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Grant Baker (businessman)
Grant Baker is a New Zealand businessman, entrepreneur,[1] and venture capitalist. Early life and educationGrant Baker was raised in Māngere, located in the south of Auckland, New Zealand, with interests in motorsports from a young age. He attended teachers' college[2] with the intention of earning an education degree but left early to pursue a career in sales. CareerBaker's career began with newspaper ad sales before moving to office equipment sales. He is best known for co-founding the successful venture capital firm The Business Bakery. He gained attention for his role in the creation and $132 million sale of 42 Below vodka to Bacardi in 2006.[3] As a chairman and principal of Auckland-based Business Bakery, Baker played a role in the $211 million takeover of Trilogy International by Citic Capital Partners.[4] Following the sale of Trilogy, Baker, along with his business partners, turned their attention to Me Today, an NZX-listed health and skincare company.[5][6] During the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), Baker's venture capital firm invested in Dorchester Pacific.[7][8] This investment was pivotal as Dorchester evolved into Turners Automotive Group, which emerged as a notable entity in the NZ50 index.[9] Baker's role transitioned to that of a non-executive chairman and a substantial shareholder in Turners Automotive Group. PhilanthropyAfter having had bowel cancer, Baker co-founded the Gut Cancer Foundation, which aims to support research and increase awareness of gut cancers in New Zealand.[10][11] Personal lifeBaker is a car collector, known for his collection of Ferraris.[12] He has been involved in motorsport racing in Ferrari's Challenge Series [13] as well as the support of young racing drivers, including Formula 1’s Liam Lawson.[14] References
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