Kate advises financial sponsors including private equity firms and their portfolio companies, as well as alternative asset managers focused on private credit and real assets, on strategic communications across a broad range of situations. Her areas of expertise include:

Reputation Management

She counsels clients on strategically building and maintaining their profiles at the General Partner (GP) level by developing and highlighting key messages, identifying optimal approaches to media engagement, selectively participating in industry conferences and academic events, and managing the impact of regulatory scrutiny, misconduct allegations, management changes or performance challenges. Her current clients include AEA Investors, Apollo, Arcline, Ascendent Capital, Aurora Capital, Bernhard Capital, Blackstone, CC Capital, Cornell Capital, Crescent Point, L Catterton, Sole Source Capital, Tower Three Partners and Z Capital.

Portfolio Level Support

She also helps GPs capitalize on the developments at the portfolio level to generate positive coverage, mitigate negative news and ensure that broader GP messaging is underscored in all portfolio communications. She has advised on management changes, bolt-on acquisitions, targeted profile raising initiatives and helps manage responses to unforeseen events including litigation, workplace accidents, product recalls, environmental issues, workforce reductions or facility closures.

Mergers, Acquisitions and Exits

She supports financial sponsors in all aspects of deal activity. Recent assignments include advising L Catterton on its sale of CorePower Yoga to TSG Consumer and the firm’s investments in Hydrow and dentalcorp; CC Capital on its buyout of Dun & Bradstreet, as well as its acquisition, with Blackstone, of Fidelity, and its listing of Collier Creek;  Apollo’s Momentive on its sale to SJL Partners; PJT Partners on its acquisition of CamberView; Bernhard Capital’s Charah Solutions on its initial public offering;  Cornell Capital on its acquisitions of World Kitchen and Talcott Resolution from The Hartford; ClubCorp on its sale to Apollo; Kayne Anderson on its acquisition of KKR-backed Sentio Healthcare Properties; and EnCap on the sale of EagleClaw to Blackstone.

Fundraising and Investor Relations

She advises private equity and credit firms throughout the entire fundraising lifecycle from new strategy launches to ongoing marketing activities, interim capital raises and final fund closes. She also works closely with her clients to manage investor communications around unforeseen events at both the GP and portfolio level.

Kate joined Joele Frank in March 2017. She previously worked in Edelman’s Corporate and Public Affairs practice, where she counseled clients on communications in the financial services sector. She began her career as an investment banking analyst in the Global Industrials Group at Barclays, where she advised on transactions and capital raises. Kate received a BA in Economics from Colgate University, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude.