Aarti Tandon Joins Oaktree Solutions as Managing Director for Equity, Entertainment, and Technology

The criminal justice and smart cities leader will drive social impact, sustainability, and business development initiatives

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oaktree Solutions announced today that Aarti Tandon, a seasoned lawyer who helped secure a rare Presidential Commutation and spent two decades advising media and entertainment, smart cities, and nonprofit leaders, has joined the firm as the managing director for equity, entertainment, and technology.

Tandon will work with global clients to scale and execute sports, media, and entertainment initiatives; drive social impact opportunities; and focus on the intersection of profit and purpose.

“The strongest businesses in the world are committed to advancing financial, social, and environmental benefits,” Tandon said. “I am thrilled to join Oaktree, a firm that is mission- and values-aligned, and committed to ensuring strong and positive outcomes for their clients through creative problem-solving and strategic execution.”

Tandon brings an extensive resume to the role. She is the CEO of Smart City Expo USA, an annual conference that convenes international mayors, CEOs, NGOs, and innovators on harnessing AI, big data, blockchain, and the $2 trillion global smart city marketplace to build equity, resiliency, and economic mobility.

A feature documentary filmmaker, Tandon began her career as an information technology lawyer and later spent a decade in media and entertainment working with some of the world’s most famous celebrities, filmmakers, magazine publishers, events companies, and nonprofits on business development, social impact, and sustainability initiatives.

An early steward of criminal justice reform, Tandon worked with the team that successfully petitioned President George W. Bush to grant the early release of her client, who was serving a 14-year federal prison sentence for a first-time non-violent drug offense. It was one of only 11 commutations granted during Bush’s eight years in office.

“One of the many things I admire about Aarti is that she meets people where they are,” said Oaktree Founder and Chairman Frank Carone. “From her commitment to criminal justice reform to her work in entertainment, she brings deep, thoughtful, and wide-ranging experience that is guided by the strongest moral compass. We look forward to having Aarti engage with our clients in the U.S. and globally to help them receive impactful, profitable, purposeful, and—most of all—just outcomes.”

Tandon is a member of the International Advisory Council of APCO Worldwide, the World Economic Forum’s G20 Global Smart City Alliance, the Aspen Institute’s Civil Society Fellowship, and the Aspen Global Leaders Network.

About Oaktree Solutions

Oaktree Solutions is a public affairs firm that specializes in reducing complexity to deliver strategies that work. We help our clients succeed by offering services in issue advocacy and market positioning, litigation support, crisis management, government relations strategy, business development consulting, C-suite problem-solving, and equity and sustainability consulting. You can find more information on our website.