About

With more than 30 years of experience in public relations, government affairs, marketing services and business development, Alex has built a strong reputation as a valued partner for senior executives across multiple industries.

A hands-on manager who spends the majority of his time working directly with clients, Alex offers the combination of corporate and financial knowledge, operational expertise and strategic counsel that companies need to seize opportunities and compete aggressively in a fast-moving business environment.

Prior to founding Stanton, Alex started and successfully scaled several communications firms including Dorf & Stanton Communications, a national PR agency that was sold to Shandwick (now a unit of the Interpublic Group), and Stanton Crenshaw Communications, which quickly emerged as a market leader and received recognitions such as “Mid-Size PR Agency of the Year” from PRWeek Magazine and “Best New Agency” from Inside PR.

Alex has developed and managed effective PR and marketing programs that have received numerous industry awards and is a frequent speaker on business strategy, marketing and communications issues.

Alex has served as President of the Public Relations Society of America in New York and is currently a Director of YPO/WPO. He also sits on the boards of several companies and national charitable organizations.

Alex spent five school age years living in Montreal where he learned (the hard way) that long winters give Canadians an unfair advantage in developing their hockey skills.

Charlyn joined the firm in 2005, bringing deep knowledge of investor and financial communications, and today she advises public and private companies, private capital businesses and alternative asset managers. Her work spans the development, execution and management of corporate positioning and media relations programs, as well as transaction-based communications activities, litigation support and other special situations across a range of industries.

Before joining Stanton, Charlyn served as a Director of Investor Relations for Tommy Hilfiger and E*Trade, where she spearheaded corporate and financial communications efforts. Prior to that, she was a financial analyst following investment grade and leveraged public debt offerings at Credit Suisse First Boston. She started her career in a management training program at The Chase Manhattan Bank.

Charlyn earned an M.B.A. from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business and a B.A. in Economics and Government from Smith College. She is a member of the Junior League of the City of New York.

Originally from Kansas City, Missouri, and after many years living and raising her family in New York City, Charlyn remains a Midwesterner at heart.  She is a proud Kansas City Chiefs fan and a BBQ connoisseur! 

Since joining the Stanton team in 2000, Tom has led engagements with clients across a variety of industries and business sectors, with notable experience in financial services, professional services and technology. In addition to his media work, Tom designed the firm’s Perception Audit Process and Corporate Messaging Methodology, and works closely with C-Suite executives to build strong thought leadership positions and strategic content marketing programs.

Tom leverages 20 years of experience across PR, advertising, design, marketing and journalism to help clients integrate multiple disciplines into successful communications plans. Previously Tom worked as an independent communications and marketing consultant at advertising firm McCabe & Co, marketing strategy firm Workgroup Inc., and he began his career in journalism as an editor of several national trade publications.

Tom earned B.A. degrees in History and English from Butler University.

Tom has never eaten a Pop-Tart.

Liam serves as Executive Vice President at Stanton, spearheading the overall direction and success of client campaigns with a can-do attitude and hands-on proactive approach that has garnered the admiration of clients and media alike. Liam firmly believes in the “Relations” aspect of Public Relations, fostering stellar relationships—even friendships—with influential journalists that frequently call upon him for stories, exclusives and access to his marquee clients.

Liam’s creativity and expertise in media relations—which have included placements with CNN, Nightline, Today, The View, TIME, and Newsweek— resulted in his winning the prestigious 2006 Bulldog Awards (the Oscars of PR) for Excellence in Media Relations and Publicity for “Best Arts and Entertainment Campaign of the Year.” Liam also won the same award again in 2010 and in 2011 for “Best Crisis Communications Campaign of the Year.”

Prior to Stanton, Liam was President of LCO—Levine Communications Office in Beverly Hills which represented 58 Academy Award Winners, 34 Grammy Winners and 43 NY Times Best Sellers. Liam began his career—while in school—with Ogilvy Public Relations in Silicon Valley.

Liam earned his Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from Notre Dame de Namur University in June of 2001 where he served as his graduating class’ representative speaker. Liam has been recognized as a Lifetime Member by both the Golden Key National Honor Society and California Scholarship Federation for academic excellence.

Liam enjoys swimming and other outdoor-related activities as well as following the success of his beloved 49ers and Giants.

With over a 25-year career in communications, Matt has specialized in working with B2B companies across the financial services, professional services, technology and manufacturing/industrial sectors to create and drive high-impact, multichannel communications program and thought leadership campaigns.

His expertise includes building and fostering meaningful, lasting relationships with editors and reporters at influential financial media, as well as providing informed counsel and strategic insight on proactive and reactive communications. Matt also has deep experience in developing thought leadership content, including short- and long-form writing on financial services, professional services and technology topics.

Prior to joining Stanton, Matt spent eight years at Peppercomm, where he was Vice President, Media Strategy, leading programs for clients including EY, Wilmington Trust, AXA Investment Managers, The Alliance for Lifetime Income, Houlihan Lokey, and the Money Management Institute.

Matt holds a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University.

Matt has climbed 24 of the 46 High Peaks in the Adirondacks, and plans to complete the remainder over the next five years.

Mike joined Stanton in 2019, bringing a diverse background in financial and professional services, crisis communications, technology, real estate and corporate communications. His clients include global legal services, private capital, real estate financing, and enterprise technology organizations.

Mike leverages 30 years of experience developing and executing strategic communications programs on both the agency and corporate sides. Prior to joining Stanton, he was Senior Vice President at a leading financial services public relations firm and served as corporate spokesperson for companies including Pepsi, Xerox, and International Paper. Mike is the recipient of numerous industry awards, including The American Business Awards, PR News Awards and The PRSA-New York Big Apple Award for Best Technology Campaign of the Year.

Mike earned a B.A. in English and Political Science from Boston College.

Mike’s first love was a 1966 Mustang. He’s still getting over it.

Joshua has more than 20 years of experience in corporate, real estate, financial, and consumer public relations.

He was previously a Senior Vice President at KCSA, and Director of Communications & PR at global private equity real estate firm Thor Equities. Prior to that, he was an SVP/Group Head at Rubenstein Public Relations, where he oversaw and executed public relations programs on behalf of numerous real estate and financial clients.

Earlier in his career, Joshua was a real estate and business reporter for The Advocate, a Hearst newspaper in Stamford, Connecticut as well as a freelance writer for Gourmet, New York Daily News, Fodor’s, and Time Out New York.

He earned a Masters in journalism from New York University, and a Bachelors in journalism from Boston University.

Josh once worked as a chef at Eleven Madison Park in Manhattan.

Scott has over 15 years of experience in Public Relations. He joined Stanton in 2009 and today serves as a Vice President at the firm with a specialized focus on the private capital industry. 

Scott is a long-suffering New York Knicks fan.

Katrin is a skilled multi-lingual financial communications professional and manager with private and public markets experience.  Since joining Stanton in 2006, and leveraging her international background, she has focused on positioning and differentiating global and US alternative investment, financial advisory and asset management firms, respective investment/business strategies and leadership teams. Results-focused, she spearheads the development and execution of strategic, integrated programs that educate and drive positive visibility with target audiences.

Following regional corporate PR/communications manager roles with international businesses in the financial and hospitality industry –Hyatt International Corp. and German commercial bank WestLB AG-NY — Katrin built out her PR/communications experience supporting and leading transaction and restructuring communications, crisis communications, reputation management, executive positioning, and launches of funds/products/strategies, including in the B2B and financial advisory space.

Katrin earned an M.A. in Latin American & Caribbean Studies, with a concentration in Finance, from New York University. She holds an M.A. in technical translation from the Polytechnical College, Cologne (Germany) and a B.A. in mechanical/electrotechnical engineering and linguistics from the University of Hildesheim.

Adventurous and not afraid of heights, Katrin jumped from her balcony at the age of two. Luckily the bush caught her fall.

Rick Popko is an experienced enterprise B2B and consumer technology public relations and analyst relations professional with expertise in planning and implementing international programs, including communication plan development. Specialties include company/product launches, funding announcements, media strategy and training and special event planning. Rick brings more than 13 years of experience working with leading global organizations.

In his personal time, Rick likes to write, produce and direct independent horror/comedy movies. Two of his productions are currently available on Amazon.

Trevor is an enthusiastic public relations professional with prior experience within healthcare & non-profit PR. Always striving to be great, Trevor has a strong passion for the entire industry and the variety of avenues in it.

Although born and raised in Boston, Trevor is a life-long New York Yankees Fan.

As a financial media relations professional for two decades, Erin has helped clients gain visibility in national, financial and trade press, including The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, Bloomberg News, The New York Times, among many others. Erin’s expertise includes writing, media strategy and placement, research and group media events for public and private companies. In addition to her media relations expertise, Erin has over a decade of experience in investor relations, including work on initial public offerings, corporate reorganizations, shareholder communications and financial reporting for both U.S. and international companies.

Erin enjoys traveling internationally and has been to Beijing, Tokyo, Paris, Venice, Florence, Stockholm, among other places, but her absolute favorite city in the world is London.

Thomas has comprehensive financial communications experience working with alternative asset managers across a variety of asset classes to provide strategic counsel on their messaging, reputation management, media relations, thought leadership and LP communications initiatives. He has advised global clients on an array of proactive and reactive engagements including fund launches and capital raises, transactions, leadership changes, bankruptcies, shareholder activism and more. He holds dual bachelor’s degrees in economics and public relations from Pennsylvania State University.

Thomas studied fly fishing for two semesters at university. In his free time, he can often be found in the mountains or ocean with a fly rod in hand – otherwise he is playing double bogey golf or on his bicycle.

Ashley is a graduate from The City College of New York with a Bachelor of Arts in Media & Communication Arts, along with a minor in Psychology. She is experienced in supporting public relations/communications efforts across various sectors, including technology, health/lifestyle, and non-profit organizations.

Cindi has spent 25 years in public relations, helping startups and large multinational leaders in technology, healthcare, clean energy and business services build awareness, launch products, demonstrate leadership and manage business issues and crises, in and out of the media. Her work has led to positive public perception, improved company reputation, and increases to companies’ bottom line.

Cindi’s world travels almost always involve animals—most recently, she volunteered (and swam) with elephants in Thailand, engaged with kangaroos in Australia and sheep in New Zealand, and dug up hatchling sea turtles and helped them safely find their way into the waves in Costa Rica.

Alex has nearly a decade of experience running complex, multi-platform campaigns for a range of clients spanning financial services, technology, government and philanthropic sectors. Specialties include media strategy and training, crisis communications, message development and executive positioning programs.

Alex has dual citizenship in the U.S. and the U.K. and began his professional career writing for a magazine in a small town near London.

Patricia (Pat) Harden founded Harden Partners, a Stanton company, to help companies be heard, known and valued. Pat brings clients the benefits of a lifelong passion for communication and the desire to help organizations take their game to new levels. Under her leadership, Harden Partners has grown steadily from a one-person consultancy in her guest room to an award-winning, mid-sized agency serving the financial, healthcare and professional services sectors—and the amazing technologies that support them.

As the communications landscape shifts, Pat sees more and more opportunities for organizations to define themselves and increase their impact through both earned and owned media. Pat and her teams have landed clients on the front page of the Sunday NY Times Business section, network TV and on multiple online platforms. These integrated communications campaigns build reputation, drive awareness and can spark leads in consumer and B2B channels.

Prior to forming Harden Partners, Pat headed the SF office of Peppercomm and was VP at Gibbs and Soell, both independent, national PR firms. Her corporate career includes senior positions at Fidelity Investments and SunAmerica, as well as start-up OffRoad Capital. She has master’s degrees in English and Journalism from UCLA and an Executive MBA from the Haas School at UC Berkeley. A native of Chillicothe, Missouri, Pat has an undergraduate degree from Southern Methodist University.

An avid reader, theater-goer and traveler, Pat hikes most days in the East Bay hills with Lily, her border collie.

Kelly Holman is an experienced financial communications professional who provides media relations, strategic communications counsel and content development support to Stanton’s private capital and global private equity clients. While a PR professional these days, Kelly brings financial journalism experience to his role at the firm, having reported on private equity, mergers and acquisitions, leveraged finance and Wall Street for more than a decade.

While never having been to Brazil’s famous Carnival festivities, Kelly somehow learned to dance Brazilian Samba.

Meagan is a graduate of American University in Washington, DC, where she studied Public Relations and Political Science. Her background includes work in public relations, digital communication, government, and journalism.

Meagan loves languages and studied French for over ten years. She has also studied both Spanish and Italian, and would someday like to move overseas to develop her skills.

Mary is a communications professional with a diverse background in advertising, non-profit management, and digital marketing. Mary received a degree in Communication and Public Service and Administration from Villanova University, with a specialization in Public Relations and Advertising.

Mary grew up in Syracuse, New York She is excited to live and work in New York City and expand what it means to be a New Yorker.

Francesca has over five years of experience building, maintaining, and running successful digital marketing campaigns across the corporate communications, financial services and technology industries, bringing forth broad marketing knowledge to provide clients with detailed integrated marketing campaigns. Her expertise lies in creating and implementing client-centered, successful online and print marketing campaigns, aimed at improving brand awareness and online presence.

In college, Francesca studied and lived abroad in London and can’t wait for an opportunity to go back.

Will has several years of public relations experience representing clients in a variety of industries. His area of expertise is centered around cutting-edge technologies, including fintech, blockchain, and SaaS.

Will graduated from Marist College in 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History.

In his free time, Will enjoys playing music. He plays the Clarinet, Saxophone, and Piano and has performed at Carnegie Hall.

Quinn is a strategic communications professional with a background in the finance industry and state government. He graduated from the University of Delaware with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and International Relations.

Quinn was a volunteer firefighter for nine years in his hometown of Rehoboth Beach, DE before moving to New York City.

Anastasia has over seven years of public relations experience. Her key areas of expertise include media strategy and outreach, byline creation and identifying awards and speaking opportunities.

Anastasia grew up Irish dancing for nearly 10 years.

Michelle is a communications professional with experience across a variety of industries ranging from private equity to biotechnology and artificial intelligence. Her key areas of expertise include social media optimization, content marketing and client communications. Michelle graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with dual degrees in Communications and Public and Professional writing with a certificate in Digital Media.

Michelle has dual citizenship in the US and the EU and hopes to one day live abroad.

Frank brings nearly 20 years’ experience in public relations. He has managed and supported campaigns across a broad range of sectors including financial, technology, lifestyle, and non-profit organizations.

Prior to his career in public relations, Frank worked as a field reporter covering news and sports for KHSL-TV, a CBS affiliate in California.

Ann was a newspaper journalist in France, Canada and U.S.  As a public relations professional, she has worked with corporate clients in a variety of industries to create and strategically elevate client messages to top tier news status.

She interviewed Sean Connery and has played flamenco guitar.

Sneha is a strategic and perceptive communications professional with over five years of experience in supporting clients as a true partner in B2B and consumer-facing campaigns. Key areas of expertise include building and executing complex communications strategies, timelines and projects, garnering key coverage and handling social media for high-profile executives.

Sneha is trained in handwriting analysis and is very intrigued by the science of it.

Sarah is a public relations professional with over a year of full-time experience in the consumer lifestyle space. With a bachelor’s degree in communications and master’s degree in media management from Fordham University, Sarah is always looking for opportunities to expand her knowledge of the industry and sharpen her skills.

Sarah studied abroad in London during her junior year of college. During this time, she visited several new countries including Czechia, Denmark, France, Italy and Spain.

Alex is a marketing and communications specialist with nearly a decade of experience in multi-channel public relations and digital marketing campaigns for an international and domestic client base across a broad range of industries.

Prior to his agency work, Alex worked as a Coordinator for International Relations at City Hall in Saga City, Japan, where he promoted international relations and cross-cultural understanding.

Thomas joined Stanton PR after 15 years of financial journalism experience covering M&A, private equity and venture capital raises. He most recently did an eight-year stint covering the telecom, media, and technology sector for Mergermarket & Dealreporter, and has also written on aerospace & defense, manufacturing, transportation and heavy industry with work appearing in several other financial industry publishing outlets, including Forbes, The Deal, and Crain’s InvestmentNews. He holds a B.A. in History from Brooklyn College and an M.A. in Business Journalism from Baruch College, both of the City University of New York.

Thomas grew up in the outskirts of Brooklyn along New York’s Jamaica Bay, a mere 10 minutes from the Rockaways, giving him a lifelong love of the beach. He also interviewed Hilly Kristal, owner of the iconic NYC punk rock club CBGB on the Bowery in Manhattan while studying journalism.

Cooper Zajac is the Director of Digital Marketing and Communications at Stanton. He has a deep understanding of statistical analysis in relation to media and marketing campaigns, with seven years of B2B marketing, digital communications strategy, and graphic design experience across a wide array of industries. He’s worked with and led marketing campaigns for prominent brands including but not limited to Biogen, Boehringer Ingelheim, BRP, Assurant,  EIS Ltd., Bain Capital, among many others. Cooper graduated from the University of Chicago with dual degrees in political science and visual arts.

Cooper is an accomplished painter having his artwork displayed in multiple Chicago galleries and on the national mall in Washington D.C. when he was only in high school.