January 18, 2023 — Dentons Global Advisors, an elite multidisciplinary advisory firm, today announced John Capodanno, Chris Kettmann, Antonio Ortiz-Mena and Emma Walsh have joined as Partners. Mr. Capodanno is based in New York, Mr. Kettmann is based in Chicago, Dr. Ortiz-Mena is based in Washington, DC and Mexico City, and Ms. Walsh is based in London. These senior experts have decades of experience helping clients navigate high-stakes moments to manage risk and enhance C-suite objectives.
These appointments deepen Dentons Global Advisors’ expertise in healthcare and life sciences; crisis, issue and dispute management; capital markets advisory; as well as trade and economic affairs, reinforcing the firm’s ability to provide clients with comprehensive solutions amid the pressures of high-stakes business, law and geopolitics.
John Capodanno
Mr. Capodanno has spent 25 years advising healthcare and life science companies on communicating business strategy, driving valuation, and managing and mitigating issues. His extensive experience includes providing counsel to members of the C-suite and boards of directors as they navigate a complex and highly regulated landscape. Previously, he was President at Real Chemistry (formerly W2O Group) and prior to that he was Americas Head of Healthcare and Life Sciences for FTI Consulting. He will be working with Anthony Cino, Julie Cooper, Mehul Mehta and the firm’s health team on a global basis.
Chris Kettmann
Mr. Kettmann specializes in capital markets communications, including investor relations, transactions, new public listings (IPOs, SPACs and spinoffs) and shareholder activism. He has advised public and private companies on developing and executing comprehensive, strategic communications and engagement programs, incorporating in-depth research and analysis and a network of relationships built throughout his 20+ years in the financial communications industry. He joins from Lincoln Churchill Advisors, a Chicago-based strategic communications firm he co-founded focused on investor relations, transaction communications and media relations. Previously, Mr. Kettmann was a Managing Director at FTI Consulting where he primarily advised companies in the industrial, energy, consumer and technology industries.
Antonio Ortiz-Mena
Dr. Ortiz-Mena has 30 years of experience advising and supporting companies, governments and foundations on economics and geopolitics, international trade, and foreign investment issues across the Americas. Prior to his appointment, he was a Senior Vice President at Albright Stonebridge Group, a foundational partner of Dentons Global Advisors, where he assisted clients across the Americas on trade, market access and investment matters. Dr. Ortiz-Mena served as the Head of Economic Affairs at the Embassy of Mexico in the United States and has held multiple senior advisory roles in Mexican government, including the NAFTA Negotiation Office of the Ministry of Trade and Industrial Development, the Ministry of Fisheries and the Budget and Programming Ministry. He will be working with José Miguel Vivanco, Muni Jensen, Johanna Peters, James King and the broad team of experts in the Americas to advise organizations with bilateral interests across the region and globally.
Emma Walsh
Ms. Walsh helps leaders and their teams successfully navigate major company events, from complex financial situations, to crisis and issues management, litigation and internal change. She also brings significant experience in running multi-stakeholder campaigns, drawn from senior in-house and advisory roles. Ms. Walsh joins from Apple, where she worked on a range of corporate and financial communications activities across Europe. Previously, she spent over a decade in global advisory, at Milltown Partners and Brunswick Group, advising high growth companies, listed multinationals, as well as leading private organisations and high-profile individuals.
“2023 presents unique business and geopolitical risk, and we have hand-selected a team of experts to best advise our clients and prospects. These new partners have backgrounds that as well as strengthening our expertise will also contribute to our entrepreneurial and diverse culture as we continue to grow,” said Deborah Scott, Partner and Head of the EMEA Region at Dentons Global Advisors.
“Antonio, Emma, John and Chris strengthen Dentons Global Advisors’ 66-deep partner bench as clients continue to seek strategic advice navigating issues and opportunities with overlapping political, reputational, financial and legal implications,” added Adam Cubbage, Partner and Head of New York at Dentons Global Advisors.
About Dentons Global Advisors
Dentons Global Advisors is an expert-led advisory firm that provides integrated solutions for clients in an increasingly complex, regulated and interconnected business environment. Comprising Albright Stonebridge Group and a deep bench of communications, public affairs, government relations and strategy consultants, we help clients engage with governments and regulatory bodies, navigate public disclosures and transactions within the private and capital markets, and manage their reputations through critical moments of change, challenge or opportunity. Our relationship with Dentons, the world’s largest law firm, means clients can draw upon integrated legal expertise and strategic advisory services when and where they need them. To learn more, visit dentonsglobaladvisors.com.