed board size, and includes designated seats for the University’s president, treasurer, and chief financial officer, in addition to HMC’s chief executive officer.

The appointment of Escobari adds another seasoned investing professional with industry experience to the board, as the University continues its shift of endowment asset allocation to private markets.

Escobari’s appointment comes less than a year after Blackstone CFO Michael S. Chae ’90, another alumnus with private equity exposure, was elected to the board. Alongside Chae — who began his term in July — Escobari will be the sixth board member with industry experience.

Harvard Treasurer and HMC Board Chair Timothy R. Barakett ’87 praised the Corporation’s selection of Escobari in a statement on Wednesday, citing his background in global investment.

“Martín is an accomplished global investor, and his investment expertise and strategic insight will be a tremendous asset to HMC,” Barakett wrote.

“Harvard’s endowed funds provide critical support for the University’s research, scholarship, and financial aid,” he added. “Martín will undoubtedly help us strengthen these resources for current and future generations of Harvard students and scholars.”

Currently in his sixth year as the co-president of General Atlantic — an American private equity firm with a focus on growth equity — Escobari helps oversee $103 billion in assets. He has decades of experience in private equity leadership, including at Advent International, a leading global private equity firm.

Escobari, a former Winthrop House resident, graduated magna cum laude in Economics from Harvard College and earned his M.B.A. as a Baker Scholar from Harvard Business School.

While at the College, Escobari served as president of Harvard Student Agencies, leading the student-run corporation then worth $3.5 million and employing over 1,000 students. A 1992 Crimson article named Escobari as a potential future U.S. Secretary of Commerce.

Escobari currently serves as a member of the advisory board of the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies at Harvard.

Corrections: March 10, 2025

A previous version of this article incorrectly referred to Martín Escobari ’94 as co-president of global growth equity at General Atlantic. In fact, Escobari’s co-president and head of global growth equity titles are separate.

A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Escobari had been General Atlantic’s co-chair for six years. In fact, Escobari is a chair of the firm’s Global Growth Equity Investment Committee, not a chair of the firm.

—Staff writer Avani B. Rai can be reached at avani.rai@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @avaniiiirai.

—Staff writer Saketh Sundar can be reached at saketh.sundar@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @saketh_sundar.