Haven Tower Group Continues Expansion of Senior Professionals Team with Addition of Brandon Blackwell
Nov 30
Newly Named Principal Joins Seattle Office of Leading Wealth Management Strategic Communications Agency as Firm Celebrates 12th Anniversary
LOS ANGELES – Nov. 30, 2023 – Haven Tower Group LLC ("Haven Tower" or “the firm”), the leading strategic communications agency for the wealth management industry, today announced an expansion of its senior professional team with the addition of Brandon Blackwell as a Principal of the firm.
Mr. Blackwell will report to Michael Dugan, the firm’s President & Managing Partner. He will focus on managing client relationships, media relations and developing communications strategies.
A multiple award-winning and full-service agency, Haven Tower delivers public relations, marketing communications and brand strategy to wealth management enterprises nationwide and the businesses that support them.
Expansion of Senior Team Underscores Commitment to Clients
“We’re delighted to welcome Brandon,” said Joe Kuo, CEO & Founder of Haven Tower. “He is an accomplished communications strategist with two decades of relevant experience, both as a journalist and at the agency level. His addition reflects our ongoing growth and commitment to bringing aboard highly experienced professionals who embrace our culture of teamwork and collaboration, which forms the foundation of our client-service model.
Mr. Kuo continued, “Equally important, Brandon understands the wealth management industry and has an ideal combination of skills to generate significant results for our clients as part of a seamless and high-touch service experience. This expansion of our team further reinforces our firm’s longstanding emphasis on providing constant client access to senior talent who can hit the ground running and add value rapidly upon engagement.”
Seasoned Communications Expert with Two Decades of Experience
During his career as a PR professional, Mr. Blackwell has developed and executed strategic brand elevation campaigns for B2B technology clients, as well as companies operating in heavily regulated sectors like education and healthcare. Previously, he was a Senior Director at Havas Formula, a San Diego-based PR agency, and at Walker Sands, an integrated marketing agency.
As a journalist, Mr. Blackwell reported on crime, politics and public safety for The Plain Dealer and Cleveland.com in Cleveland. He is also a decorated military veteran, having served as a public affairs specialist in the U.S. Coast Guard. During his time in the service, he provided crisis communications during multiple major disasters.
“I could not be happier to welcome Brandon to our growing team,” Mr. Dugan said. “Attracting professionals of his caliber is not only a testament to our growth but a reflection of our willingness to invest in the talent and resources necessary to drive success for our clients.”
Mr. Dugan continued, “Over the last few years, everyone at the firm has learned the value of respect, dependability and working in harmony with one another. That’s why we are so conscientious about who we hire and, importantly, who we retain. Indeed, bringing aboard and keeping team-oriented senior talent has been central to our recent success, helping to explain why the firm’s sky-high client and employee-retention rates mirror one another so closely.”
Firm Celebrates 12 Years of Success
The recent hire of Mr. Blackwell coincides with Haven Tower’s 12th-anniversary celebration. Mr. Kuo launched the firm in late 2011 after serving as Senior Vice President and Head of Public Relations at LPL Financial. While there, he built and led the company’s PR function as well as the media relations strategy surrounding its successful IPO on the Nasdaq in 2010.
Previously, Mr. Kuo was an equity Partner with Kekst & Company (now Kekst CNC), where he crafted visibility campaigns for multiple wealth management and asset management enterprises and advised on scores of transactional and special situations.
The firm’s first employee was David Kronfeld, a fellow former Partner at Kekst who now serves as a Partner Emeritus at Haven Tower. Mr. Dugan joined the firm in 2012. Over the years, he held many roles before being named President & Managing Partner in the fourth quarter of 2021.
Larry Roth, Chairman of the Board of Advisors of Haven Tower Group and Managing Partner of RLR Strategic Partners, a private investment and M&A advisory firm, said, “I’ve had the privilege over the last 12 years of watching Haven Tower grow into the top strategic communications agency in the wealth management space.”
“Having been a client and industry partner for many years before joining its advisory board in 2017, I can speak from experience about the unparalleled quality of the firm’s strategic guidance and its impeccable attention to detail. As Haven Tower's leadership implements the next stage of its strategic growth vision, I’m excited about all we can accomplish in 2024 and beyond.”
About Haven Tower Group LLC
Based in Los Angeles, Haven Tower Group LLC is an award-winning and full-service strategic communications agency that delivers public relations, marketing communications and brand strategy to wealth management, wealthtech, asset management and insurance clients.
Haven Tower's team of professionals develops and executes ongoing brand elevation and public visibility campaigns, as well as positioning and communications programs for transactional, regulatory, crisis and other special situations on behalf of the firm's clients across the country. For more information, please visit www.haventower.com.
Media Contacts:
Lorene Yue or Mitch Manning
Haven Tower Group
424 317 4854 or 424 317 4858
lyue@haventower.com or mmanning@haventower.com