Owen Blicksilver has more than 35 years of experience in public relations.
Since founding Owen Blicksilver Public Relations, Inc. (OBPR) in 2001, he has built a highly regarded, independent, specialty practice firm that focuses on communications for private equity and real estate firms, financial institutions,
crises and special situations, as well as select investor relations assignments. OBPR has ranked among the top 10 U.S. M&A communications advisors for the past six years.
The firm currently represents approximately 25 private equity and related firms, including global funds, middle-market, venture capital and real estate funds, and advisory firms. OBPR serves as lead public relations counsel for TPG Capital, ACON Investments, Blue Wolf Capital Partners, Blum Capital Partners,Carmel Partners, Clearlake Capital Group, Colony Capital, Conduit Capital Partners, Gryphon Investors, Harvest Partners, Indigo Partners, Liquid Realty Partners, MTS Health Partners, Pharos Capital, Ranieri Partners, Rockwood Capital, The Halifax Group, Trimaran Capital Partners, and Vestar Capital Partners,among others. OBPR also oversees media communications for Brown Advisory, the investment advisory firm, Loughlin Management Partners + Co., a leading restructuring advisory firm, StepStone Group, the private equity advisor and Miramax, the worldwide film and television studio.
OBPR has managed communications for companies undergoing change or crisis, including significant bankruptcies in the airline and manufacturing industries. OBPR has also developed a strong practice handling communications issues for leading financial services firms, including First Republic, MBIA, Merrill Lynch, and ING Direct. In addition, OBPR has managed a broad range of special assignments, including representing the winning group during the bidding and purchasing of Major League Baseball's Washington Nationals.
The firm has worked on both sides of high-profile executive departures, and represented numerous private equity-related firms through conception, launch and image building across market conditions. OBPR also develops and implements branding and advertising campaigns, with services ranging from creative execution
to media buying.
Prior to forming OBPR, Mr. Blicksilver spent more than three years with Incepta, plc as a Principal in the Sard Verbinnen division and as Executive Vice President at Dewe Rogerson. Immediately prior to joining Incepta in 1998, Mr. Blicksilver served for more than 11 years as a founder, Managing Director and head of Principal Communications, a corporate and financial public relations agency that served as the corporate public relations subsidiary of GCI Group, a unit of Grey Advertising. At Principal, Mr. Blicksilver personally advised investors David Bonderman (TPG), Robert Bass, Tom Barrack (Colony Capital) and Arthur Solomon (Lazard Frères) as well as their investment partnerships. In the early '90s, he was involved in communications related to the recapitalization of Continental and America West Airlines, and in 1995 and 1999 he advised RJR Nabisco during its proxy fights. Mr. Blicksilver also served as public relations advisor to Aetna and was later brought in on a special basis to coach CEOs, including Bill Donaldson and Jack Rowe, for potentially contentious annual meetings.
Prior to founding Principal Communications in 1987, Mr. Blicksilver served for more than three years as a principal with Adams & Rinehart Inc., a corporate and financial public relations agency, where he managed the mortgage and real estate account for Lewis Ranieri at Salomon Brothers Inc. He also supervised Adams & Rinehart's Union Mutual Life Insurance Company (now UnumProvident) account, providing counsel on healthcare and financial issues, and ultimately, on the company's demutualization to a capital stock corporation.
Mr. Blicksilver's public relations career also includes account supervision positions at Burson-Marsteller and Anna M. Rosenberg Associates.
Mr. Blicksilver earned a B.A. in History from Brooklyn College and has taken graduate courses at the School of Business Administration at New York University.
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