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Douglas Brown

Operating Partner and Senior Advisor

As an Operating Partner, Doug is responsible for Element’s water investment strategy and for pursuing specific investments in the water sector. Doug is currently Chairman and CEO of one of Element’s portfolio companies, AquaVenture Management (dba Seven Seas).

Doug has more than 20 years of venture capital experience and over 20 years of direct and indirect experience in water resource management. In April 2003, Doug became President and Chief Executive Officer of Ionics, Incorporated, a leading provider of membrane technology-based water purification equipment and services. During his tenure at Ionics, Doug revamped the company’s strategy, restructured the company to streamline operations and reduce costs, and completed the largest acquisition in Ionics’ history. In February 2004, while Doug was President and CEO, Ionics was acquired by General Electric for $1.3 billion, representing an increase in shareholder value of more than $750 million during his tenure.

Prior to Ionics, Doug was at Advent International, where he was President and Chief Executive Officer from 1995 through the beginning of 2003. From 1990 to 1994, Doug served as Advent’s European Managing Director and built the firm's European investment organization. While at Advent, Doug personally led 17 investments.

Doug is Chairman of the board of directors of Seven Seas and Quench. Previous boards on which Doug has served include: Ionics and AspenTech among a number of others.

Doug received a BS in Chemical Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Masters degree in Business Administration from Harvard University where he was a Baker Scholar and Loeb Rhodes Fellow in Finance.