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Lex Suvanto, Global CEO
Lex Suvanto is Global CEO of Edelman Smithfield. He advises boards and senior management of public and private companies on strategic communications for transformative events.
Lex has counseled CEOs across a wide range of industries during complex and sensitive moments, with a focus on formulating compelling strategic messaging to win support and endorsement from investors, employees and other key stakeholders.
Lex has advised on hundreds of transactions, both domestic and multinational. Lex is also a leading advisor to companies navigating shareholder activism as well as other contested situations. He is a frequent speaker and author on investor engagement, reputation strategy, governance and ESG.
Prior to joining Edelman Smithfield, Lex was Managing Director at Abernathy MacGregor. Prior to that he held various strategy and client service roles within Havas in New York, Paris and London. He has an MBA from Harvard Business School.
John Kiely, Chairman of EMEA
John has over 30 years of experience advising companies on all aspects of their financial communications.
John has worked extensively on cross border and domestic M&A, restructuring as well as a number of IPOs and spinoffs. He is an expert on advising pension scheme trustees in relation to transactions and has also advised on activism and shareholder disputes around the world.
He co-founded Smithfield, which was acquired by Edelman in 2015.
John is a graduate of University College London and a guest lecturer on Financial Communications, M&A and crisis communications at the London Business School.
Andrew Wilde, Global Head of Financial Services
Andrew Wilde leads Edelman’s financial services team globally. He specialises in retail and institutional financial services communications, advising asset managers, banks, pension funds and insurers – and their management teams – on their corporate profile and reputation.
He has 20 years’ experience advising financial institutions across the globe, over which time he has built close relationships with senior editors across top tier print and broadcast media as well as industry bodies and policymakers.
Through these relationships, clients have access to some of the most influential business journalists and broader stakeholders in the U.K. and internationally. His team represents many of the world’s leading asset management groups with collectively more than $20 trillion under management.
Andy is a graduate of the University of Cambridge.
Josh Hochberg, Global Chief Operating Officer
Josh combines his background in finance, capital markets, public policy, and corporate orientation to develop and lead integrated communications programs.
Josh has extensive expertise advising C-suite executives and boards of directors on communications during sensitive situations, including IPOs, contested and friendly M&As, spin-offs, restructurings, bankruptcies, shareholder issues, shareholder activism and other corporate crises.
Josh joined Edelman Smithfield after more than 13 years at Sloane & Company, where he was a Managing Director and head of the capital markets and investor relations practice. Prior to joining Sloane & Company, Josh was a founding partner of Vistance Group, a boutique corporate communications firm, and a senior member of Fleishman Hillard’s corporate communications practice.
Josh graduated with honors from Washington University in St. Louis.
Katie Spring, President, United States
Katie Spring leads the U.S. practice where she partners with clients to manage and enhance their brands and reputations across the capital markets.
Having led communications functions in the hedge fund, banking, insurance and securities trading sectors, she has a unique understanding of companies’ daily opportunities and challenges.
Before joining Edelman Smithfield, Katie served as the Chief Communications Officer for Citadel for nine years. She led all internal and external communications and worked closely with the leadership team to establish the firm as one of the most competitive and innovative leaders in finance. Previously, she was Senior Vice President for USAA, where she led all PR, crisis and reputation management initiatives for the company. She worked for U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar in Washington, D.C. and was a TV and newspaper reporter for several years.
Katie holds a Bachelor’s degree from Wellesley College and an MBA from the University of Notre Dame.
Alex Simmons, Head of EMEA
Alex leads Edelman Smithfield in EMEA, drawing on 20 years' experience in corporate finance and financial communications.
Alex is an experienced board adviser and provides strategic corporate and financial communications advice to companies and investors. He has led and worked on a wide range of complex and high-profile situations across the capital markets worldwide, including M&A, restructuring, equity and debt fundraising, and shareholder activism.
In addition to transaction advice, Alex has extensive experience advising companies on their communications and positioning with investors and other stakeholders, complex tax and financial reporting matters, and managing crisis and litigation situations.
Alex is a graduate of University College London.
Jason Leow, Head of APAC
Jason Leow is Head of APAC. In this role, Jason works alongside capital markets participants to support companies and C-level leaders in financial services and all other sectors in the Asia Pacific region.
A 25-year veteran in media and communications, he has advised senior executives, C-suites and board members across APAC on corporate reputation, stakeholder management and special situations. Jason has extensive experience in transactions communications, change and crisis communications, as well as media relations, having worked in GIC, Shell and the Wall Street Journal.
Prior to joining Edelman Smithfield, he was Managing Director of Corporate Affairs and Communications at GIC, Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund, where he led ESG communications. He has held strategic communications and media positions in London, New York, Beijing, Shanghai and Singapore.
Jason holds a CFA in ESG Investing and two Master’s degrees from New York University/NYU Stern and Goldsmiths College, University of London. He also has a Bachelor’s from the National University of Singapore, where he graduated with honors. He is a Chevening Swire Cathay Pacific scholar.
