Global Strategy Group

Global Strategy Group (GSG) is a public affairs and research firm specializing in research, strategic communications, digital strategy, grassroots and grasstops organizing, marketing and branding. GSG clients include political candidates, corporations and advocacy organizations worldwide. In the United States, the company works with Democratic Party candidates and office holders.

Clients of the firm, which has been called "a ubiquitous presence in New York's circles of power" in a 2008 New York Times article, have included New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer, who used the firm in his successful 2006 campaign, New York state Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo and New York Governor David A. Paterson. The New York state Democratic Party also uses the firm, as do many New York state members of Congress. The firm is also one of the "top consultants to corporations and other special interests," according to an article in the Times. ^[1]

"They have carved out the niche of being the premier Democratic political polling firm," William T. Cunningham, a political consultant, said in 2008.^[1] Political clients include or have included Iowa Governor Chet Culver, West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer, New York State Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo, presidential candidate Al Gore Congresswomen Loretta and Linda Sánchez. The New York state Democratic Party and New York state members of Congress also consult with the firm. GSG has managed political campaigns in Albania, Aruba, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Greece, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Republic of Georgia, Trinidad and Venezuela.

In 2008, the firm's annual revenues were said to total about $20 million, and it had 50 employees.^[2] In addition to New York City, Global has offices in Washington, DC and Hartford, Connecticut.^[3]

Along with its political roster of clients, GSG has been retained by large corporations, nonprofits and advocacy organizations like Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Condé Nast, General Electric, GlaxoSmithKline, Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, Scholastic, Silverstein Properties, Starwood, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), United Way and Yale University, among others. As of 2009 GSG was using the marketing tag, "Campaign to Win."

The firm was mentioned on the TV show The West Wing and is also referenced in a Trivial Pursuit board game question.

Contents 1 History 2 Executives 3 Clients 3.1 Political clients 3.2 Corporate clients 3.3 Nonprofit & Advocacy clients 4 References 5 External links

History

Jonathan Silvan, CEO, Jefrey Pollock, President and Jeffrey Plaut, Partner, started GSG together in 1995 as a boutique polling firm,^[1] conducting market research for political and corporate clients.

Since its founding, the firm has broadened its work beyond research and polling to include various communications services, such as public relations, planning and running political campaigns, paid media and advertising, grassroots and grasstops advocacy, and new media and interactive services and products.

Executives

The firm's top executives include:

• Jon Silvan, founding partner and CEO, has guided Global Strategy Group’s growth from a boutique market research firm into a nationally recognized, full-service public affairs and research firm. Jon’s clients include companies, organizations and individuals at the top of their fields, including World Trade Center developer Silverstein Properties, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (NY), General Electric, and the National Cable and Telecommunications Association (NCTA). Jon earned a dual degree in political communications and economic development from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and he currently serves on the Steering Committee of the Association for a Better New York (ABNY). Jon lives in New York City with his wife Marnie and their three children.^[4]

• Jefrey Pollock, president and founding partner, leads the firm’s research practice. He has advised several U.S. Governors – including Brian Schweitzer (MT), Joe Manchin (WV) and Chet Culver (IA) – Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (NY) and Arlen Specter (PA), and many other members of Congress. He has also consulted on behalf of many of the world’s leading NGOs and corporations, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Goldman Sachs, Con Edison and Starwood. Jefrey earned degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University, where he is currently an Adjunct Professor of Public Policy and Administration. ^[5]

• Jeffrey Plaut, founding partner, serves as a strategic advisor and pollster to candidates and campaigns across the country. Recent clients include the New Jersey Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee, U.S. Representatives Mike McMahon (NY) and Nydia Velazquez (NY), the Empire State Pride Agenda and The Daily Show. Jeffrey also leads the firm’s public affairs practice for unions, nonprofits and associations. An alumnus of Brown University, Jeffrey is a graduate of the Coro Foundation Fellowship for Public Affairs, an Adjunct Professor at Fordham University and advisory board member of the Bellevue/New York University Program for Survivors of Torture.^[6]

• Britt Power, partner, specializes in developing research and positioning strategies for clients looking to extend and promote their brands. Britt’s clients count on her when they are looking to launch services or products, expand their client base or gain a competitive edge within their industry. She is an experienced moderator and focus group facilitator and currently heads the firm’s Qualitative Research Department. Her client list includes some of the world’s most recognized brands, including Condé Nast, ESPN, Scholastic, Time Inc. and Victoria’s Secret. Britt earned a degree in communications from New York University.^[7]

• Scott Elder, partner, specializes in conducting strategic research for corporations, domestic political campaigns and associations. In a project manager role, Scott oversees the research process from survey design to data collection, data processing and analysis. Recent clients include Merrill Lynch, United Water, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (NY), the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs and the Los Angeles Police Protective League. He also runs the firm’s market research practice for the trial consulting industry. Scott earned his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Washington in Seattle.^[8]

• Alan Sexton, Executive Vice President for Communications. Prior to joining GSG, Alan led the public affairs practice at Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide in New York, where he oversaw all aspects of the group’s work. An expert in corporate reputation, crisis management, brand positioning and influencer engagement, Alan was named one of the industry’s “40 Under 40” leaders by PR Week in 2010. While at Ogilvy, Alan managed global and U.S. communications campaigns for some of the agency’s best-known clients, including American Express, BP, the Ford Motor Company, LexisNexis and DHL. Alan’s track record of crafting successful campaigns for his clients has been recognized numerous times. In 2008 he and his client, FM Global, one of the world‘s leading commercial property insurance companies, won the PR News Platinum award for Global Campaign of the Year. The FM Global program was also named as a Global Campaign of the Year finalist in the 2009 PR Week awards, and shortlisted for two SABRE awards in 2008. Prior to Ogilvy, Alan spent several years with The Harbour Group, a public affairs and lobbying firm based in Washington, D.C. Before that, he worked on issues management and media relations campaigns as a member of the Public Affairs Practice at Ogilvy PR in Washington, D.C. Alan began his career in communications with a small public affairs firm in Dublin, Ireland, where he worked with a diverse group of clients that included British Nuclear Fuels and the Irish Hospital Consultants Association.^[9]

• Stephen Sigmund, senior vice president, Stephen Sigmund serves as Global Strategy Group’s Senior Vice President, Managing Director of Communications. Steve most recently served as the Chief of Public and Government Affairs for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, where he was the chief communications and government affairs strategist for the nation’s largest regional public authority and led the organization’s public efforts on the World Trade Center redevelopment. Steve has strong experience in New York City and New Jersey government and politics. He was the Communications Director and Senior Policy Advisor for City Council Speaker Gifford Miller and Acting Communications Director for Governor Jon Corzine in New Jersey. Steve’s experience extends into the private sector as well. Steve was a Vice President at Robinson Lerer & Montgomery, a nationally recognized strategic and crisis communications firm. At RLM, Steve played a leading role on key top-tier clients like America Online, EMI Music and Pfizer. He was also a Vice President at AOL Time Warner and was Senior Director for the company’s Corporate Responsibility efforts, which included an ambitious initiative to improve technology literacy in public schools. In addition to his broad professional experience, Steve has written pieces for The New York Times, The New York Times Book Review, Trenton Times, and New York Observer, and he has served as an Adjunct Professor for Columbia University’s Strategic Communications Program since 2003.^[10]

• Justin Lapatine, senior vice president, manages Global Strategy Group’s public affairs practice area where he develops and executes full service campaigns on behalf of corporate, advocacy and political clients. Justin has managed grassroots, grasstops and coalition building campaigns for Silverstein Properties, the YES Network and Ultimate Fighting Championship. Named a “Rising Star” by Campaigns & Elections in 2006 and one of “40 Under 40” by City Hall News, Justin serves as consultant to the New York State Senate Democrats, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and Public Advocate Candidate Bill de Blasio. Before joining GSG, Justin worked for Gore Lieberman in the 2000 presidential race and for Mark Green in the 2001 New York City Mayor’s race. Justin earned a B.A. in Political Science and History from Duke University and a Masters in Political Science from Columbia University.^[11]

• Tanya Meck, Senior Vice President, leads Global Strategy Group’s Connecticut office, based in Hartford and has extensive experience in public affairs, corporate communications and advocacy campaign coordination. Prior to joining GSG, Tanya served as Assistant Secretary of the State of Connecticut and Chief of Staff for the Secretary’s office. She has worked as a corporate communications director for a Fortune 500 company, as a non-profit development director, and as a political consultant to local, state and federal elected officials. Her professional experience includes television and radio appearances, keynoting seminars and conferences, and emceeing events. A Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude graduate of Drew University in Madison, New Jersey, she majored in Behavioral Science and was an All-American athlete. Tanya earned her Master’s Degree in Public Policy Studies from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut.^[12]

Clients

Political clients

Presidential Candidate Al Gore (2000)[13] U.S. Senator Christopher Dodd (CT)[13] U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (NY)[13] U.S. Senator Mark Dayton (MN)[13] Governor Joe Manchin (WV)[13] Governor David Paterson (NY)[13] Governor Pedro Rossello (PR)[13] Governor Dan Malloy (CT)[13] Governor Brian Schweitzer (MT)[13] Governor Edward Rendell (PA)[13]

Corporate clients

American Express Accenture Condé Nast Connecticut Light & Power Disney Corporation ESPN General Electric

General Growth Properties (GGP) Goldman Sachs L’Oréal Merrill Lynch MTV Networks Oxford Health Pershing Square Revlon

Scholastic, Inc. Silverstein Properties Starwood Hotels & Resorts Tiffany & Co. Ultimate Fighting Championship USA Network YES Network

Nonprofit & Advocacy clients

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Boy Scouts of America - Greater New York Councils Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids Columbia University Commonwealth Fund Henry J. Kaiser Foundation Learn NY

NARAL New Jersey Institute of Technology New York University NYC Department of Consumer Affairs NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene Nature Conservancy Pew Charitable Trusts

Planned Parenthood of NYC Robin Hood Foundation Rockefeller Foundation Rutgers University State University of New York United Way of NYC Yale University

References

External links

• Global Strategy Group official website