Adam Pollack
Partner
Adam provides strategic counsel and communications support to Boards of Directors and management teams facing complex, high-profile corporate events. Over his 14 years with Joele Frank, he has advised companies in their engagement with, and proxy contests against, some of the most prominent activist investors. He has also worked alongside dozens of clients involved in both friendly and unsolicited M&A transactions – often from announcement through integration and beyond. In addition, Adam’s has supported the enhancement of IR/PR programs, and his crisis management experience touches a wide range of issues, including defense against short sellers, data breaches, changes in strategic direction and leadership changes.
Recent Highlights
Select Experience
Career at JF
Adam’s contributions, alongside other members of the firm, have enabled Joele Frank to consistently be #1 in U.S. M&A league tables among PR firms in number of deals and #1 among IR advisors in global shareholder activism defense.
Notable Public Activism Assignments
SpartanNash in its successful defense against Macellum and Ancora; Procter & Gamble in its proxy fight against Trian; DuPont on its successful proxy defense against Trian, AOL in its successful defense against Starboard; Bed Bath & Beyond (Legion, Macellum, Ancora); Herbalife (Pershing Square); Hertz (Carl Icahn); and Lowe’s (Bill Ackman and DE Shaw).
Notable M&A Transactions
Bristol Myers Squibb in its $74B acquisition of Celgene; Teladoc Health in its $19B acquisition of Livongo; Fiserv in its $22B merger with First Data; Agrium and PotashCorp in their $36B merger of equals; Norfolk Southern on its successful defense against Canadian Pacific; Time Warner on its successful hostile defense of 21st Century Fox; and US Airways on its $11B merger with American Airlines.
In Conversation
Personal Side
A father of three, Adam spends his free time coaching his kids’ baseball/softball and basketball teams. His first love is the Wisconsin Badgers, but he has recently adopted the UConn Huskies as a team for which he has a vested interest in their success. A proponent of employee development, Adam helped spearhead Joele Frank’s intern program, growing from 3 college students to 25+ prospective hires today.
In the News
Credentials
In 2018, Adam received a “Rising PR Star” award from PR News and in 2024 he received the 15th Annual Emerging Leaders Award from The M&A Advisor. Adam is also asked to speak on subjects of proxy contests, activism, and mergers and acquisitions. Recent speaking events include panelist at the Thomson Reuters Midwestern M&A and Private Equity Forum, and the DealFlow Activist Investor Conference. Adam joined Joele Frank in 2011. Previously he worked at KCSA Strategic Communications. He received a BBA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business.