Raising the Brand with Oaktree’s Lindsay DeLarme

Welcome to Private Equity Marketeer’s Raising the Brand, where we delve into the stories and strategies behind the leading brand builders & capital raisers in the private markets.

In this edition, we’re joined by Lindsay DeLarme, Managing Director and Head of Corporate Communications & Branding at Oaktree Capital Management.

Since joining the firm in 2013, Lindsay has played a central role in shaping Oaktree’s global brand, communications strategy, and marketing initiatives. Her background in finance and marketing gives her a unique perspective on how financial storytelling can drive both business outcomes and cultural impact.

Let’s dive in.

• About Lindsay DeLarme

  Lindsay is responsible for leading the execution of Oaktree’s global corporate communications, branding, and marketing program activities.  She joined Oaktree in 2013 following her graduation from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, where she was a Keller Scholar and received an M.B.A. with a dual concentration in Product Management and Market Analysis & Strategy. Prior to Oaktree, Lindsay worked at Goldman Sachs as an associate in the firm’s Investment Management division and at J.P. Morgan as an analyst in their Investment Banking division. She holds a B.S. degree in business administration graduating magna cum laude from Georgetown University. 

Building the Oaktree Brand

You’ve been at Oaktree for more than a decade, during which time the firm has grown significantly. What does “raising the brand” mean in the context of a firm like Oaktree, and how has your approach to brand and communications evolved over that time?

Lindsay: I was incredibly fortunate to step into a strong brand at Oaktree, so my number one goal has always been to act as a steward for the brand: “first, do no harm.” That said, to protect the brand, you also need to ensure that it evolves and endures. Over the past twelve years, my team and I have worked to continuously improve and expand our marketing and communications programming while staying true to our knitting.

From Banking to Branding

You started your career in investment banking and now lead branding for one of the most respected names in alternatives. How has that analytical foundation shaped your approach to storytelling and communications in a highly regulated, high-stakes industry?

Lindsay: Having a strong foundation in financial markets has helped me better understand Oaktree’s business which, in turn, allows me to strategically position our brand while navigating potential risks. It has also helped me build credibility and trust with Oaktree’s investment professionals. Because I can speak their language fluently, I can serve as a thought partner to help with that “English to English” translation from investing jargon to digestible content.

The Power of Partnership

Since joining the Brookfield family in 2019, Oaktree has had access to an even broader investor ecosystem. How has that relationship shaped your approach to marketing? Are there any unique branding opportunities (or challenges) that come from operating as an independent brand within a global platform?

Lindsay: It's a powerful partnership. We coordinate with Brookfield on everything, including events, media relations, and vendors, while sharing expertise on associated strategic and operational best practices. We’re able to harness our respective brands independently, while achieving economies of scale together.

Balancing Sophistication and Simplicity

You serve some of the most sophisticated allocators in the world, from public pension plans to sovereign wealth funds. At the same time, the channels and expectations for engagement are evolving. How do you strike the right balance between the complexity of your message and the clarity needed to stand out?

Lindsay: Oaktree’s Co-Chairman Howard Marks is a master of distilling complex concepts into simple language that anyone can understand. I’ve been lucky enough to spend the past twelve years being edited by Howard. This has taught me to say what needs to be said in as few words as possible and in a way that a person would actually say it. This informal, personal, everyday writing is so fundamental to our firm’s branding and culture that we even have a guide to help ensure all employees communicate in “Oaktree style.”

Rethinking the Role of Content

With Howard Marks' memos and the “The Memo” podcast, Oaktree has long been a source of original thought leadership. How do you think about the role of content today?

The Memo by Howard Marks

Lindsay: Starting with his first memo in 1990, Howard Marks created thought leadership before it was even called thought leadership. Over the past twelve years, we’ve worked to leverage, develop, and expand Oaktree’s thought leadership into our current Insights program.

We’ve been able to increase the influence of Howard’s written memos through traditional media, social media, and other promotional activities, and reach audiences in new ways through audio, podcast, and video formats.

While Howard’s memo has been the foundation of our Insights program, it’s helped set the stage for other Oaktree thought leaders to enhance and expand the Oaktree brand.

Earning Attention in a Noisy World

There’s more content, more firms, and more competition for mindshare than ever before. How do you approach differentiation at Oaktree, whether through channels, tone, visuals, or point of view?

The Insight: Conversations by Oaktree Capital

Lindsay: Our audience is unique in that most want what the rest of the modern world would view as “boring” content. We have the data to prove that Oaktree viewers prefer a one-hour nuanced conversation rather than a one-minute TikTok-style video.

We take an earnest approach to communications in that we try to be who we are and not worry about the rest. Not getting caught up in what everyone else is doing has allowed for organic growth of our brand while keeping our core audience engaged.

Internal Culture as a Brand Asset

Strong brands often start internally. How do you keep Oaktree employees connected to the firm’s identity, values, and mission? Any rituals, programs, or internal communications that help reinforce that culture?

Lindsay: Showcasing the Oaktree culture is invaluable in engaging current employees and attracting potential ones, but it is also central to our relationships with our limited partners. It is important for our clients to have a good sense for who we are and what we care about as firm.

While Oaktree has grown a lot over the last 30 years, I’m proud to say that many of our traditions remain intact. A personal favorite of mine is Oaktree’s baby count. Since our founding in 1995, we’ve celebrated our colleagues and their growing families with an internal announcement for each baby born to the Oaktree family. We recently celebrated Oaktree baby #1,000, though my daughter (#721) will always be #1 to me!

Where IR meets brand

On Bain’s Dry Powder podcast, they drew parallels between the revenue engine of leading software companies and the evolving go-to-market motion in private markets, where investor relations and marketing together mirror high-performing sales and marketing teams in tech.

With that framing, how do you ensure that IR and marketing remain tightly aligned, especially when the IR team is on the ground with LPs and marketing is behind the scenes shaping perception and driving long-term demand?

Lindsay: I always say that the corporate communications and branding functions should create a “halo effect” for the firm so that when our representatives go into a first meeting, the prospects already have a strong (and positive!) understanding of who Oaktree is and what we are about. Our job is to make these first meetings feel like second meetings.

Career Reflections and Team Leadership

You’ve led teams through scale, complexity, and change. What are some of the key lessons you've learned about building high-performing teams in marketing and communications?

Lindsay: I like to hire what my manager Nicole Adrien calls “athletes.” In our industry, change is the only constant, so you want people on your team that are adaptable, flexible, quick, and willing to do whatever is necessary to get the job done, even if it isn’t necessarily what you hired them for in the first place.  Nicole hired me twelve years ago this month, and the job I do today looks dramatically different to that she interviewed me for in 2013.  Athletes learn, adapt, and not only accept, but thrive with change, viewing it as an opportunity rather than a roadblock.   

Advice for Capital Raisers and Brand Builders

Oaktree’s scale and legacy are aspirational to many smaller managers just getting started. What advice would you offer to an emerging fund manager trying to build credibility, reach new LPs, or grow their brand with limited resources?

Lindsay: For our 30th anniversary, we hosted a session called Founders Unplugged with Howard Marks, Bruce Karsh and Sheldon Stone, for employees around the world (and then released the edited recording as a podcast). Howard said, “If you do the right thing for LPs, the rest will take care of itself.”

This sentiment is well understood throughout Oaktree, and I’d recommend to anyone getting started to do the work, do the right thing for your LPs, do the right thing for your brand, and wait for the luck to happen.

Lessons from Experience & Advice for Aspiring Marketeers

For marketeers looking to elevate their impact in private markets, what’s the one piece of advice you wish you’d known earlier in your career?

Lindsay: There is a phrase in improv “yes, and.” My advice is to say, “yes, and” to all opportunities that come your way, even if it’s something you don’t think you can do. The person asking wouldn’t be asking you if they didn’t already think you could or should do it, so the only person doubting yourself is you! Have the confidence in yourself to embrace uncertainty and rise to the challenge.

Bonus Question: Favorite Brand

Looking beyond the private markets, what’s your all-time favorite brand and why?

Lindsay: I carried an L.L. Bean backpack as a kid and I just sent my daughter off to preschool carrying the same L.L. Bean backpack. No frills, no trends, just the same classic styles and high quality that customers have come to expect since 1912. Now that is delivering on your brand promise! Do your thing and do it well, L.L. Bean!