Roger S. Pondel
Roger Pondel’s professional expertise focuses on developing investor relations and corporate communications strategies for publicly traded and privately owned companies in various sectors.
He has been the architect of pre-IPO prep and positioning programs; communications involving sensitive corporate – potentially news-generating – issues, including M&A, crises, litigation support and labor matters; and he serves as day-to-day IR and corporate PR counsel.
A Chicago native and forever Cubs fan, Roger has been at the helm of PondelWilkinson for more than two decades. He previously worked in C-suite communications roles for several large publicly traded corporations, and in his early career, was a reporter with the San Jose Mercury News.
Roger is a card-carrying member of the CFA Institute, the National Investor Relations Institute and the Public Relations Society of America. He also was a national board member of the Association for Corporate Growth but gave up that role in favor of having more time for playing congas and bongos and for photographing cool street art in cities around the world.
Roger earned a bachelor’s degree from the School of Journalism & Mass Communications at California State University-San Jose and received the prestigious national Pacemaker college journalism award, personally presented by late President Ronald Reagan. He is sometimes a comedic, but always cogent, guest speaker and panelist on IR and strategic PR issues.
Laurie Berman
Laurie Berman has counseled executive teams on positioning their companies to Wall Street for nearly 30 years. She has represented an extensive array of businesses, from pre-IPO to blue-chip, assisting on all facets of investor relations and corporate communications, including financial reporting; investor targeting, perceptions and expectations; valuation; disclosure, SEC rules and regulations; business media strategy; mergers and acquisitions; crisis and internal communications.
A native New Yorker, Laurie is one of a handful of investor relations practitioners who enjoys, and is expert, in message-crafting, writing and editing quarterly conference call scripts, special shareholder letters, news releases, annual reports and more, in addition to providing savvy advisory expertise.
Having joined PondelWilkinson in 2006, Laurie’s prior experience includes eight years in the New York and Los Angeles offices of the Financial Relations Board. She also was investor relations director of Overture, a high-profile publicly traded technology company that was acquired by Yahoo! Laurie knows the capital markets inside out. Before starting her investor relations career, she served in a variety of management positions with Institutional Investor magazine.
When not speaking with CEOs, CFOs and IROs about IR matters, she can be found sitting on her favorite chair – on the weekends, of course – watching her beloved New York and Los Angeles sports teams or with her rescue pup, an eight-year-old shih-tzu/poodle mix, on her lap.
Laurie earned a bachelor’s degree with honors in sociology from the State University of New York at Binghamton. She is a practicing member of the National Investor Relations Institute.
George Medici
A big idea thinker with “hands-on” experience implementing award-winning strategic PR campaigns, George Medici’s work reaches across multiple industry sectors and communications disciplines.
As an expert messaging strategist, George is adept at helping organizations from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies create, defend and reposition brands among various client constituencies, such as investors, strategic partners, b2b customers and consumers.
A savvy crisis communications counselor and excellent oral and written communicator, he also is a seasoned media and presentation coach, helping CEOs and senior executives master the art of the interview and presentations through immersive message delivery training.
George has a long-standing track record of successful executive, corporate and product visibility programs, leveraging the fusion of traditional and new media with SEO, ad buying and content-generation to achieve results and influence perception. Additionally, he has introduced new media channels to investor audiences, which includes producing, shooting and editing news-driven videos, leveraged across targeted marketing channels.
George also is an accomplished artist of contemporary works. His work Che Palle! marks his biggest artistic leap yet. The massive hanging sculpture, comprising 918 violet balls inside a clear plexiglass case, took nearly two years to complete. He dabbles in creative writing and has penned two plays, an animated sitcom, and developed two reality TV shows.
He previously served as director and vice president of national media business strategies at Porter Novelli in New York. George’s career also includes stints at Finn Partners, M Booth & Associates, KCSA Worldwide and New York City’s Office of the Mayor.
George earned a bachelor’s degree in communication arts from St. John’s University, with minors in journalism and television studies.
Judy Lin
A member of the PondelWilkinson team since 1997, Judy oversees the investor relations activities for a number of the firm’s long-time clients. She also serves in a managerial role, overseeing PondelWilkinson’s financial operations and human resources.
Judy leverages her extensive skill set in the areas of research and targeting, as well as liaison with the investment community, including sell-side analysts, portfolio managers and individual investors. Fluent in Mandarin, she also is active with the firm’s global clients.
Prior to joining PondelWilkinson, Judy was with Tarrant Apparel Group, a publicly traded company, where she worked closely in administrative capacities with the finance and investor relations departments. Prior to that, she held similar positions in the office of the president with Sharp Industries and Deerport, Inc., subsidiaries of Chinatrust Financial Holdings Co.
Judy earned a bachelor’s degree in graphic arts from New York City Technical College, with an emphasis in accounting, statistics and economics.
Gary Fishman
Gary M. Fishman is an investor and public relations consultant with significant experience helping publicly traded and privately held companies maximize opportunities and minimize challenges.
His expertise includes IPOs, turnarounds, equity and debt offerings, mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, crises and bankruptcies. He is known for creating Marvel’s comic book annual and quarterly reports, one of Wall Street’s most successful retail/institutional investor marketing campaigns.
Gary has been on the leading edge of IR technology, implementing X Spaces earnings calls, online/mobile annual reports, and video letters to shareholders, as well as converting IR documents to Workiva. He also has contributed articles to industry media outlets, guest lectured at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism Knight-Bagehot Fellowship, and helped produce books on high frequency trading, the Facebook IPO, and stock picking.
In 2025, Gary joined PondelWilkinson after serving as managing director of Anreder & Company, head of Publicis Group’s US Corporate and Investor Relations practice, and founder of the Hudson Stone IR and PR firm, which he later merged into Publicis.
A magna cum laude graduate from Boston University College of Communication, he holds a Bachelor of Science degree and completed post-graduate courses in financial and portfolio analysis at New York Institute of Finance.
His charitable efforts include BreastCancerFreebies.com, a directory of free resources for women with breast and other female cancers, founded by his wife Bethany Kandel. He also spent many years volunteering for the US Postal Service’s Operation Santa.
Todd Kehrli
Todd specializes in advising publicly traded and pre-public technology companies, offering strategic counsel, making lasting introductions and building strong relationships with investors and analysts.
As co-founder in 1999 of one of the nation’s premier investor relations firms, MKR Investor Relations, he brings clients a unique combination of legal expertise and deep investor relations insight, honed over more than two decades. Todd’s success and the long-term relationships he has established throughout the investment community and with clients set him apart in the field.
Prior to establishing MKR, Todd was a business litigation associate, representing financial institutions in complex matters. He also worked in the San Francisco office of national investor relations firm Morgen-Walke Associates, gaining valuable early-career experience in corporate communications and account management.
Todd earned his Juris Doctor from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, and holds a bachelor’s degree from San Diego State University. He remains an active member of the California State Bar.
On the weekends, Todd enjoys driving through his Southern California neighborhood in his 1966 Mustang convertible, top down, with his dog, Buster, happily by his side.
Jim Byers
Jim brings to the firm more than 25 years of experience in investor relations and in the financial markets. His many achievements include receiving the prestigious SABRE Award for excellence in investor relations program development.
Known for his strategic approach, Jim develops and executes programs that deliver measurable results. He counsels companies across multiple sectors, including healthcare, business services, technology, telecommunications and basic industries.
Jim’s career includes 18-years at MKR Investor Relations. He previously was a vice president for nearly a decade at Financial Dynamics, a global strategic business and financial communications consulting firm, where he provided counsel to companies navigating complex financial landscapes.
Early in his career, Jim was an institutional fixed-income executive at Rauscher Pierce Refsnes, now known as Dain Rauscher, and was a writer for Time magazine. Jim holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California, Davis.
Classic rock and jazz top Jim’s avid musical interests. He also likes hiking in nature and taking urban hikes in San Francisco, as well as seeking out new, adventurous culinary experiences.
Michael Wichman
Michael Wichman has more than 20 years of experience in strategic communications, investor relations and financial journalism. He has advised companies of all sizes and stages, and across multiple industries, positioning clients to tell their stories to investor and other audiences.
Prior to joining PondelWilkinson, he was a Director with Anreder & Company, where he focused on clients in consumer and institutional financial services; technology, media and communications; biotech and healthcare; and hospitality.
Previously, Michael was a principal of the DooleyWichman financial public relations firm, where he developed and implemented PR and marketing communications programs for asset managers, high net worth investment advisors, and start-ups.
At DooleyWichman, Michael represented victims of Bernie Madoff’s $64 billion securities fraud in their successful effort to lobby Congress to increase investor protection.
After earning his bachelor’s degree in history from University of Wisconsin-Madison, Michael began his career as a journalist reporting for Institutional Investor Newsletters and Bridge News, where he covered emerging online trading firms, corporate bond markets, and stock, options and futures exchanges.
Michael is a big fan of college and professional basketball. In addition, he enjoys cooking for his family. His Mediterranean recipes typically receive rave reviews.
Joy Scott
Joy Scott is the founder and CEO of Scott Public Relations, an award-winning boutique public relations agency, serving clients across the globe in the broad healthcare and insurance sectors.
A member of the PondelWilkinson team for more than two decades, Joy is driven by a passion to make a difference, as she strategically guides innovative, “best-of-breed” companies that are dedicated to helping improve lives.
Then, with insight and influence, they guide these organization to deliver maximum impact in their markets – driving sales, reputation, and growth with a blend of strategic thinking, relentless pursuit of results, and diplomacy.
Successful campaigns on behalf of established and emerging companies have led Joy to become a national leader serving the business-to-business communication needs of firms in insurance, healthcare and technology, from Fortune 500 firms to start-ups, for the past 25 years. Her innovative thinking and programs have helped organizations that range from managed care and hospital medicine to concierge medicine, the adoption of evidence-based medical guidelines and telemedicine.
A graduate of UCLA’s prestigious executive M.B.A. program, Joy combines her marketing skills with expertise in business and management to provide a strategic approach to programs that directly impact a company’s bottom line. In addition to the M.B.A., she also earned a master’s degree in psychology and a bachelor’s degree in English and history, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, at Arizona State University.
Joy is past president and board member of PRBI (Public Relations Boutiques International), an international network of boutique public relations agencies, and also serves on the Board of the Guardian Angel School. She has been active in a number of professional associations, including the Public Relations Society of America and its Counselors Academy, and has served on the Boards of the Arizona Society for Hospital Public Relations, CineWomen, and the Alumni Association of UCLA’s Executive M.B.A. program.
Natalie Mu
Natalie Mu brings a unique experience in client services to PondelWilkinson, having garnered a reputation for delivering exceptional, responsive service, and fostering enduring professional relationships.
Since joining the PondelWilkinson team in 2024, Natalie has been working closely with the firm’s core executive team to continually elevate and amplify the client experience.
Her role encompasses a wide range of responsibilities, from coordinating with news wire services, conducting thorough research, crafting insightful reports, and managing various administrative tasks.
Natalie began her professional career as a Client Services Administrator at Bonhams Fine Art Auctioneers and Valuers, where she worked closely with nearly 60 specialists, representing more than 30 collecting and investing categories. She then became the firm’s Head of Client Services.
Having earned a bachelor’s degree in media studies at the University of California, Berkeley, Natalie has found a home at PondelWilkinson. Outside of professional hours, Natalie can be found on the golf course, fine-tuning her game, or participating in amateur golf tournaments, following a successful college golf career, where she competed for the university’s Division 1 Women’s Gold Team.
Chris Casacchia
During his tenure as an editor at the Orange County Business Journal, Chris profiled some of the world’s most successful and influential executives, along with publicly traded and privately owned companies, while breaking global, national and regional news.
Before moving to California, he served as a staff writer at the Phoenix Business Journal, where he chronicled the subprime mortgage meltdown and global financial crises in one of the nation’s hardest hit markets.
Chris has worked with clients to create media strategies, brand and product messaging, case studies, investor blogs, product launch campaigns and other custom content for a wide variety of companies, from technology startups to established industry leaders.
When he’s not chasing down stories or helping PW clients punch up content, he’s likely tracking down the next live show to attend, particularly any iteration of the Grateful Dead or Phish (90 shows and counting).
The Chicago native grew up in an obsessive sports culture, so his love for the Bears, Sox, Bulls, Blackhawks, and to a lesser extent, the Cubbies, will not fade away. Chris is also a big craft beer guy and enjoys wine tasting in Santa Ynez Valley (of Sideways fame}, road trips along California’s coast and cooking for friends and family, particularly the comfort foods from his Italian and Puerto Rican roots.
Casacchia earned a master’s degree from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, where he also served as an adjunct professor.
Diego Lievanos
Diego Lievanos is an accomplished digital content strategist who has helped publicly traded and privately owned companies of all sizes and multiple sectors achieve impressive results online. With a proven track record in search marketing, social media and Web development, Diego possesses the skills and expertise necessary to help companies thrive in the digital world.
Diego’s approach to digital content strategy focuses on developing engaging and search engine optimized content that resonates with target audiences. By employing tested and proven methods, he helps drive meaningful engagement and build strong relationships with key target audiences.
In his spare time, Diego is committed to supporting non-profit organizations in his local community. He volunteers his expertise to help organizations develop effective digital communications strategies, with the goal of increasing awareness and driving donations for their important causes.
Diego’s passion for giving back to his community reflects his belief in the power of digital marketing to make a positive impact on people’s lives.
Mark Bilfield
Mark Bilfield has more than 30 years of corporate marketing and ad agency executive experience at TBWA\Chiat\Day and Saatchi & Saatchi. He is well respected for his innate business savvy, strategic acumen, integrated marketing programs, creative ability and most important, helping companies grow their revenue in a disciplined and measurable manner.
Most recently, he put his strategic marketing and management abilities to work for Public Storage as senior vice president, chief marketing officer. Throughout his career, he has led campaigns for Toyota Motor Sales, Procter & Gamble, Canon, Fuji, Pizza Hut, Nissan and others.
He is a strategic advisor to Kure it Cancer Research. Mark has served as the president and chairman of the LA Ad Agency Association and chair of the 4A’s West Coast Interactive Committee.
Mark earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from the New York Institute of Technology-Old Westbury.
