# Gregory Smith

> Gregory J. Smith is the Toronto-based founder, President and CEO of Instar Asset Management. His career spans Deloitte, RBC Capital Partners, Macquarie and Brookfield Financial, with a focus on investing in and developing essential North American businesses. He is a Queen’s University commerce graduate, a Chartered Professional Accountant and a Chartered Business Valuator.

- **Role:** President and Chief Executive Officer at Instar Asset Management
- **Organizations:** Instar Asset Management, Brookfield Financial, Macquarie Capital Funds Canada, RBC Capital Partners, Deloitte, Canada’s Venture Capital & Private Equity Association, Young Leaders in Infrastructure, Lighthouse Equity Partners
- **Nationality:** Canadian
- **Education:** Honours Bachelor of Commerce, Queen’s University
- **Known for:** Founded Instar and led its development as a North American middle-market investment manager., Served as chair and president of Canada’s Venture Capital & Private Equity Association., Helped found Young Leaders in Infrastructure.

## Career timeline

- **1994** — Active in the private equity and venture capital sector from this year.
- **—** — Held managing director roles at Deloitte and RBC Capital Partners, before serving as President of Macquarie Capital Funds Canada.
- **—** — Served as managing partner and head of Brookfield Financial’s global infrastructure advisory group.
- **2013–2014** — Smith dated the founding of Instar to 2013 in a 2021 statement; the current official biography lists 2014.
- **2016** — Appointed to Steel Reef’s board with InstarAGF’s CAD$75 million investment.
- **2017** — InstarAGF’s first infrastructure fund closed with CAD$740 million in equity commitments.
- **2020** — Fund II closed with approximately US$1.2 billion in equity commitments.
- **2021** — Instar Asset Management rebranding announced.
- **2026** — Instar announced the Somavrac acquisition and appointed a Montréal-based partner to lead Québec expansion.

## Achievements

- Founded Instar and led its development as a North American middle-market investment manager.
- Served as chair and president of Canada’s Venture Capital & Private Equity Association.
- Helped found Young Leaders in Infrastructure.
- Led InstarAGF through the closing of its first two flagship infrastructure funds.

## Latest updates

- **2026-01** — Instar announced its acquisition of Groupe Somavrac with Québec co-investors, keeping the company’s headquarters in Trois-Rivières.
- **2026-01** — Smith welcomed Mathieu Ouellet as a Montréal-based partner responsible for Instar’s Québec strategy.

## Links

- Website: https://instarinvest.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregory-smith-68044416/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/gregory-smith
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-09