# Nick Orum

> Nick Orum is the co-founder, Co-Chief Executive Officer and Co-Chief Investment Officer of Gryphon Investors. His career includes business services and software investments; with his wife, Caren, he owns Arborum Napa Valley, a restored wine estate that dedicates its net earnings to charitable causes.

- **Role:** Co-Chief Executive Officer & Co-Chief Investment Officer at Gryphon Investors
- **Organizations:** Gryphon Investors, Arborum Napa Valley, Land Trust of Napa County, Insight Prison Project, 10,000 Degrees, Merrill Lynch, Oak Hill Partners
- **Education:** B.A., Quantitative Economics, with Distinction, Stanford University
- **Known for:** Led or co-led investments in more than 20 Gryphon platform companies and led or oversaw more than 50 add-on acquisitions., Co-established Arborum’s restored vineyard, with first harvest in 2021., With Caren Orum, pledged $1 million at Arborum’s launch and committed its net earnings to charitable causes.

## Career timeline

- **Before 1995** — Worked in Merrill Lynch’s High Yield Finance Group, then as a principal investor at Oak Hill Partners with David Andrews.
- **1995** — Co-founded Gryphon Investors.
- **2005** — As Business Services Group head, reported a greater-than-five-times return on Gryphon’s Miller Heiman investment at its sale.
- **2009-2023** — Served as Gryphon’s President.
- **2013** — With Caren Orum, purchased the historic property that became Arborum.
- **2019** — Worked with new Software Operating Partner Carl Theobald; Arborum’s Cabernet Sauvignon vines were planted.
- **2020** — Joined the Ncontracts, PestRoutes and Meazure Learning boards following Gryphon investments.
- **2021** — Arborum had its first harvest and its vineyard received organic certification.
- **2023** — Publicly identified as Gryphon Co-CEO and Chief Investment Officer.
- **2026** — Listed as a Milken Global Conference speaker; with Caren, announced the agreement to acquire a 24-acre Vineyard 29 parcel.

## Achievements

- Led or co-led investments in more than 20 Gryphon platform companies and led or oversaw more than 50 add-on acquisitions.
- Co-established Arborum’s restored vineyard, with first harvest in 2021.
- With Caren Orum, pledged $1 million at Arborum’s launch and committed its net earnings to charitable causes.
- With Caren, supported 10,000 Degrees’ expansion into Napa as founding donors.

## Latest updates

- **2026-05** — Listed on the May 5 Milken Global Conference panel Asset Management: Capital in a More Complex Era.
- **2026-05** — On May 18, Caren and Nick announced an agreement to acquire 24 acres from Vineyard 29, with closing anticipated in late July; plans included organic and regenerative farming.
- **2026-08** — Arborum’s 2023 Hidden Key Estate Cabernet Sauvignon was released in August 2026, according to the Naples Winter Wine Festival vintner biography.

## Links

- Website: https://www.gryphon-inv.com/team/nick-orum/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-orum-517457362

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