It's one of my favorite times of the year: The Milken Institute Global Conference it's the Lollapalooza of the financial world which is the primary world in which my firm where founders and CEOs don't fly in and quickly fly out and do business for two and sometimes three full days but with that price comes exposure to the world's financial and political leaders all in the small Beverly Hilton hotel in Los Angeles It's almost impossible not to walk away with a new contact or insight And unlike the icy-cold schlep and subpar accommodations of Davos or the jet lag that often comes with the FII Institute conference in Saudi Arabia Milken is a nearly zero-friction event — no lines Attendees at Milken include CEOs of major financial firms and asset managers some Fortune 500s and professional services firms founders of private equity and private credit firms institutional investors at the CIO level of pension funds That could be chief marketing officers and chief communications officers or heads of investor relations who are supporting their CEOs or founders at the conference Policy makers and politicians who care deeply about the economy and the central banking systems globally will be in tow too This is high-level crowd geared around investing A cancer survivor and major health philanthropist Michael Milken surrounds himself with the best minds in finance If you want to know what is possible today with genetics I owe Michael Milken the healthiest version of myself because I attended the "How to Live to a Healthy 100" panel almost ten years ago the most valuable part of the conference is what is not on the agenda There is a healthy party circuit around the Milken conference and some of the best events are at private homes in Beverly Hills during the evenings and you have to be a longtime attendee to know what's happening when and where My advice is to buddy up with a conference vet and ask for help to figure out the private event circuit Or hire a firm that is in the know to "concierge" your experience Some of my favorite private events have been Goldman Sachs's women's lunch the "Wheelhouse" event at Bette Davis's former party house If you don't maximize this aspect of the conference Every inch of the Milken conference is filled with someone you should get to know the co-founder and co-chairman of Carlyle Group in the hallway and had a ten-minute conversation during which he spent most of the time asking about my business Little did I know I would represent his firm a few years later Meeting space at the Beverly Hilton is reserved for those who pay $250,000 at minimum to be sponsors of Milken you'll struggle to find a place for a meeting on the hotel grounds but lines are long and there's no guarantee they'll have space when you need it The trick is to reserve a room and/or meeting space at the hotels within walking distance from the Hilton like The Peninsula and the Waldorf Astoria — but you have to do so a year in advance book those rooms right at the end of this conference season Most hotels will move their beds out if you want to transform the space into a meeting room The Milken conference can be so commercially productive that many people forget what the Milken Institute actually is — a nonprofit that supports several important educational and health causes Michael Milken will open his Center for Advancing the American Dream in Washington DC to help make sure the American Dream stays alive Take a moment to study what the Milken Institute does and take advantage of the purpose-driven aspects of being part of the Milken world Make sure you have a "monetizing the mingle" strategy before you go to Milken Whether you are a single-ticket holder or a sponsor you are spending a truckload of time and money to attend and a plan to maximize your time on the ground Can you break news there and secure a coveted slot on CNBC or Bloomberg at the conference Too many people I know show up with no plan and waste precious time and money your return on time and money should be in the green Jennifer Prosek is managing partner of Prosek Partners The "Audubon of trout," twelve books later Lenore Skenazy ’81 is the president of Let Grow a nonprofit promoting childhood independence and resilience and founder of the Free-Range Kids movement This interview has been edited and condensed for length.  James Prosek ’97 has been called the Audubon of trout—even by this very magazine Our April 1996 issue featured undergrad Prosek on the cover just after he had published Trout: An Illustrated History a book with watercolor portraits of around 70 varieties of the titular fish Now the author of 12 more books on nature and an artist exhibited all over the world (including a 2020 show at the Yale University Art Gallery) Prosek lives half an hour from Yale in Easton shows a similar interest in the natural world Lenore Skenazy: Apparently you started working on your first book at age 10?James Prosek: My mom left when I was nine years old and I didn’t see her for about four years and it became my whole life—I think because it was totally mine I don’t need you anymore.” I was feral.LS: And for some reason you decided to categorize what you caught  JP: I couldn’t find a book on the trout in North America So I started writing letters to wildlife departments around the country saying but can you tell me more information?” I can’t think of anyone who didn’t respond to my goofy handwritten letters.LS: Maybe there weren’t a lot of other fifth graders writing to them  JP: I was trying to put together a list of all the fish But no two biologists could agree on how many species there were—or what a species even was LS: It sort of seems like something you’ve been thinking about ever since: the idea of no real boundaries between plants and animals Everything’s influencing the evolution of everything else LS: Speaking of: What influenced you at Yale JP: Sophomore year I saw these beautiful posters announcing the Adrian Van Sinderen Book Collecting Prize The committee used to come to your dorm room and look at your book collection and if you won the prize you’d get money to buy more books So I submitted my collection of trout fishing books.LS: Slam dunk And that’s how I met a curator at the Beinecke Library named Stephen Parks He’s the one who encouraged me to write my senior essay about The Compleat Angler which was written in 1653.LS: A very old fishing manual?JP: Essentially But also a sort of coded polemic about the English Civil War And I took a class about poetic verse forms with Penelope Laurans we had to go up and tell her our names and why we wanted to take her class I read your [Yale] application.” We became friends I’d been in sort of an “in-between” pile because my SAT scores weren’t perfect “Let him in!”LS: I read that you’ve observed thousands of trout across America Are you still painting them today?JP: Right now I’m working on a project for the Hood Museum of Art at Dartmouth I’m making a tree stump out of bronze but the full shadow of the tree is still visible on the ground; it’ll go through the wall of these two galleries The shadow represents that we can keep the memory alive of things that have passed through stories and song and books.   Richard Powell, who was most recently chief administrative officer and head of corporate development at the Consello Group, joins Prosek Partners as chief operating officer Powell was a vice president and chairman at Teneo He has also served as chief communications officer at Bloomberg and COO worldwide at Burson-Marsteller Powell has managed communications for financial advisory public affairs and venture capital firms and counseled clients on a range of complex problems “Rick has a rare combination of top communications advisory and operational experience,” said Prosek Partners managing partner Jennifer Prosek “His dynamic career and past roles will be a major benefit to the firm as we continue to grow around the world.” You are using 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Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience Richard Powell, who was most recently chief administrative officer and head of corporate development at the Consello Group, joins Prosek Partners as chief operating officer Category: Personnel Appointments More Personnel Appointments posts from O'Dwyer's:•On the Move: Moderna's Cronin Moves to Medtronic DiabetesMon. 2025Medtronic Diabetes appoints Moderna's Kate Cronin as CMO.. MSQ Sport + Entertainment names Steph Lund as CEO of its North America practice.. The National Confectioners Association brings on Beer Institute's Annie Starke as VP of government affairs Columbia University promotes VP of communications Virginia Lam Abrams to SVP following the exit of Franz Paasche after a nine-month stint.. Supreme Group appoints Digital Alchemy CEO Ramon Felciano as an independent board member to the company’s board of directors.. promotes Nikki Kria to director of integrated marketing & communications.. Solana Policy Institute hires Rachel Green Horn as CMO.. detection and monitoring products and services a prominent figure in the UK cultural scene has joined Brunswick Arts as a partner in London Under Armour signs up Matt Dornic Macmillan Publishers hires Kim Lauber in the newly created role of SVP of consumer insights  Printer Friendly Return to Jan. 6, 2025 News Return to Latest PR News No comments have been submitted for this story yet Stephen Lewis, who served as a senior managing director at Blackstone, comes on board at Prosek Partners as a partner in its London office at the end of January Lewis was most recently chief corporate affairs & brand officer at British telecommunications company BT His previous positions include head of communications at KPMG and director of strategic communications at Barclays Lewis has also held several posts at HM Treasury which executes the UK government\'s public finance policy and economic policy his focus will be on corporate communications special situations work and corporate affairs “His experience at Blackstone could not be more relevant to our firm,” said Prosek Partners founder and managing partner Jennifer Prosek Stephen Lewis, who served as a senior managing director at Blackstone, comes on board at Prosek Partners as a partner in its London office at the end of January which executes the UK government's public finance policy and economic policy Return to Jan. 14, 2025 News Prosek Partners hires Chris Tropeano who previously served as head of PR at Mojo the sports tech and entertainment company launched by Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore charged with helping to further build out the agency’s sports communications practice he established the company’s communications function commercial communications at NASCAR; and held communications posts at Sports Illustrated Major League Baseball and the New York Mets Reporting to Prosek managing director and head of sports Jon Schwartz and working alongside SVP Aidan O’Connor who helped launch the sports business practice Tropeano will leverage his experience in sports marketing communications event planning and strategic development to help it expand Chris has helped big brands drive their strategic goals through their investments in sports,” said Schwartz “As part of our growing sports business practice he will help to further supercharge our clients’ impact across the sports landscape.” which is comprised of the de Young and the Legion of Honor Freeman is joining the organization after more than eight years at the San Francisco Symphony where she most recently served as chief marketing and communications officer she was associate director of communications at Sonoma State University’s Green Music Center and communications manager for the San Francisco Opera Freeman will oversee the work of the marketing and graphic design teams; with a particular focus on institutional brand development and audience growth.“We are thrilled to bring Robin’s seasoned arts leadership and visitor advocacy to the museums as we continue to serve Bay Area audiences and rebuild tourism engagement,” said Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco director and CEO Thomas P Caster Communications promotes Alex Crabb to EVP and Peter Girard to SVP Crabb has been with the agency for 11 years leading accounts for many of Caster\'s most technical clients in markets like semiconductor Girard was previously Caster’s director managing its largest consumer technology clients in addition to guiding the growing account services team “As Caster continues to strengthen its client base both in emerging technology markets and our IoT and smart home business it was time to reinforce our senior leadership team with promotion of the two people who are the driving force behind these,” said Caster founder and president Kimberly Lancaster Prosek Partners hires Chris Tropeano leading accounts for many of Caster's most technical clients in markets like semiconductor Return to Sep. 5, 2024 News Prosek Partners handles HPS Investment Partners as the global credit investment manager is acquired by BlackRock for $12B The Wall Street Journal reports the deal provides BlackRock “a significant foothold in what is now one of the hottest markets on Wall Street.” HPS’ business of lending directly to companies (and collecting lucrative fees) has boomed as banks have pulled back from making risky loans said the deal marks an important milestone in the drive to become the world‘s leading provider of private financing solutions “The combination of HPS’s proven culture of investment discipline with BlackRock’s global reach will allow us to seize new opportunities for our investors and employees and set us up for continued success for the next decade and beyond,” he said Prosek Partners’ Mike Geller and Josh Clarkson represent HPS Prosek Partners handles HPS Investment Partners as the global credit investment manager is acquired by BlackRock for $12B Category: Financial PR & Investor Relations More Financial PR & Investor Relations posts from O'Dwyer's:•Gladstone Place Slips on SkechersMon. 2025Gladstone Place Partners represents Skechers as the slip-on footwear/apparel marketer agrees to be acquired by the investment firm 3G Capital for $9.4B O’Dwyer’s interviewed leaders at some of the top-ranked PR agencies representing the financial services sector to hear what factors influenced their performance in 2024 and what trends they see on the horizon amid the uncertainties of a second Trump administration Brunswick Group represents Deliveroo as the British food delivery service receives a $3.6B takeover offer from San Francisco’s Doordash FTI Consulting handles Ascend Performance Materials as it files for Chapter 11 in an effort to “deleverage” its balance sheet Longacre Square Partners represents H Partners Management which is waging a proxy fight at Harley-Davidson Return to Dec. 3, 2024 News Hovey Brock is an artist and has an MFA from the School of Visual Arts Art Practice program. He is a frequent contributor to Artseen. hoveybrock.com Home Prosek Partners has signed on to provide communications and PR support for the Future Investment Initiative Institute which organizes the annual “Davos in the Desert” each October in Riyadh along with other global conferences FII is a global non-profit organization that is governed by a board of trustees appointed by Saudi royal decree It is subsidized by its founding partner Saudi Public Investment Fund The 8th FII conference is slated for October 29-31 2024 and themed “Infinite Horizons: Investing Today Prosek on June 18 hosted a zoom with FII CEO Richard Attias and its clients to discuss attending/speaking at FII8 telling people what they should know before attending the conference It also has offered Attias for interviews with media such as the Financial Times Attias was executive chairman of Publicis Events Worldwide before he launched his own company He has produced the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting at Davos Bloomberg New Economy Forum and The Africa Games Prosek’s letter of agreement with FII shows a monthly retainer of $53,460 The firm will not contact US government officials on FII’s behalf Prosek Partners has signed on to provide communications and PR support for the Future Investment Initiative Institute Category: Foreign Government More Foreign Government posts from O'Dwyer's:•Pakistan Tosses Pact to Javelin AdvisorsMon. has agreed to provide strategic and advisory services to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan FTI Consulting has landed a $3M contract to craft and support a corporate communications strategy for Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund which has close ties to the Trump White House has picked up a $6M government relations contract from the Democratic Party of Albania Alexander Strategy Group has inked a three-month contact with the National Security Bureau of Taiwan which is the principal intelligence service of the island nation Orchid Advisors has signed on to provide public policy and advocacy work for the Islamic Republic of Pakistan regarding its relationship with the US Return to Jul. 24, 2024 News Andrew Paul Woolbright is an artist, gallerist, and Editor-at-Large at the Brooklyn Rail, living and working in Brooklyn, NY. Woolbright is an MFA graduate from the Rhode Island School of Design in painting and is the director of the Lower East Side Gallery Below Grand. He currently teaches at Pratt and School of Visual Arts in New York. This story has been updated to include insights on the current COVID-19 outbreak Karen Niovitch Davis is a seasoned human resources professional with more than 20 years of experience in the financial-services sector where she has helped guide and design strategic planning and execution for a number of firms employee retention and cultural development a global company specializing in financial public relations where she currently serves as partner and CHRO she was director of human resources at Third Avenue Management/MJ Whitman compensation and training for the investment professionals and trading teams Davis spent the majority of her career with Morgan Stanley where she served as a vice president with global responsibility She had various responsibilities throughout her tenure including global management of the HR function for the firm’s Equity Research Division She also headed the campus-recruiting programs for the sales trading and research divisions and helped develop the firm’s campus recruiting strategy for China HRE: How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted your job Davis: Given the rapid speed at which things have evolved my days have been about constantly pivoting to what is most important for our employees and our clients at any given moment I was on a tight and prescheduled day where I would have 10-12 meetings and calls booked; now we are in constant triage mode dealing with the issue of the moment and a schedule doesn’t really exist whereas now we are using Zoom video to stay connected This has been one of the positive developments of this crisis situation–we are connecting personally now more than ever before and I would say our culture is even stronger HRE: What lasting impacts do you think the outbreak will be for the HR function Davis: There is no doubt in my mind that this global “work-from-home” experiment will have a lasting impact on how people feel about the concept overall I expect that employees will reflect on this and say that their productivity was just as good as when they were in the office and that they will ask for more flexibility many employees have told me that being forced to work from home has been a challenging experience and more than ever they wish they could be in the office HRE: What did you want to be when you grew up on a special talent application for vocal music but I realized pretty quickly that wasn’t what I was going to pursue HRE: Do you still do anything in that realm Davis: Paying bills at an insurance company It was the most boring job because there was no human interaction HRE: Going from a job where you had no human interaction to a career in human resources it was very hard to get an on-campus interview as a liberal arts major The only interview I got was for Saks Fifth Avenue’s executive-training program The on-campus recruiter for Saks was incredibly impressive I wound up getting an offer into their executive-training program but I always remembered my experience with that recruiter helping others find their dream jobs and opportunities Those things all together made me think a career in HR might be better for me than a career in buying at a major department store HRE: What is your current primary focus or initiative Davis: We are focusing on our new HR Special Situations practice it’s really forced companies to look inward and assess their own environment We’ve been called upon by clients to help them navigate tricky employee-relations issues and to help them deal with the internal and external narrative when things might go awry HRE: What is one thing your colleagues would be surprised to learn about you Davis: I don’t think people think I sleep a lot Even though I am always going a thousand miles an hour so I can come in and do it all again the next day Davis: Movies like “Up in the Air” portray HR as heartless executors or a TV show like “The Office” pokes fun at being the person that’s just there to uphold the rules yet the role of HR has evolved dramatically If you watch “Billions,” a lot of what Wendy does is a much more accurate portrayal of what a CHRO wants to be I think we are trending in the right direction HRE: If you had the opportunity to have dinner with any famous–or infamous–person the host of “Survivor.” I just have so many questions about what really goes on behind the scenes because there is so much you don’t see there was a #MeToo-related scandal on the show that I personally think the show should have handled differently I would be really happy to share my views with him on where I think they went wrong HRE: What do you expect will be the biggest challenges for HR in 2020 Davis: The biggest challenge is going to be keeping culture strong and dealing with difficult decisions as firms struggle through a slowing economic environment It’s also going to be incredibly challenging and emotional with the election coming up There is going to be a huge amount of anxiety in 2020 for both of those reasons HRE: What would be your advice to a young person contemplating a career in HR Davis: Given that there are so many aspects of HR it’s important that young people get exposure to the many different areas of the field to figure out what suits them finding a strong mentor who will let them be a fly on the wall is important because that’s the way you figure out how people handle tricky situations and I still take a lot of that with me and that’s what has enabled me to be a CHRO–learning from a lot of people when I was younger and growing up in the industry To nominate yourself or another HR leader to be interviewed in Insights from a CHRO, email [email protected] Among Boca Raton’s beloved public spaces is Sugar Sand Park To commemorate the Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District’s (BPD) 50th anniversary unveiled a public art initiative that includes a stunning 360-square-foot vitreous glass tile mural celebrating Florida’s natural beauty and wildlife Artaic collaborated with artist James Prosek to translate his artwork to the mosaic medium designing a vitreous glass piece that reflects a commitment to sustainability The mosaic draws inspiration from Florida’s iconic landscapes including the Loxahatchee River and Everglades National Park as well as locations Prosek explored early in his career while painting Atlantic fish an artist and naturalist whose work pays homage to the history of art and natural sciences and whose work reflects a deep reverence for the interconnectivity of ecosystems integrated silhouettes into the mural as a way to highlight the relationships between species and their environments The artwork showcases Florida species like the osprey and native plants such as seagrapes and palmettos which form the foundation of the state’s ecological tapestry This clustering effect emphasizes the intricate balance within ecosystems such as the silhouettes of a hammerhead shark and a green sea turtle reflecting Prosek’s fascination with how we perceive and interpret forms in nature further enrich the mural’s celebration of Florida’s biodiversity Given Florida’s tropical environment and the mural’s placement in a high-traffic area in the park the city prioritized selecting a material that ensured longevity and durability Artaic’s previous projects in the Sunshine State demonstrated the resilience of mosaics in challenging conditions Working together with Artaic’s design team Prosek adapted his intricate designs into mosaic using the brand’s proprietary Tylist™ software scalable format while preserving its vibrancy and detail The mosaic was then fabricated and assembled using the brand’s robotic technology and prepared for installation The mosaic’s pixelated nature adds a compelling layer to the artwork reflecting the way we observe forms in nature much like silhouettes in the sky or fleeting glimpses of moving animals This duality mirrors the process of identifying species in the wild prompting questions about what essential features define an animal’s form and how we recognize it Sugar Sand Park is a vibrant hub for cultural arts, education, and community engagement, offering facilities such as The Children’s Explorium, the Willow Theatre, and various programs for all ages. The recently installed mural aligns seamlessly with the park’s mission by providing an interactive art experience that encourages visitors to engage with and learn about Florida’s native flora and fauna This integration enhances the park’s educational offerings inviting guests to explore and identify the depicted species thereby deepening their connection to the local environment funded through the City of Boca Raton and the Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District is part of the city’s broader initiative to incorporate mindful and sustainable practices into its public art This collaboration marked Prosek’s first municipal outdoor mosaic Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Office of Communications and Public AffairsAugust 6 I will be working as a public relations apprentice at Prosek Partners in their New York City office How did your career plans evolve over the course of your time at W&L I came into W&L thinking I would be a business administration major but did not fully understand the various sectors that exist within the field I found I really enjoyed my English class as well as my business administration classes and wanted to find a career that could couple elements of the two fields together I was able to narrow my focus toward a creative approach to business in the fields of advertising What internships or other summer experiences did you partake in and how did those experiences shape you and your career plans I worked as the Marketing and Communications Fellow at the public relations agency Ketchum My role enabled me to have hands-on experience within the field of public relations; I worked on projects within project management Ketchum’s fellowship allowed me to have the unique experience of working both in a communications role as well as a public relations role where we designed a national campaign for Frito-Lay and later pitched it directly to their executives This internship exposed me to the various facets of the public relations and communications fields as well as enabled me to grow professionally in both my work and my knowledge How did the Office of Career and Professional Development support you and which resources did you find most helpful The CPD’s events and the Career Fellows were incredibly insightful and supportive throughout my career search I attended many events hosted by Brooke Peccie such as the general introduction to the AdMarComm fields and participating in the Advertising Marketing and Communications Career Trip in NYC earlier this spring Both of these events exposed me to general knowledge of these various industries prominent names and companies and gave me the opportunity to connect with W&L alumni to further my exploration of these fields were incredibly helpful to me by reviewing my applications as well as helping me prepare for interviews and what are some skills or learnings you will take from your academic experience into the professional world I double majored in business administration and English at W&L The business administration major was very helpful in showcasing subsets of the business field early on within the major requirements I learned about the financial field through my Managerial Finance class marketing through Marketing Management and management through Management and Organizational Behavior I was given the autonomy to select electives that aligned with my interests further exploring the individual fields within business I valued the practical application of skill sets and knowledge that my business administration classes embedded within our classes and work My English major expanded my analytical skills and strengthened my writing I am especially grateful for the array of genres I was exposed to through this major I was able to exercise my writing abilities and worked with and on analytical writing I learned how to vary my writing and shape it based on the need athletic teams or other extracurriculars were you involved in that had an impact on you I served as director of public relations for W&L’s PRSSA chapter a teaching assistant for Applied Statistics and a Rho Gamma for the Panhellenic Council PRSSA enabled me to work closely with other individuals who were passionate about the industry and become involved in various creative and strategic projects My role as a TA gave me the opportunity to aid peers and my role as a Rho Gamma allowed me to facilitate meaningful relationships Who or what has inspired you along the way friends and professors have inspired me throughout my time at W&L and my two sisters who currently attend W&L continuously encouraged me to pursue my passions at W&L and offered support and advice when I needed it My friends constantly pushed me to produce my best work and to enjoy the present especially professor Holly Pickett in the English department were so formative toward my academic growth and constantly created and shaped experiences that I was able to take part in Did you connect with alumni during your career development process I reached out to many alumni of W&L within various industries and also got to meet many alumni in New York City during the CPD’s Advertising The W&L alumni network was such an incredible resource in which every alum I talked to was incredibly insightful and extremely supportive in helping me kick start my career and they continued to support me throughout my interview process What career-related advice would you give to next year’s graduating class My advice for next year’s graduating class would be to be conscious of your present as well as your future It can be really easy to get lost in the weeds of the job process but don’t let it dictate your final year at W&L but also make sure you are prioritizing your friends Everyone’s process and timeline look different but you are equipped with the skills you need to succeed — everything will work out Home » New Wildlife Mosaic Unveiled at Sugar Sand Park a new mosaic made up of 217,000 half-inch tiles is the newest addition to Boca Raton’s growing public art scene Located by the family pavilion at Sugar Sand Park the large-scale mosaic showcases the native flora and fauna of South Florida—and is the first mosaic at a district-owned park “The city has made a real commitment to public art,” Boca Raton Councilman Marc Widger said during an unveiling on Friday and highlight our beautiful green spaces and dazzling blue oceans.” The mosaic was conceptualized from watercolor paintings by artist James Prosek whose work has been on display everywhere from the Norton Museum of Art to the Smithsonian American Art Museum The Asia Society Hong Kong Center and more Prosek is known for marrying his love of conservation with his art and after selecting watercolors of South Florida’s native wildlife Boston-based Artaic used its proprietary Tylist software to translate the painted works into the many different colored tiles to make the mosaic public art coordinator with the City of Boca Raton called the process a “fusion of tradition and technology.” what was an assuming wall is filled with imagery of alligators the lunar cycle represents the tidal cycle “I grew up in love with birds and fish,” Prosek says which led him to spend time in South Florida’s waterways he gathered watercolors he had painted over the last 20 years of South Florida’s flora and fauna into a single composition as his work is typically black-and-white silhouettes It wasn’t until the unveiling that the Connecticut-based artist saw it all come together.  The scale for me is the most impactful at first,” he said it would be fun to go close and then look at the individual colors of the tiles and then pull farther away and sort of the different creatures materialize.” The mosaic is a permanent artwork that can be enjoyed at Sugar Sand Park in Boca Raton Christiana Lilly is the editor in chief at Boca magazine where she enjoys putting a spotlight on the Boca Raton and Palm Beach County community through both print and digital she is the past president of the Society of Professional Journalists Florida chapter and a proud graduate of the University of Florida She is also the author of "100 Things to Do in Fort Lauderdale Before You Die." Boca Raton magazine is on the front lines of local issues and events in South Florida covering the lighter side of life like dining news and fashion Privacy PolicyAboutAdvertise With UsContact Us Subscribe Now The native prairies of Texas—both remnant and restored—shift an artist’s perspective and inspire By James Prosek April/May 2024 Shield Ranch lies in the heart of Barton Creek watershed, critical to the Edwards Aquifer, a major water source for Central Texas. Blake Murden, the 6,400-acre property’s CEO and manager, was driving us over the expanse in his pickup, stopping to show me and two curators from Fort Worth’s Amon Carter Museum of American Art clear turquoise streams teeming with Guadalupe bass and a vast habitat restoration in progress my first exploratory trip for an exhibition commissioned by Adler and Wigmore whom I had first met after lending work for a group show at the Carter The museum has a history of engaging contemporary artists in projects related to Texas Remnants of that once-dominant ecosystem—complex communities of native grasses and wildflower species—are rare once several million acres of contiguous coastal tallgrass prairie where bison roamed I’ve often dug into the unseen corners of nature So there we were in the Hill Country at Shield for my introduction—or Since the project there had begun some eighty years ago the stewardship efforts had resulted in a gradual restoration of the rangelands to a mosaic of habitats that nurture a host of native plants and wildlife The roots of the native prairie grasses—big bluestem and Indian grass—descended eight feet or more absorbing groundwater after a rain so that degraded for many years by overgrazing and fire suppression before the Shield family purchased the ranch in 1938 Murden parked the truck by a tall stand of Indian grass planted years prior and the little blossoms springing from the tops of the grasses created a sea of glittering gold Prosek with pieces of big bluestem and seed heads of Indian blanket Restoration, after all, is intense work. Farther west, at Bamberger Ranch Preserve the 5,500-acre site had been painstakingly cleared of cedar elm Natural forces would historically have suppressed these types of trees and woody shrubs though they are native: large herds of migratory herbivores—like bison both from lightning and at the hand of Native Americans The passion of our guides that trip—among them landscape architects They all spoke with reverence about the things that made grasses great The way their roots retained precious water reserves the forage they provided for grazing animals the shelter they offered for ground-nesting birds like meadowlarks and dickcissels Where I grew up and live in tree-abundant Connecticut grass is just the stuff of highway medians contemplating how to paint what I beheld—leaves twisted and cascading off the stalk like script I learned that the grasses growing in the meadows beside my home were mostly orchard grass and timothy non-native hay crops introduced from Europe as early as the eighteenth century But I had a vague memory from my childhood in the eighties of native grasses growing around here on parts of farms too rocky to plow and lightly grazed by dairy cows I finally found them: little bluestem on our property and all four of the major species in a meadow behind a nearby middle school Grasses respond with vigor to the dual traumas of burning and grazing Indigenous people here in New England and across America managed the land for thousands of years with fires creating more grassland habitat to sustain grazing animals an employee of the Nature Conservancy in Texas told me as we walked a small remnant prairie outside Houston the Indians were bison ranchers.” But unlike modern farming and agriculture which tend to reduce biodiversity by focusing on a handful of crops or livestock Indigenous methods provoked more biodiversity created clearings that let in sunlight and new edges to the landscape transitional areas between grasslands and woodlands that sustained a multitude of bird and insect species A more intricate collage of habitats dawned until European colonists came with new views of land ownership walking some of the few prairies we have left—those that survived by accident or were left along railroads and fence-rows and in cemeteries And I began to think of how to make art from what I was learning and experiencing One body of work I went on to create for the Carter exhibition features portraits of individual grasses and wildflowers with their corresponding shadows Since some of the grasses rise over eight feet and the tables I used to bear down on while painting en plein air during the day by necessity I had to extend the same specimen over several sheets of paper The tall grasses began to cross the boundaries of the paper edges the fragmentation of the land that has occurred over the past two centuries—and that even still nature will trespass back across those boundaries when given the chance Without my keen Texas guides to instruct me I never would have understood what I was seeing nearly invisible in the blur of tall grasses with a deep knowledge of prairie plants and American history he took me to a small remnant prairie outside Farmersville that had burned the previous season It was as though we were walking through a botanical garden The fire seemed to have tamed the plants to grow in their own little spaces he led me into a cemetery surrounded by a barbed wire fence where ancient prairie grasses and wildflowers still thrived amid the bois d’arc grave markers Each time we visited one of these postage-stamp remnants the air felt and smelled different and the songs of the grassland birds seemed to materialize out of a dream: meadowlarks windows into a distant past as described by pioneers like Willa Cather who witnessed the land’s conversion from the “red grass,” as she called the native bunchgrasses And although the bison no longer roam the continent in massive herds genetically imprinted on prairie grasses that evolved under their influence That memory is part of what I feel when I walk a prairie Painting the violet shadows of the grasses on paper in watercolors evoked those themes of presence and absence even though the dimensionality and color of the object it reflects are removed all are ways of preserving a past we can no longer visit Altogether, I created twenty-eight works for what became Trespassers: James Prosek and the Texas Prairie on display at the Amon Carter through May 12: eighteen of those watercolor portraits of grasses; a mural of silhouettes of the grasslands of Texas from east to west; an eight-by-eight-foot silhouette painting of native prairie species; and five trompe l’oeil clay-and-bronze sculptures of wildflowers including one called Burned Log with Flowers (Texas Paintbrush) I’d first fallen in love with plants of the genus Castilleja known by the common name of Indian paintbrush that the paintbrush is more of a grassland plant—the grassland just happened to be in the mountains because the climate up there was too harsh for trees attaching their roots to those of other plants Their bracts look as though they’ve been dipped in paint comes from many species’ bright red or yellow or orangey blooms and bracts that grow and flower in tight bunches resembling flames paintbrushes depend on species that depend on fire and are therefore a signature prairie plant Photo: courtesy of James Prosek and Waqas Wajahat from <i>James Prosek: Grasslands</i> From left: Detail of Downy Indian Paintbrush November 2022; and New England Blazing Star and I wanted to find a live specimen to paint for the exhibition informed me that the species had all but vanished his team had documented only one known blooming population I found pressed and dried specimens at the natural history museum at Yale almost all collected in the latter half of the nineteenth century A handful were from the first years of the twentieth the prairie fire had been all but extinguished These revelations sparked conservation questions When we do restoration work like the kind I saw in Texas Not a wilderness untouched by humans but a landscape made by humans in partnership with the existing organisms I cleared as best I could a quarter acre of a meadow on our property of non-native species I bought native grass seeds and small plants from a nursery in southern Massachusetts that collects seeds of wild local populations mowing a low path around it to serve as a firebreak and lighting it all with a propane torch as the warm-season grasses began to emerge and small fledgling winter wrens and various sparrows launched up from the grasses whenever I walked through Fifty years after receiving a handmade wingbone call an outdoorsman remembers the legendary biologist Wayne Bailey only seventeen remain in the wild on a swampy peninsula in Eastern North Carolina a number on the rise thanks to the passionate team of biologists determined to help them thrive once more and bags to smooth the transition to spring The future of conservation in the South just got a little bit brighter—and not just for salamanders but they’re the craftsmanship of local crustaceans called lawn lobsters The drawls are receiving a lot of flak across the internet but a North Carolina linguist argues they’re actually pretty accurate Agencies Partner to Offer Clients Best in Business + Consumer Consulting NEW YORK, Jan. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Prosek Partners and Becca two women-owned communications and marketing agencies at the top of their respective fields with Prosek making a minority investment in Becca.  Prosek is a leading global firm in financial and corporate communications and marketing; Becca represents the country's most successful and respected names in hospitality including luminaries like Eric Ripert and Mashama Bailey and iconic brands like The Polo Bar and Ralph's Coffee by Ralph Lauren Tishman Speyer's revitalized Rockefeller Center the ultra-premium Tequila Casa Dragones and the Fontainebleau Las Vegas we are uniquely positioned to build valuable influence and better serve our clients' needs." adds: "Our clients increasingly understand the importance of hospitality and experience marketing for both their own businesses and those they invest in and we are excited to partner with Becca and her world class firm."  Prosek has a track record of making minority investments in best-in-class firms that have tremendous growth potential Prosek invested in women-owned ESG-consulting business Blue Dot Capital in 2021 Blue Dot has more than doubled since the investment was made Becca will be Prosek's fourth GP stakes investment.  The investment will expand Becca's global footprint The partnership will also provide Becca access to some of the most powerful names in finance to whom Becca can provide insights and guidance unique to the high-touch consumer-facing world of hospitality.  Media Contact Kristina Corso, Prosek Partners[email protected] Media Contact Kristina Corso, Prosek Partnerskcorso@prosek.com Do not sell or share my personal information: Agency Statement: Read Jennifer Prosek's article "Culture During Times of Crisis" posted on odwyerpr.com Clients Include: Carlyle GroupEdward JonesEldridge Franklin Templeton Investments GallagherGeneral AtlanticGoldman SachsHartford FundsICEMan GroupNorthwestern MutualPrudentialRockefellerSkyBridge CapitalTD BankTravelersVista Equity Partners Wellington Management Prosek Partners in the news with O'Dwyer's: Specializing in providing a full range of communications solutions to financial and professional services companies Prosek delivers business impact through an unexpected level of passion crisis communications and issues management Prosek\'s strategic branding and integrated marketing arm � Prophecy by Prosek � offers brand strategy Prosek has been named PRovoke Media�s �Global and North American Financial Agency of the Year� and a top-five global M&A and shareholder activism agency Prosek Partners names Matthew Goodman as an SVP in its New York office Goodman was most recently a director at London-based communications agency Greenbrook Advisory working with clients in areas including private equity spending most of his reporting career with The (London) Sunday Times “He is a trusted advisor to his clients and his experience as a communications professional and business journalist will be immensely beneficial as we continue to grow our business on both sides of the Atlantic,” said Prosek managing partner Jen Prosek which produces athletic and performance clothing names former Levi’s CMO Karen Riley-Grant as its chief marketing officer Before taking the CMO spot at Levi’s in 2021 Riley-Grant had served in several other positions at the company She was previously an independent consultant at KRG Consulting and senior director of global marketing for Converse’s Chuck Taylor brand Riley-Grant will be responsible for setting the vision and strategy for the company and oversee the creative development and execution of its marketing efforts across retail “In addition to a 25-year-plus track record of proven experience in the retail industry Karen brings to Vuori an incredible understanding and passion for developing iconic brands,” said Vuori founder and CEO Joe Kudla an integrated marketing and public relations agency in San Diego brings on Brad Ficek in the newly created position of director of digital activation Ficek joins the agency from ad agency Cactus He previously led paid media efforts at Vail Resorts Ficek will lead 62ABOVE\'s efforts to enhance digital advertising efforts driving advanced analytical and in-house programmatic capabilities “Having a digital activation specialist in-house will allow us to apply our deep understanding of each client and their needs to deliver the most impactful programmatic buys and strongest results possible,” said 62ABOVE VP of paid media Jennifer Bollman Prosek Partners names Matthew Goodman as an SVP in its New York office Ficek will lead 62ABOVE's efforts to enhance digital advertising efforts Return to Dec. 20, 2023 News Goldman Sachs was looking for a public relations agency to promote its asset management division and attract more clients Then-managing director David Wells asked five of the best-known financial PR firms and five up-and-comers to pitch He chose an upstart called Prosek Partners.  Winning one of banking's best-known names was a watershed moment for Prosek Partners which had been trying to convince financial services companies they needed to market themselves as brands unto themselves that was really a moment for us," CEO and managing partner Jennifer Prosek told Business Insider "Every firm including hedge funds and private equity said 'We need to get off the back foot and we need to manage our reputations Prosek entered PR right out of college in 1990, working for family friend Dan Jacobs. They took every client they could get Prosek became a partner a couple years later As financial companies moved to Connecticut where the firm was based "We decided we would be better off bringing sexy to more staid industries that happened to be based in Connecticut," Prosek told the Connecticut Post and private equity giants like The Carlyle Group.  Read more: The PR industry got hammered by the pandemic. CEOs of the largest firms say they feel optimistic for the first time this year. the agency's PR and marketing work has taken the form of things like web design for financial clients as the virus wipes out in-person events One private equity client increased their digital budget with Prosek by at least 50% Another had Prosek shoot 88 videos for an annual meeting "All you have is your digital profile right now," Prosek said of the pandemic's effect on financial services firms "You saw massive investment as every investment fund had to figure out how to fundraise digitally Smart communications players are well positioned to help clients do well in a digital world." Prosek been branching out beyond the firm's core financial services marketing to what the PR industry calls "special situations," which includes litigation CEO of Finsbury and a former senior managing director at Teneo and other banks; and law firms like Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan The marketing and special situations work helps the firm sell more services to existing clients A marketing client might hire Prosek to handle activist shareholders while a special-situation client might decide to keep Prosek on a retainer after the situation ends Earlier this year, asset management company Amundi Pioneer hired Prosek as its agency of record. When Saba Capital launched an activist bid Amundi called on Prosek to help fend off the bid Read more: These are the top 15 financial public relations pros CEOs call when their companies are on fire Merrill believes heavy turnover in this area of PR can benefit Prosek by freeing up talent have started their own agencies while the firms Abernathy MacGregor and Kekst CNC sold their businesses to large holding companies Creating a special situations practice requires financial acumen and it's an area dominated by heavyweights like Joele Frank who asked to speak anonymously to protect his industry relationships expressed doubt that Prosek could build an entire practice around Merrill and a handful of others "A lot of companies have tried to get into the deal space," this person said "The big agencies have tried and they mostly failed Prosek as far as I can see is more of a publicity kind of shop." said it was hard for a firm to expand into special situations but that he thought there was room for more players in mergers and acquisitions PR most want the proven experience and are unwilling to take a chance on firms who have less of a track record," he said "But there are a lot of smart people who are trying to take market share and we don't take our leadership position for granted." Prosek's executives said they've developed a strong enough reputation that the work is rolling in and that the firm represents not just activists but brands defending themselves against activists "Our competitors like to say we only do offense but the numbers tell the tale," Prosek said "And we are not necessarily focused only on the crowded M&A space Our firm represents the most private equity and alts players of any firm in the market and they throw off a great deal of special sits work." Merrill added that retainer-based work would remain the bedrock of Prosek's business "We will always be principally a retainer and relationship-based firm," he said if our clients have a significant transaction or they get hit by an activist approach we want to be in a position to say we can do that and go toe-to-toe with any of the strategic firms." opens his new exhibition at the Yale University Art Gallery (YUAG) with a mural in the museum’s lobby depicting a flock of passenger pigeons in silhouette flying through a forest of American chestnut trees Passenger pigeons once constituted up to 25% of North America’s bird biomass They darkened the skies in great flocks until humans had hunted them into extinction by the early 20th century The American chestnut tree was a common forest tree in the eastern United States until a blight imported from Asia rendered it functionally extinct — shoots from surviving root stock die before maturity.    which typically feature keys to match the numbers to the names of the plants and animals — but Prosek’s mural has no key “A lot of this show is about the tension between the named world and the world as it was before we put names on it,” said Prosek the 2018 Happy and Bob Doran Artist in Residence at YUAG “I paint these murals with the numbers absent a key so people can’t satisfy their desire to verify the names I want them to enjoy nature without the need to see it through the lens of language.” Artifice,” explores humans’ attempts to define whose work has been exhibited in museums worldwide developed a fascination for nature while trout fishing as child we have to draw lines between things and label pieces because our brains are order-making and pattern-seeking machines Then we lose sight of nature’s messiness and what the planet requires to be healthy we come to live in the map we’ve made instead of the actual territory combines Prosek’s artwork — watercolors of fanciful fauna like a self-portrait that shows the artist’s head on the body of a red-tailed hawk; abstract pieces overlapping ink impressions of an eel; and playful sculptures such as a mounted duck with a drill-bit for a bill — with objects from YUAG the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History and the Yale Center for British Art (YCBA) and Mark Rothko are displayed alongside natural history artifacts and specimens an artist whose infectious enthusiasm and passion for nature has helped us marvel anew at the complexity of the world around us,” said Stephanie Wiles the Henry J Heinz II Director of the Yale University Art Gallery “His choices of natural objects and artworks from the Peabody and art gallery challenged us to question the separations between nature and art.” “Bird Spectrum,” is a color spectrum made from more than 200 bird specimens from the Peabody’s collection whose brilliant colors stretch across a wall in the show’s fourth-floor exhibition space is a commentary on people’s compulsion to forge boundaries that don’t naturally exist “There are no clear lines in nature,” Prosek said there is no one place where red ends and orange begins.” Prosek first photographed each individual specimen and then mapped out the piece digitally Each specimen was pinned to the gallery wall using a printout of the digital map as a guide “Besides being an illustration of the interconnectedness of nature the gradations between colors are intended to be slightly messy to reflect the fuzziness of boundaries,” said Prosek who collected two of the spectrum’s specimens during a 2010 Peabody expedition to the tropical forests of Suriname “The piece is intended to memorialize these creatures that lost their lives for the advancement of our knowledge It’s also a testament to the singular beauty of birds.” “Trout: An Illustrated History,” in 1996 while a Yale undergraduate The exhibition includes a selection of 14 of his watercolors of trout species he saw a swordfish get harpooned off of Nova Scotia His life-size painting of the fish is on view the fishermen let it drift until it dies because it’s dangerous to haul them on board alive,” he said Occasionally one will flicker back to its living colors right before it dies Prosek noted that the border between the blue of its back and silvery gray of its belly is fuzzy not a sharp line as one might see in a field-guide rendering The artist’s silhouetted reflection is visible in the fish’s eye.  “I don’t want to ignore the fact that I’m there,” he said “It’s not just a portrait of an individual fish It’s a portrait of my experience with that fish.” Can’t get to New Haven? Tour the exhibition via the art gallery’s mobile app [Editor’s Note: this is the first in a monthly series with business development executives about some of the surprises Cambridge, Mass.-based Constellation Pharmaceuticals lived through the ups and downs of the epigenetic drug discovery field for a decade, before it exited on a high note last year. The company was acquired by Germany-based Morphosys for $1.7 billion One interesting wrinkle in this deal came in the form of a $1.4 billion upfront payment from Royalty Pharma to Morphosys the chief business officer of Constellation at the time Why did the deal make sense for the two parties Morphosys has a long history of developing antibody and biologics products. They have close to 50 collaborations in their 30+ year history, several of which have started to pay off in terms of approved products, bringing royalties and profit shares back to Morphosys. So under the leadership of their CEO Jean-Paul Kress they have started to turn the page from that platform basis to a product-oriented company I had originally reached out to them (as documented in the transaction’s 14D-9) around July 2020 though my initial outreach was not about partnering Constellation’s lead program I had seen Morphosys print a deal with Incyte that put them on my map as a fellow traveler in the heme-onc space with money to invest in partnerships Constellation was considering collaborations around our next generation EZH2 program We felt our EZH2 inhibitor could be a best-in-class program and we wanted to build a data wall around the program – and we felt that with a partner we could deliver a bigger program faster than we could on our own I think we started to check a lot of boxes for them with respect to their growth strategy They wanted to grow into small molecules to complement their monoclonal antibody base They wanted to build a Boston research site And they were looking for additional assets in the hematology and oncology spaces more broadly they liked a lot more than just what I had initially reached out to them to talk about How did you balance their desire to learn about Constellation more broadly vs which was your more immediate-term partnering goal As you’re going to do in any initial BD discussions we did present the EZH2 program in some context – we showed our pipeline slide and maybe a strategy slide we did step off of that very quickly onto what I wanted to talk about in the subsequent discussions Morphosys asked us about pelabresib was Constellation’s lead program and was in a Phase 3 clinical trial for myelofibrosis at the time of the acquisition] They had seen some of the data we had presented publicly We had made a few comments here and there about how excited we were in advancing the program But I tried really hard not to get distracted by that I wanted to avoid the trap of getting onto the slippery slope of even discussing structures of interest When the topic of pelabresib first came up I had been pretty clear with them that Constellation was not interested to partner I tried to head that off at the pass pretty quickly Of course, sometimes the more you say no to someone, the more they want something. As Constellation was a public company, Morphosys had the ability to change the dialogue at any time by throwing in an unsolicited proposal. Which is what they did in October 2020 Morphosys must have done additional work on their side to get comfortable that this does check the boxes for something bigger How did you build your relationships within Morphosys In my view, you have to build multiplex conviction on the other side and use the relationships you build carefully over time to make sure things work. I got introduced to Barbara Krebs-Pohl [SVP and Head of BD&L and Alliance Management at Morphosys] through Mary Martin Roberts a dear friend and former colleague at Biogen who had gone on to join Morphosys’ market access organization Barbara had me talk to some of her team to begin the relationship including Monika Bӓhner and other folks in Morphosys’ search and evaluation function if the technical team doesn’t have conviction it doesn’t matter how hard you bang on the senior business leaders to make your case Given the type of deal that I was focused on with our EZH2 program it was OK for me to let those senior relationships recede into the background as we focused on technical discussions having had a good open relationship with Barbara from the beginning was important as we advanced through the later discussions How did you balance your ongoing Morphosys relationship-building with Constellation’s desire to get to the right kind of deal That is a constant and regular dialogue with your full management team and sometimes on a more frequent basis with a subset of the management team We had what I liked to call our “Gang of Four” – our CEO Jigar Raythatha and myself – that would get together sometimes a couple of times a week to share how we were thinking about things We also regularly updated a strategy subcommittee of the Board It’s good to be clear as a management team and aligned with your Board as to what your goals are for the company Then you can use what you’re learning from the market to figure out what’s going to get you closer to your goals Partnerships and straight financings are just two different strategic options in pursuit of your company goals I believe in having as many options as I can on both the financing and BD fronts running in parallel as much as possible But if you can keep things running in parallel even if some of those options are not the right situations to pursue it gives you the ability to really think about trade-offs You can’t do stuff by remote control or through management consulting decks sometimes you have to have specific opportunities with tangible trade-offs to really think about your path forward And oftentimes it can be a bit like Goldilocks to get to the path that is just right What was the business situation at Constellation and why did you feel this was the right time to work with Morphosys It’s important to note that we had a good cash position at the time when Morphosys approached us And the magic here was we had the ability in this period of time to be incredibly selective due to several other options on the table as part of our work towards 2021 goals That allowed us to not feel like our back was against the wall to any option So Morphosys’ proposal to us was sort of an epi-phenomenon on top of what we were already trying to execute Our goal was to build Constellation into a biotech company where the research engine could keep sustainably delivering even as the lead programs shifted to commercialization We were building real conviction around pelabresib’s data and clinical opportunity We also had a great asset in our EZH2 inhibitor and wanted to go fast with that But wanting to move our EZH2 program fast could also create resource conflicts with the Phase 3 and additional development work on pelabresib As we looked at the plan to get to and through early commercialization we had some really great options to move Constellation forward and manage our cash raises in a thoughtful way But ultimately we were going to have to finance the company at some point So when we walked into the Board Meeting where Morphosys’ ultimate Spring 2021 M&A proposal was on the agenda that certainty for shareholders that emerges out of an M&A process was an important consideration Why was Morphosys the right partner for Constellation Morphosys’ proposal valued the full Constellation portfolio We had worked to build a really exciting company with a broad drug portfolio What Morphosys was emphatic about and has been very public about since the deal is that they came for more than just pelabresib Agreeing to a company sale is a multifactorial analysis but we’re all in this business to get new therapeutic options to patients as fast as possible with as much data as possible If that’s your lodestar and where your compass points then the analysis of any option crystalizes around whether it helps with your goal and is it fair to shareholders And that’s where we got comfortable with Morphosys we had this vision of being a fully integrated commercial-stage company acting on a global scale with an ability to work in parallel across our portfolio Partnering with Morphosys accelerated that vision Was there any dataset in particular that drove Morphosys’ interest to acquire you we revealed data showing proof of concept with pelabresib in front-line We had previously shared data in second line patients but this first-line activity was the watershed dataset We knew the first-line efficacy was going to be a key dataset and we wanted the data to speak for itself. That’s part of why we did the PIPE in October 2019 The PIPE followed by the data enabled our December 2019 follow-on offering that enabled us to be choosy about where to go next how did you get comfortable that the Morphosys proposal would be attractive to your investors We spent a fair amount of time over the years that led up to this making sure we knew what sentiment was around all of our programs So we weren’t starting from square one when Morphosys sent in their initial proposal There is this constant tension between looking at your company plans and what taking any of those options might mean for your shareholders Our bankers at Centerview were particularly helpful at boiling that analysis down to the potential risk versus the reward you’re not doing your job unless you have these pieces ready at hand you need to be able to confidently sit down with your CEO and your Board and say How did the deal process go with Morphosys Part of what being in this CBO chair is about is thinking about and trying to anticipate what you can having the ability to react fluidly in real-time and always having back-ups to the back-ups to your back-up plans One thing with respect to this deal is Morphosys had a very creative and transformational financing that they had to pull together to make this deal happen When we started the journey with Morphosys’ first proposal in October 2020 from just looking at their financial statements it was not clear where Morphosys would get the cash to pull off the acquisition This ended up becoming effectively a three-party deal with Royalty Pharma coming in with significant funding to Morphosys A two-handed deal is already hard to close and a three-handed deal is very hard to pull off This was really Morphosys’ problem and not ours and we didn’t really see any of this come together until the very end but a lot of this was evolving in parallel on Morphosys’ side Jigar and Jean-Paul were communicating regularly so we did know what we needed to One thing I felt confident about on the BD side was that whoever Morphosys was going to talk to about their financing needs I wanted the royalty funding groups to have a perspective on Constellation and our programs Deal competition also helps to signal that things are moving along but we didn’t use that card until necessary Long before anything got hot and before anything like the deal we did with Morphosys was even apparent, I prioritized introducing Eric Tokat [a Partner at Centerview] to Jigar and the Board An important thing to realize is that bankers like Eric and his team are not just in it for the immediate deal that you might be able to transact right now Good bankers would far rather help you think about what your options are would prefer you generate the best return for shareholders over the broad horizon and ultimately may help you be acquired for more money later on instead of a deal that may be on the table today Eric had a long relationship with Jean-Paul Kress which no doubt helped during the deal process But having a good banking partner around the table will help a young company and different folks bring different perspectives and specialize in different types of deals You’ve done many transactions over your career – was there anything about this one that was just different I had done a lot of buy-side deals over my career and one of my goals when joining Constellation was to do more sell-side One of my learnings was to be incredibly diligent about asking for feedback from counter-parties and really understanding what is happening on their side We got a ton of free consulting from these discussions And there is always your vision for the asset versus what is in the eye of the beholder And it’s important for any sell-side process to integrate the feedback you’re getting This helped us understand what partners might have considered as warts in our programs think of plans to maximize the value of each of our assets and know when to come back to re-engage and update counter-parties I really believe that this super-diligent approach to getting and integrating feedback from partners led to us having the multiple options that we did Get In-depth Biotech Coverage with Timmerman Report Or: Sign in to your account Corporate groups: E-mail me View More Testimonials ➛ Prosek Partners opens its new flagship office in New York Located in the NoMad neighborhood at 28 East 28th Street and Madison Avenue which was designed by Andre Kikoski Architecture Prosek has recently opened a new office in London D.C.; Boston; Los Angeles; Palm Beach; Fairfield “It was a very tough decision in the middle of the pandemic to lease a bigger space for ten years in Manhattan,” said Jennifer Prosek and decided to move to a space that would naturally draw people back into the office I promised I would build something \'better than home.\'” Golin forms a strategic partnership with Cyabra One of the key offerings of the partnership is the ability to identify social media bots disseminating false narratives and damaging a brand\'s reputation Cyabra\'s AI platform and real-time alerting system detects and reports suspicious profiles and coordinated malicious activity helping Golin\'s clients to identify potential risks to their reputation and develop effective crisis communication strategies \"Disinformation campaigns can quickly damage brands Cyabra\'s AI-powered platform helps us stay ahead of these threats giving clients the insights they need to act swiftly and decisively,” said Golin global president a brand consulting and activation company headquartered in San Jose acquires Dallas-based employment branding agency MindHandle MindHandle CEO Eric Harris will join Liquid Agency as practice lead for employee experience The move builds on Liquid Agency\'s recent momentum in optimizing and aligning employee customer and brand experience among their service offerings Liquid’s current and former clients include Walmart “Liquid Agency’s employee experience and culture practice is currently our area of the greatest growth and demand,” said CEO Scott Gardner allows us to add scale and fresh ideas for the future.” Prosek Partners opens its new flagship office in New York I promised I would build something 'better than home.'” One of the key offerings of the partnership is the ability to identify social media bots disseminating false narratives and damaging a brand's reputation Cyabra's AI platform and real-time alerting system detects and reports suspicious profiles and coordinated malicious activity helping Golin's clients to identify potential risks to their reputation and develop effective crisis communication strategies "Disinformation campaigns can quickly damage brands Cyabra's AI-powered platform helps us stay ahead of these threats The move builds on Liquid Agency's recent momentum in optimizing and aligning employee Category: PR Firm News More PR Firm News posts from O'Dwyer's:•PR Firm News: Endeavor Communications Opens in NYCMon. 2025Endeavor Communications launches in New York Havas Health Network launches Havas Life Middle East in Dubai.. Equiniti completes the acquisition of Notified which provides a suite of PR and IR solutions that includes GlobeNewswire.. The Sandpiper Group releases survey that finds business leaders are not prepared for global trade chaos.. MikeWorldWide and Three Rings are selected as top firms by the Grand Stevie Awards.  14 PR experts reveal what communicators need to know for 2025 in a discussion with D S Simon Media CEO Doug Simon The Institute for Public Relations and market research and analytics company Leger collaborate on a survey in which almost three quarters of respondents say disinformation is a major problem on a par with illegal drug use VP of marketing communications at The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International launches “across from the White House." Publicis Groupe acquires sports marketing agency Adopt.. The Pollack Group launches imPRessions Studio.. A new survey from the Public Relations Global Network and Researchscape International finds that trust reputation and digital engagement are emerging as the most important drivers of brand influence.  Return to Feb. 20, 2024 News Prosek Partners brings on Michelle Mandara former head of broadcast communications at Meta Mandara designed and launched the go-to-market broadcast strategy for Meta’s rebrand and worked closely with its executive team to develop 75+ consumer and broadcast campaigns annually she was director of media relations for the Nintendo account at Golin; VP media at Lippe Taylor; and PR director for MSG Entertainment as well as working with the agency’s digital and influencer teams “Michelle’s impressive background in both technology and consumer combined with her infectious personality and entrepreneurial spirit will be a great addition to the Prosek team,” said Prosek founder and managing partner Jen Prosek who was most recently director of communications for Maryland Governor Larry Hogan Ricci previously served as director of communications for House Speaker Paul Ryan as well as chief speechwriter and deputy director of communications for Speaker John Boehner Ricci led the state’s PR response to the COVID-19 pandemic developing a multi-phase marketing campaign and leveraging social media to connect directly with constituents “You can’t find a steadier hand in navigating crisis than Mike Ricci,” said Seven Letter founding partner and CEO Erik Smith “His extensive background in the public sector makes him a tremendous resource both for our team internally and for the clients with whom we partner.” Seven Letter has also brought on Kobina Yankah an Emmy award-winning creator who formerly led the in-house creative team for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee as creative director for Seven Letter Labs the firm’s technology-enabled advertising and creative services offering Kristie Deptula Farinha and Cassandra Small to EVP All three were previously SVPs at the firm Rosado will lead the firm’s Miami office Farniha heads up the Los Angeles team as EVP and Small is the new EVP of the New York office they are responsible for achieving the firm’s expansion goals networking and attending global conferences Kristie and Cassie are best-in-class in all areas of our expertise -- travel entertainment and economic development,” said Quinn president Florence Quinn Prosek Partners brings on Michelle Mandara Return to Mar. 1, 2023 News Subscribe to our mailing list to keep up to date with all things When The Horn Blows related We use cookies and similar technologies to run this website and help us understand how you use it Berlin-based singer-songwriter Ed Prosek recently returned with a poignant new single taking it upon himself to perform all elements in the video thanks to some editing magic We had a chat with him to talk about the fuel to his fire Who are your top three musical inspirations?I’m sure everyone has a difficult time nailing down only 3 pillars of inspiration but in terms of songwriting I’ve always admired Paul Simon for his intricate lyrics Sting for his intuitive shoot-from-the-hip melodies and more recently I’ve fallen in love with Emily King’s music for the little bit of magical ambience inspiration to add to the previous two Is there a certain film that inspires you?I probably watched the nightmare before Christmas when I was 4 or 5 but after not seeing it for over 20 years I only just rewatched it to find out that Danny Elfman’s brilliant melodies have completely seeped into my subconscious and come out in all kinds of interesting ways over the years What city do you find the most inspiring?Berlin I live here and it has exactly what I want in a city: Room for improvement Having come from rural Northern California I’m used to boundless incredible natural beauty but when everything is already so perfect what is there left for an artist to say Berlin is grey and rough around the edges but there's something unmistakably charming about it that allows for creative room to grow and at least for the past few years, it served me very well Who is the most inspiring person to you?I met the legendary producer Rupert Hine (Stevie Nicks Rush) in 2012 when I first started my career and he took me under his wing and became not only my publisher but also my mentor Every song I write goes through his insightful and visionary lens and it has been such an honour to work so closely with such a prolific artist and incredible man What were your inspirations when writing the track?I was going through a phase of not really enjoying the music I was writing and wondering why but I came up with the melody of Mercy and was so transfixed by it that I decided to dedicate the lyrics to my “Muses” or whatever mystical power gives me the ability to write songs continuously (I’m superstitious If I was trying to get myself back on track writing-wise with Mercy it must have worked because the songs coming next are even bigger How would you like to inspire people?I think our culture has become overly obsessed with entertainers It’s rather understandable as we live in a time of unprecedented quantity and access to entertainment but I think that its important to remember that the objective value of art lies in the actual art itself rather than the persona or ego it finds itself attached to I believe the job of an artist is self-improvement it is to better oneself as a creator and a person and only then can one hope for the other shoe to drop.  Prosek Partners rebrands its enhanced strategic branding and creative offering to Prophecy by Prosek The rebrand reflects an effort by the agency to further expand its integrated model and house its creative branding capabilities across strategy Prophecy by Prosek will be led by Prosek partner and CMO Neil Goklani Its first major launch is the rebrand of ICE “Think of Prophecy as the world class brand and creative shop inside of Prosek Partners,” said Prosek managing partner Jen Prosek “With this evolved strategic branding offering we’ll be able to tell our clients’ stories in an even more integrated way.” The BrandLab, a non-profit organization working to change the face and voice of the marketing and advertising industry, has opened applications for its eight-month, paid fellowship program Optum (part of UnitedHealth Group) and Wunderman Thompson’s Midwest office 16 fellows from diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds rotated across the companies participating in an immersive experience that included working with brand and digital marketing Nearly all of them transitioned into full-time employment through the partnership and The BrandLab’s network The 2022 LabFellow experience will run from June 1 Premo Consultants is making a nod to today’s transformed work schedules by switching all of its full-time consultants to a four-day workweek (Monday through Thursday) without any change to salaries or benefits “Our test run of this model has shown an undeniable increase in productivity happiness among our employees,” said Premo founding CEO Joanna Doven which recently added a government relations practice has also brought on Tom Hardy to lead its competitive grant-writing practice and Stephanie McHale as web designer and developer increasing the firm’s ability to provide end-to-end marketing solutions Prosek Partners rebrands its enhanced strategic branding and creative offering to Prophecy by Prosek The BrandLab, a non-profit organization working to change the face and voice of the marketing and advertising industry, has opened applications for its eight-month, paid fellowship program Return to Mar. 23, 2022 News