Jonathan Keehner
Partner, Head of Financial Sponsors
For more than a decade, Jon has led Joele Frank’s Financial Sponsors practice (JFFS), where clients range from the largest, diversified alternative asset managers to leading middle-market and newly established or spun-out firms. A former journalist who began his career in investment banking, Jon leverages his professional experience in both media and finance to advise clients on PR and IR, investment activity, fundraising, regulatory or portfolio issues, shareholder activism and other special situations. Jon brings specialized expertise, deep institutional knowledge and an extensive network to addressing communications objectives across the private capital industry.
Recent Highlights
Select Experience
Financial Sponsors
As the head of JFFS, Jon advises leading sponsors on strategic communications across the general partner, investor, transactional and portfolio levels. Current clients include AEA, Apollo, Ares, Arcline, B Capital, Blackstone, CC Capital, Cerberus, Cinven, DigitalBridge, Duration Capital, Everview Partners, GIC, H.I.G., Kayne Anderson, KSL, L Catterton, LGP Capital Partners, Platinum Equity, Quantum, Roark and Rockpoint.
Fundraising
Jon has extensive experience advising sponsors throughout the fundraising lifecycle –from pre-marketing to navigating the raise itself, announcing a final close and setting the stage for the next raise – often across concurrent strategies. In this capacity, he works closely with internal and external advisors to ensure optimal market positioning, regulatory compliance and effective investor communications in a competitive fundraising environment.
Portfolio and Crisis Communications
Jon works closely with sponsors to develop portfolio-level communication strategies that take a dual approach of amplifying positive developments while buffering the GP from potentially adverse events. He regularly counsels sponsors and portfolio companies on transformative developments – such as a public listing, sale process, restructuring, leadership transition or reduction-in-force. He additionally has extensive experience advising both sponsors and portfolio companies on a range of crisis situations including litigation, misconduct allegations, regulatory actions, workplace accidents or catastrophes, data breaches and cyber attacks.
Real Assets
Having covered real estate as a journalist, worked in real estate investment banking and spoken at industry events such as Nareit, Jon advises REITs, lenders, sponsors and operators in real estate, gaming and infrastructure.
M&A
Assignments include advising Apollo on its acquisitions of Barnes Group, Landsea, Univar, Atlas Air, Atlas SP, Tenneco, Athene, Yahoo and the mergers of New Era with ’47 and IGT Gaming with Everi; Blackstone on its acquisitions of TaskUs, AIR Communities, Village Hotels, Tricon, Bluerock, Simply Self Storage, HPA and QTS; CC Capital on its investments in Insignia, ReserveOne, Getty Images as well as Westaim and Arena; DigitalBridge on its acquisitions of Yondr, Databank, GD Towers and Zayo; Eastdil, in partnership with Temasek and Guggenheim, on its management-led buyout; GIC on its acquisitions of InterRent, STORE and Summit; Kayne Anderson on its acquisition of the Synovus Bank portfolio; KSL on its investments in Flexjet, Hersha and sale of Village Hotels; PJT on its acquisition of deNovo Partners, Camberview and merger with Blackstone’s advisory business; Roark on its acquisitions of GPRS and Subway; Quantum on its acquisition of Caerus and Congentrix as well as the sale of Rockcliff and Repsol.
In Conversation
How has the financial sponsors practice evolved over the years?
At its core, Joele Frank’s Financial Sponsors practice today is quite similar to how the team was originally envisioned more than a decade ago: a dedicated group embedded and integrated within a highly influential, independent strategic communications firm. This unique structure positioned JFFS as an early mover in developing specialized expertise in the growing private capital sector while allowing the team to leverage the resources, connectivity and culture that are the hallmark of Joele Frank. That said, as our clients have grown, of course we have grown alongside them. But as part of an independent and partner-owned agency, we’ve grown prudently and strategically – prioritizing our team’s ability to provide tailored and accountable client service above accumulating clients or chasing revenue. At the end of day, we are proud of being strategists – not publicists – who avoid the pitfalls of ‘bait and switch’ engagements or generic, off-the-shelf counsel.
How has your background in journalism impacted advising clients today?
For my last job in journalism, I led restructuring coverage at Bloomberg through the Global Financial Crisis – which required close collaboration across reporting teams, bureaus around the world and mediums such as broadcast, magazine and breaking news desks. Prior to that, I had the privilege of being published in a variety of outlets including The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Institutional Investor, Investments & Pensions Europe and Newsweek. Working across these organizations, mediums and coverage areas gave me a lasting appreciation for the editorial process as well as the dynamic pace of change impacting the gathering and dissemination of news. In my current role, this experience has allowed me to foster constructive relationships between clients and the media while engaging effectively and efficiently with a wide range of journalists. These longstanding relationships give us a unique level of insight and perspective on the ever-changing media landscape.
How has the financial sponsors practice evolved over the years?
At its core, Joele Frank’s Financial Sponsors practice today is quite similar to how the team was originally envisioned more than a decade ago: a dedicated group embedded and integrated within a highly influential, independent strategic communications firm. This unique structure positioned JFFS as an early mover in developing specialized expertise in the growing private capital sector while allowing the team to leverage the resources, connectivity and culture that are the hallmark of Joele Frank. That said, as our clients have grown, of course we have grown alongside them. But as part of an independent and partner-owned agency, we’ve grown prudently and strategically – prioritizing our team’s ability to provide tailored and accountable client service above accumulating clients or chasing revenue. At the end of day, we are proud of being strategists – not publicists – who avoid the pitfalls of ‘bait and switch’ engagements or generic, off-the-shelf counsel.
How has your background in journalism impacted advising clients today?
For my last job in journalism, I led restructuring coverage at Bloomberg through the Global Financial Crisis – which required close collaboration across reporting teams, bureaus around the world and mediums such as broadcast, magazine and breaking news desks. Prior to that, I had the privilege of being published in a variety of outlets including The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Institutional Investor, Investments & Pensions Europe and Newsweek. Working across these organizations, mediums and coverage areas gave me a lasting appreciation for the editorial process as well as the dynamic pace of change impacting the gathering and dissemination of news. In my current role, this experience has allowed me to foster constructive relationships between clients and the media while engaging effectively and efficiently with a wide range of journalists. These longstanding relationships give us a unique level of insight and perspective on the ever-changing media landscape.
Personal Side
In the News
Credentials
Jon received a BA in political science from Columbia University and an MA in journalism from NYU, where he graduated from the Business & Economic Reporting program with a merit scholarship. He began his career in investment banking at Credit Suisse / DLJ and subsequently worked as a journalist at Bloomberg, where he led restructuring coverage during the Global Financial Crisis, regularly going on-air for BTV, contributing features for Businessweek magazine and moderating conferences globally.