Speaker

Lex Suvanto

Global Managing Director, Financial Communications, Edelman

Photograph of Lex Suvanto Lex Suvanto advises the senior management and boards of public companies on strategic communications including shareholder activism, investor relations, leadership transitions, transaction communications, and litigation and crisis communications.  Lex also leads Edelman’s global Financial Communications and Capital Markets practice.
 
Lex has helped a wide variety of companies manage communications around transformational and/or challenging corporate announcements and events.  Selected examples include:

  • Transactions: SAP/Qualtrics; Vantiv/WorldPay; Discovery Communications/Scripps; GE/LM Wind; Sun Products/Henkel; Boyd Gaming/Borgata/Aliante/Cannery; Allergan/Pfizer; Petco/CVC/CPPIB; General Atlantic various M&A transactions; PayPal various M&A transactions; Chambers Street/Gramercy Property; Alltech/Ridley; Exelis/Harris; Hanwha SolarOne/Q CELLS; Priceline/OpenTable; Outfront/VanWagner; Cooper/Apollo; ILG/Hyatt Residential Group; HBC/Saks; Walmart/Massmart (South Africa); CVS/Caremark; Comcast/NBC Universal; TicketMaster/Live Nation; Viacom/Dreamworks
  • Activism Defense: E.W. Scripps proxy fight against Gabelli; McKesson exempt proxy solicitation by the Teamsters and the IOA; Macquarie MKIF proxy fight against Platform Partners; Neiman Marcus against Marble Ridge; Boyd Gaming and Elliott Management; Ashford Prime proxy fight against Sessa Capital; Symantec activism defense preparation; CP’s attempted takeover of Norfolk Southern; Engine Capital and Tribune Publishing; Morgans Hotel Group multiple activism defense campaigns; and various behind-the-scenes corporate defense assignments against activists for companies in the technology, retail, gaming, industrial, media and hospitality industries.
  • Leadership Transitions: HP Chairman; Seaworld CEO; Mattel CEO; Equifax CEO; Priceline CEO; Shutterfly CEO; Wells Fargo CEO; Harvard Management Company CEO transitions; Boyd Gaming leadership transitions; GAP CEO and other leadership transitions; Nielsen CEO; CT Partners CEO; Choice Hotels CEO
  • IPOs/Spinoffs: Hudson Group IPO; Greensky IPO; PayPal spinoff from ebay; Outfront Media spinoff; Aramark’s IPO; IAC’s five-way spinoff; Discovery Communications IPO; Viacom/CBS split; Interval Leisure Group IPO; Blockbuster’s spinoff from Viacom
  • Litigation/Crisis: CBS Independent Directors of the Board litigation against NAI; Equifax data breach crisis; Wells Fargo ongoing crisis and regulatory issues; Viacom’s litigation related to its controlling shareholder; Patriach’s lawsuit against the SEC; Cooper Tire’s cross-border lawsuit with Apollo Tyre; DRW’s lawsuit with the CFTC; Martha Stewart Living’s lawsuit with Macy’s; Walmart’s FCPA investigation and Bangladesh issues; Viacom’s litigation against YouTube; Adobe’s dispute with Apple
  • Restructuring: HSS Staffing Solutions Chapter 11; BearingPoint Chapter 11/7; THQ’s Chapter 11/7; ION Media Chapter 11; Questex Media Chapter 11 and 363 sales; Crescent Resources Chapter 11
Prior to Edelman, Lex spent a decade working at Abernathy MacGregor, a leading strategic and financial communications firm.  Previously, Lex worked for Havas (a global advertising conglomerate) in strategy and client service roles in Paris, London and New York.  Prior to graduate school, Lex worked for Hearst Magazines in their new magazine development group.  Lex has an honors degree in Economics from Harvard College and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.