Brand was born in Canberra, but spent several years in the United States while his father was a representative at the International Monetary Fund.
He lived in McLean, Virginia in 1971 and 1972, and spent four years studying in Washington, D.C. to complete high school.
After completing his studies, Brand worked as the founding head of Asian art at the National Gallery of Australia.
In August 2005 Brand was appointed director of the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, refuting speculation that he may have accepted the post of director of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where he would once again have been following in Lee's footsteps.
[3] In 2012, Brand was appointed ninth Director of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, following the retirement of Edmund Capon.