Evan Nierman

Red Banyan

Red Banyan is a strategic communications firm specializing in public relations, crisis management and marketing.  Red Banyan Group combines creative thinking, steady judgment shaped by experience and a relentless commitment to achieving results for its clients.  Red Banyan offers a wide array of services, including: media relations, crisis management, marketing, corporate communications, litigation support, social and digital media, copywriting and editing and media training.

Founder and CEO

Entrepreneurs'​ Organization

Entrepreneurs Organization (EO) Member 

Green Bullion Financial Services

Director of Public Relations

Saylor Company

Principal

AIPAC

Editorial Director and Executive Editor of Near East Report

Communications Associate and Managing Editor of Near East Report

Communications Assistant

Founder & CEO, Red Banyan PR | Author of Top-Rated Newsletter on Communications Best Practices

My team and I are focusing on STRATEGY and RESULTS. I lead an international PR and crisis management firm that exists to press the truth.  We empower clients to achieve business goals using strategic communications. We specialize in crisis management, high-stakes PR, and complex assignments requiring creative thinking, steady judgment shaped by experience and a relentless commitment to exceeding expectations.

Red Banyan Group is a strategic communications firm specializing in public relations, crisis management and marketing.  Red Banyan Group combines creative thinking, steady judgment shaped by experience and a relentless commitment to achieving results for its clients.  Red Banyan offers a wide array of services, including: media relations, crisis management, marketing, corporate communications, litigation support, social and digital media, copywriting and editing and media training.

Titles change. Companies reorganize. Projects end.
But your mission is what stays.

I see this every day in crisis PR.

People who attach themselves to roles, personalities, or status lose direction the moment pressure rises.

People who attach themselves to a mission stay steady even when the narrative falls apart.

In high-pressure situations the difference is striking:

a.) Leaders who cling to titles look for protection.
b.) Leaders who cling to purpose create solutions.

When a leader centers their compass on a goal instead of ego, the team immediately knows how to respond under pressure.

This shapes reputation from the inside long before the outside world sees it.

If you want stability in difficult moments, start here:

Anchor yourself to values, not positions.

Positions shift. Integrity remains.

Focus on mission, not personalities.

Preferences crack under pressure. 

Mission keeps direction.

Build a culture where purpose leads and titles follow.

This creates a team that holds together even when the silence gets uncomfortable.

In crisis PR, purpose is the most reliable navigation tool.

Reputation begins at the point where you choose to attach yourself.

Follow Evan Nierman for insights on crisis PR, leadership under pressure, and reputation management.

A reality check for any leader: 
Your crisis plan is only as strong as the person who goes first.

Most teams assume a crisis will activate responsibility automatically.

They think the plan will guide everyone.

They expect people to step in at the right moment.

But crises do not work that way.

The real breakdown happens when every person waits for a signal that never comes.

Hesitation does more damage than the crisis itself.

A crisis-ready team runs on four behaviors:

1. Awareness → People notice early signs instead of assuming “it will pass.”
Awareness stops problems before they spread.

2. Initiative → Someone steps forward even if it is not part of their role.
Initiative prevents escalation.

3. Communication → Information moves quickly and clearly.
No gaps, no guessing, no confusion.

4. Follow-through → What starts gets finished.
No loose ends for the public to fill with their own narrative.

Without these behaviors, plans stay on paper and the crisis gains control.

With them, the team acts with clarity and the situation stabilizes before it spirals.

Follow for weekly insights on crisis leadership and responsible communication.

In every crisis, the same problem appears:
everyone waits for someone else.

Most crises don’t escalate because of external pressure.

They escalate because of internal silence.

In organizations without a clear chain of responsibility, the same pattern emerges: everyone assumes it’s “someone else’s job.”

And while that pause drags on, the internet becomes the spokesperson.

A vacuum in a crisis never stays empty.

If you don’t fill it, the narrative will.

Leadership in a crisis isn’t delegation.

Leadership means the first sentence, the first move, and the first signal come from you not from the chaos around you.

The most dangerous phrase in crisis PR is: “I assumed.”

When a crisis hits, it must be unmistakably clear who speaks, who leads, and who owns the response because while the team hesitates, the reputation burns.

Follow for weekly insights on crisis PR and reputation management.

Reputation is what people believe about you. 
Character is who you are when no one is watching.

You can shape reputation.

You choose your message, control the narrative, and manage how you appear in public.

Character is different.

It is built in the unseen moments.

In choices that cost you something.

In how you treat people who cannot offer you anything in return.

Here is the truth many leaders learn late:

Reputation without character looks strong until pressure hits. 

Then it collapses.

Reputation is external. 

Character is internal.

When they do not align, that gap becomes the crisis.

You can polish reputation.

You cannot fake character.

People may believe the image for a while.

But character shows itself over time in patterns and consistency.

Character is what survives the crisis.

If it is real, you rebuild.

If it is not, everything falls apart.

Leaders who last are not the ones with the best PR.

They are the ones whose private behavior matches their public words.

Reputation may open the door.

Character is what keeps you in the room.

Follow Evan Nierman for weekly insights on leadership, integrity and what endures.

The way you treat people when no one’s watching
says more about your leadership than any title ever could.

I’ve seen this in boardrooms, startups, and crisis situations.

The leaders who earn trust under pressure are the ones who lead with respect, not authority.

Reputation doesn’t begin with public perception.

It begins in private moments how you speak to assistants, interns, or colleagues when stress peaks.

Those quiet interactions shape culture. 

And culture shapes how your organization responds when challenges appear.

If you want lasting trust, start here:

1.) Respect without hierarchy.
People notice how you treat those who can’t advance your career. Respect creates loyalty that outlasts titles.

2.) Listen before reacting.
When pressure rises, the instinct is to speak first. Listening shows discipline — and builds confidence in your judgment.

3.)Treat every role as essential.
No crisis is solved alone. When people feel valued, they take ownership — and that’s where real resilience begins.

Leading with title earns compliance.

Leading with respect earns commitment.

Reputation is built on how people feel in your presence, not on your résumé.

Follow for weekly insights on leadership, crisis PR, and reputation management.

A client once told me: "I don't want to apologize. I want to win."
That's when I knew we had a problem.

He was furious.

The media was running a story he believed was unfair.

The facts, in his view, were being twisted.

And his instinct was to fight back. Publicly. Loudly.

To "set the record straight."

To win.

I understood the impulse.

When you're being criticized—fairly or not—the natural reaction is to defend yourself.

To prove you're right.

To make everyone see your side.

But here's what I told him:
"You can win the argument and lose everything else."

Because in a crisis, winning isn't about being right.

It's about being trusted.

And trust doesn't come from fighting.

It comes from how you show up when things go wrong.

Here's what happens when ego drives crisis response:

You focus on being right instead of being heard. 

People don't care about your ten-point rebuttal. 

They care whether you understand their concern.

You turn critics into enemies. 

When you fight back, you escalate. 

And escalation rarely ends in your favor.

You lose the people in the middle. 

The ones who were willing to listen? 

They stop listening when you start swinging.

The conversation I had with that client wasn't easy.

But eventually, he understood:

The goal isn't to win.
It's to resolve.

To move through the crisis with your reputation intact.

To show humility when humility is called for—and strength when strength is needed.

We didn't issue a combative statement.

We acknowledged the concern. 

Clarified the facts calmly. 

Focused on what we were doing moving forward.

No victory lap. No "gotcha" moment.

Just accountability and action.

The story faded.

The relationship with his stakeholders held.

And he learned something more valuable than winning an argument:
In crisis, ego is a liability.

Strategy is what saves you.

Follow for weekly insights on strategy and leadership under pressure.

The verdict doesn't matter if you've already lost in the court of public opinion. Litigation PR has changed.

It used to be simple: Don't comment on pending litigation. 

Let the lawyers handle it. 

Stay quiet until the judge rules.

That strategy doesn't work anymore.

Because while your legal team is preparing motions, the other side is shaping the narrative on social media, cable news, and in the press.

And by the time the case settles or goes to trial, public perception is already locked in.

Here's what's different now:

The court of public opinion moves faster than the courtroom.

A lawsuit gets filed. 

Within hours, it's trending.

You can't wait 18 months for discovery to tell your side of the story.

The damage is happening now.

Silence reads as guilt.

"No comment" used to be safe.

Now it looks like evasion.

If you're not telling your story, someone else will and their version will stick.

Juries Google.

Even when judges instruct them not to, jurors search for information.

What they find online influences how they interpret the evidence in court.
Settlements don't erase headlines.

You can settle the case. 

You can't settle the reputation damage.

If the narrative is "they did something wrong and paid to make it go away," that story lives forever.

What effective litigation PR looks like today:

1. Legal and PR working together from day one. Not as adversaries. As partners with a shared goal: protect the client.

2. Proactive messaging that tells your side without compromising the case. You can communicate strategically while respecting legal boundaries.

3. Stakeholder management beyond the courtroom. Employees. Investors. Customers. They're making decisions now based on what they see—not waiting for a verdict.

4. Digital reputation management. Ensuring your narrative isn't buried by the opposition's spin.

The goal isn't to win the PR battle and lose the legal one.

It's to protect your reputation while you fight the case—so when it's over, you still have a business to run.

Litigation PR isn't optional anymore.

It's essential.

Because even if you win in court, losing in public can cost you everything.

Follow for weekly insights on litigation communications and reputation protection.

If you're delivering bad news over email, you've already lost the relationship.
I see it all the time.

The termination notice sent at 5 PM on a Friday.

The policy change buried in a mass email.

The apology that reads like it was drafted by legal and approved by no one with a pulse.

Leaders hide behind screens when things get hard.

And it always backfires.

Because bad news delivered without presence feels like cowardice.

And cowardice destroys trust faster than the bad news itself.

Here's why email fails in crisis:

1.) It removes accountability. You can't see the person's reaction. 

You can't answer their questions. 

You can't adjust based on how they're receiving it.

You just send it—and hope it lands okay.

2.) It feels transactional. Email says: "This is a task I needed to complete."

A conversation says: "This matters enough for me to show up."

3.) Tone gets lost. What you meant as direct reads as cold. 

What you meant as professional reads as detached.

And in a crisis, tone is everything.

4.) It invites misinterpretation. People fill in the gaps. 

They read between the lines. They assume the worst.

Because when you're not there to clarify, they're left to imagine your intent.

The hard conversations—the ones that matter most—deserve your presence.

Not your inbox.

That means:

→ A phone call when you can't be there in person.
→ A video meeting when you need to see their face.
→ A real conversation—not a one-way broadcast.

Yes, it's uncomfortable.

Yes, it takes more time.

Yes, it's harder than hitting "send."

But leadership isn't about efficiency.

It's about integrity.

And integrity shows up.

Even when—especially when—the news is bad.

Follow for weekly insights on communication, presence, and leadership.

Five words that never work in a crisis:
"It was just a joke."

I’ve heard this defense after an offensive tweet, a tone-deaf comment, or a video that “wasn’t meant seriously.”

Every time, it makes things worse.

Intent doesn't matter. Impact does.

You may have meant it as humor, but if it landed as hurtful or dismissive, that is what counts.

Explaining your intent doesn't erase the impact. 

It only sounds like avoiding accountability.

Humor doesn't land the same for everyone.

What is funny to you may be insulting to someone else.

Sarcasm gets lost. Tone gets misread.

And you do not get to control how people receive it.

"Just joking" sounds like minimizing.

People hear:

"You're overreacting."
"You're too sensitive."
"I'm not responsible."

That never ends well.

The internet doesn't care about your intentions.

A joke that fails in a room is awkward.

A joke that fails online is permanent.

Screenshots keep the words, not the tone.

What to do instead:

Own the impact.

"I meant it as humor, but I see how it landed, and I'm sorry."

Skip the justification.

Don't explain why they shouldn't be offended. 

Acknowledge that they are.

Know your audience.

Not every joke fits every context.

The best communicators understand this:

You don’t decide how your words are received.

You only decide whether you'll stand by them or own the mistake.

Follow for weekly insights on communication, accountability, and reputation.

Microsoft just bought a 27% stake in OpenAI.
On paper, it's a business deal. In reality,

it's a power shift that changes everything about who controls the future of AI.

And most people aren't paying attention.

Here's what just happened:

OpenAI—the company that gave us ChatGPT—was structured as a nonprofit with a mission: develop AI that benefits humanity, not shareholders.

Now it's becoming a public benefit corporation.

With Microsoft holding significant equity.

Translation: the guardrails just got weaker.

And the profit motive just got stronger.

This isn't just a tech story.

It's a reputation and accountability story.

Because when innovation moves faster than regulation, trust becomes the only thing holding the system together.

And trust is fragile.

Here's what this deal reveals:

Power and accountability are diverging.

Microsoft gains influence. OpenAI gains capital.

But who's accountable when something goes wrong?

When AI makes a harmful decision, who answers for it—the nonprofit mission or the corporate investor?

The structure just got more complicated. And complexity is where accountability dies.

The narrative is shifting before the public realizes it.

Most people still think of OpenAI as the "good guys" in AI development.

Independent. Mission-driven. Different from Big Tech.

But this deal quietly erodes that distinction.

And once the public catches on, the backlash will be swift.

Innovation is outpacing oversight.

AI development is moving at a pace regulators can't match.

New models. New capabilities. New risks.

And the companies building it are writing their own rules—because no one else can keep up.

That's a reputation time bomb.

Three lessons for communicators navigating the AI era:

1.) Transparency isn't optional anymore.
The days of "move fast and explain later" are over.

If your company is pushing boundaries in AI, you need to communicate what you're doing, why, and who's accountable—before someone else defines it for you.

2.) Mission statements won't protect you.

Saying you're committed to safety and ethics doesn't mean anything if your structure prioritizes profit.

The public is learning to look past the messaging and examine the incentives.

3.) One misstep reshapes trust overnight.

AI mistakes don't just hurt your brand. They reshape public perception of the entire industry.

When trust is the only thing preventing regulation or backlash, you can't afford to get it wrong.

This deal is a signal.

The AI race is accelerating.

And the companies that win won't just be the most innovative.

They'll be the ones who figured out how to build trust while everyone else was just building technology.

Follow for weekly insights on crisis management in the age of rapid innovation.

The video went viral within hours.



Erratic driving. Swerving across lanes. 

Tailgating. Confused explanations.

Britney Spears is struggling and the people who should be protecting her brand either can't reach her, or aren't there.

This is what happens when crisis management fails before the cameras start rolling.

Her family, once accused of micromanaging under conservatorship, is now reportedly uninvolved. She's entirely on her own.

That absence is a brand liability playing out in real time.

For public figures, a functioning support system is essential reputation management. Without close advisors and a competent crisis team, minor incidents escalate into viral PR disasters.

What every crisis team should learn:

1. Act before the cameras roll.

Warning signs were there—erratic posts, fractured relationships, behavioral shifts insiders likely noticed months ago.

Waiting until damage goes viral is a fatal mistake.

2. Build a network, not an audience.

Fans aren't advisors. Real stability comes from legal, emotional, and strategic professionals who can say "no."

If no one in the inner circle has that role, the inner circle is the problem.

3. Control the narrative—or be controlled by it.

Her Instagram follow-up was confusing, rambling, unsupervised. It made things worse.

Messaging needs to be intentional. Not every thought belongs online.

4. Understand the cost of visibility.

Britney Spears is a brand with cultural equity, legacy value, and commercial interest.

When celebrities become unstable in public, they jeopardize the long-term viability of their brand.

5. Have a comeback plan before the crisis hits.

Image rehabilitation must begin in calm moments, not after public collapse.

The Reality:

Once the video goes viral, you're not managing a crisis.

You're managing the aftermath of one that's been building for months.

When public figures lack a clear PR strategy, one misstep becomes an irreversible spiral.

Public life offers rewards, but also risk.

When the spotlight turns toxic, survival depends on having the right people, the right plan, and the ability to act fast.

Because if you don't manage your reputation, someone else will.

Follow for weekly insights on crisis intervention and reputation protection.

The House passing the Epstein files bill 427 to 1 is not the headline.
The real headline is what happens next.

Many people assume the release will simply reveal names and fuel public outrage.

They think the narrative will unfold on its own, driven by the documents alone.

It won’t.

The truth is that the decisive moments will unfold in the first 24 to 48 hours.
 
That is when teams move, stories shift and reputations are either protected or permanently damaged.

Here is the pattern that crisis professionals recognize immediately:

• rapid distancing from implicated networks
• controlled statements designed to anchor early perception
• coordinated messaging to shape how the public interprets new information
• quiet legal positioning before narratives harden

With preparation, reputations can be stabilized.
 
Without it, the public forms conclusions that become nearly impossible to reverse.

For a fuller breakdown of what the next phase will look like, see my crisis communications analysis on CBS LA:

https://lnkd.in/eNcjD88i

Excited to be a guest speaker at Broward College today. Sponsored by Kappa Delta Pi, the international honor society in education, this event highlights the importance of kindness in our lives and the impact each of us can make. #guestspeaker #browardcollege #education #kindnessmatters #leadership

Red Banyan has once again been named an Inc. Magazine Power Partner—recognized back-to-back as one of the top B2B firms in public relations. PROUD of the work we do, the IMPACT we create, and the TEAM that makes it happen. Grateful to the leaders who count on us when the stakes are highest. Recognition like this is earned by showing up, staying sharp, and delivering when it matters most.
#IncPowerPartners #RedBanyan #Leadership #CrisisPR #ReputationMatters

Open article: Red Banyan Named 2025 Inc. Power Partner | Red Banyan by redbanyan.com

Red Banyan Named 2025 Inc. Power Partner | Red Banyan

Even the most successful entrepreneurs have blind spots. 
I wrote this piece for Entrepreneurs'​ Organization's Inc. Magazine channel after seeing how often leaders overlook issues that quietly grow beneath the surface—especially when things are going well. Big takeaway? Success doesn’t erase your weaknesses. It often hides them. Staying aware is what separates leaders who grow from leaders who stall. 
Read the full article here:
https://lnkd.in/ei3ysW-x
#Leadership #Entrepreneurship #Growth #ReputationMatters

Open article: 5 Blind Spots That Sneak Up on Successful Entrepreneurs by inc.com

5 Blind Spots That Sneak Up on Successful Entrepreneurs

It’s not every day your work helps put a client in the dictionary. 
But that’s exactly what Red Banyan did.

Through focused media relations and strategic advocacy, our client’s insights were quoted by Merriam-Webster and cemented into the official definition of “radicalism.” A defining voice on a defining issue—with national impact.
This kind of influence doesn’t happen by chance. It’s the result of precision, consistency, and the right message delivered at the right time.

This is the power of strategic communications.
This is the power of Red Banyan.

See the dictionary citation: https://lnkd.in/eFzcmDE7
#StrategicComms #MediaRelations #ThoughtLeadership #CrisisPR #ReputationMatters #Authority

Glen Powell understands that reputation is the most valuable asset. He is smart and strategic about his every move, and it's paving the way to new levels of superstardom. My take in the Us Weekly cover story.#celebrity #publicrelatons #strategy

Open article: How Glen Powell Balances His Career, Dating and Life in Texas (Excl) by usmagazine.com

How Glen Powell Balances His Career, Dating and Life in Texas (Excl)

When a crisis occurs, customers shouldn’t be left to solve it themselves. 
As I shared with Business Insider, hospitality companies earn goodwill by removing the burden, not adding to it. Relocation, refunds, and clear guidance aren’t perks. They’re the basics. Read the full story:

Open article: Hilton's CEO says problem-solving keeps guests coming back by businessinsider.com

Hilton's CEO says problem-solving keeps guests coming back

Leadership means staying grounded when everything around you is uncertain.

I recently contributed this piece to EO on how today’s leaders can build resilience that actually lasts. Especially when times are turbulent, the habits you form before the crisis often define how you lead through it.
Grateful for the chance to share these ideas with the EO community—and would love to hear what’s worked for you. Read the full article here:
https://lnkd.in/eU_n8UCG
#Leadership #Resilience #Entrepreneurs #CrisisPR #StrategicComms

Open article: Developing Resilient Leadership Habits for Uncertain Times by eonetwork.org

Developing Resilient Leadership Habits for Uncertain Times

Learning about diplomacy, debate and ideally compromise, collaboration and problem-solving. Critically important business and life skills. Proud of my daughter Noa Nierman for participating in Model U.N. as a diplomat from Jordan!

Student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas | Teen Leader |

The past two days, I’ve been honored to participate in BULLSMUN 2025 as a delegate for the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. This is a Model UN conference for high school students where we use parliamentary procedure, give speeches, and collaborate to solve current global diplomatic issues. I participated in the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) committee, where the bloc I led developed a logistical and fair economic and legal framework addressing climate change and managing the effects of global hunger. I was honored to be named Outstanding Delegate by the committee chair, as well as my school being named best large delegate with the most amount of wins! Grateful for this opportunity to collaborate with other students, practice my public speaking, and craft detailed resolutions to real life issues. I am also excited to announce that I have officially joined the MSD Model Un club officer team as the social media manager. Looking forward to the next conference already!

Des (D.G.) Hague

President & CEO

Hague Enterprises

15 Minutes of Shame launched in September 2023.

Think Your Way To The Top launched on October 1, 2024. 

Book 3 is currently under development along with my first screenplay in a collaboration with the brilliant Emmy award winning John Rota #Takedown

Leadership Development Program - Thinking Academy + Author/Speaker

Hague Enterprises is dedicated to investing in businesses where our expertise can add value at the strategic and operational level. Preferred opportunities are with turnarounds or expansions. Additionally a comprehensive suite of advisory services are also available with an unmatched network of proven global business experts. Since inception in 2015 investment positions have been taken in WC&P, Froozer, Serenity Spa, Halls Cheese, World of Beer, Ohle Sports, Jada Spices, VIPER EA, MRGN, Messenger Corporation and most recently nebula9 as CEO + Co Founder. Current advisory projects being carried out for RAS, TorchFi and r4 Technologies,  Spark Resultants, Fat Tuesday, Ikoniq and specific assignments for several private equity firms.

Hague Enterprises also spends time searching out local causes where we can have an impact at the grass root level and be a force for good.

Founder + CEO

Ikoniq

Get to work with a world-class team to bring to life innovative, wonderfully designed portable solutions that elevate the event hospitality industry and enhance the fan experience.

Strategic Advisor

MRGN

Super charged to be helping Yoni and the team commercialize what I believe will be a disruptive force in enabling small businesses to take their accounting and forecasting capabilities to new highs.

Member Board of Directors

YoungCaruso

I get up every day and have the honor of working on projects that elevate hospitality properties around the world. How cool is that!

Happy Clinic Denver

So proud to work with Dr Phil.  Launched On The Right Track program where we provide services for recovering addicts. Humbling experience. We need more people giving back like Dr. Phil. The world would be a much better place. So glad to be part of the mission of doing good.

Messenger

Worked with the founder and sold venture to the management team.

CEO and Managing Director

VIPER - Enterprise Acceleration

Fueling game changing Enterprise Acceleration for retailers globally. Awesome to wake up every morning, get to work with the brightest and where I get to learn my way forward.

Led the company to a $100M valuation a 20x increase. Total team effort and special thanks to the 20+ Advisors who made it all possible.

SurgiStrong

Proud to help a company with the potential to significant impact surgery recovery.

Advisor

Exciting role to help commercialize breakthrough AI robotic solutions for large venue facilities.

Cool technology and awesome dedicated team. This mission is a blast.

Board Advisor

TorchFi

Helping Anup and team to commercialize an exciting innovation in the hospitality space.

This bio does not include everything but gives you a good idea of my history, well mainly the successes, as there have been plenty of horrible learning experiences along the way but each one made me stronger, smarter, and better equipped to handle life. The good and bad are listed in my first book 15 Minutes of Shame - How A Twitter Mob Almost Ruined My Life. For those with time constraints or podcasts are your thing check out my podcast with Eric Rozenberg- hope you enjoy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OITxyu8PheQ. and here's my bio summary https://biographies.executivesdiary.com/2023/12/22/des-hague/

My life experiences and lessons in business are captured in my second book THINK YOUR WAY TO THE TOP. 

Now, if you have some time on your hands and want to know more details please scroll down. 

Des Hague is an acclaimed executive leader with a proven track record of leading global brands. In his private equity ventures he has returned over half a billion dollars to investors. Hague is the co founder of Hague Enterprises LLC and has made several investments since its inception in 2015. Hague has served on the advisory board or interim CEO when needed  for several companies; Stamford Youth Foundation, Halls, RAS Technologies, MRGN, Ikoniq, YoungCaruso, Happy Clinic, Messenger Corporation, VIPER EA and nebula9 where he served as CEO and Co-Founder. Hague also advises several start ups and not for profit organizations. Additionally, Hague provides expertise and advisory services for several private equity firms.

Prior Hague served as the Managing Partner of Messenger Corporation, a brand activator in the Sports and Entertainment world, which he sold in July 2023. Before that Hague served as the President and CEO of VIPER EA a leader in retail profit optimization. Hague increased the enterprise value of the company to $100 million a 6x plus increase. 

Between 2009 to 2014, Hague held the position of CEO of Centerplate, Inc., which grew under his leadership to become North America’s largest hospitality business and sold to Olympus Partners resulting in Kohlberg (equity owner) largest return at the time of the transaction. 

Prior to Centerplate Hague has had the pleasure of working for iconic brands such as Safeway, IHOP, 7-Eleven, Maytag, PepsiCo and Whitbread.

Hague is heavily involved in the community and his efforts to date has helped raise over one hundred million for worthy causes, has won numerous awards but is most proud of the ones associated with being a force for good from Baltimore, Toronto, Vancouver, California and Connecticut…

Get to work with a world-class team to bring to life innovative, wonderfully designed portable solutions that elevate the event hospitality industry and enhance the fan experience. 

Des  Hague

Day 16: Lifting Others Up for November

Life is messy and leadership is difficult at times. 

It’s easy to harshly judge others actions through the eyes of a saint 

And surprisingly convenient to not look too hard in the mirror about our own shortcomings. 

No one knows how they will actually act until they are  in the middle of a four alarm emergency.

Talk is truly cheap. 

The moment in the cauldron is never as easy as it feels when it’s actually happening. 

Many have folded under the pressure. 

The smart ones among us sharpen our readiness by learning from others experiences. 

This next incident challenged me in ways I had never experienced. 

It was not for the faint of heart but it has provided life long lessons. 

But before we get there let’s get to the issue at hand. 

Just imagine if one of your employees was accused of rape?

Worse yet, that they were arrested by the police and locked up.

And everyone screaming for their head.

I was CEO and this happened to one of my managers.

Clearly this was a shocking development. 

It was hard to get my head around. 

It turned my stomach and gave me many sleepless nights.

My thinking at the time was that everyone is innocent until proven guilty but in a crisis, especially one so horrific, this is easier said than done. 

I also had spent a lot of time with this person. I knew in my heart that this was not possible. 

But what if I was wrong. That my instincts were off. 

Not many felt as supportive.

Especially our board who at the time wanted me to create distance.

Really to throw him to the wolves. 

For the company to remain in the background. 

I believe doing the right thing is always the right thing no matter the pressure to cave. 

We got this individual representation.

We hired our own investigators. 

Within days the accusers story unraveled. 

The truth came out.

The manager was being framed. 

He was released and today is a free man.

If we did not take those actions this person would have most likely served years in prison 

His life and that of his family ruined. 

While I hope you are never confronted with this type of issue you will face adversity.

In those moments I wish and hope you have the strength to do the right thing. 

In my opinion this is an essential element of Lifting Others Up. 

It will not be convenient. It will not be easy. The rage machine will be out for vengeance. 

But this is when you need to quiten the chaos and noise around you and move forward with conviction and clarity. 

Here’s to raising up the world together. 


Onwards!
Des

Investor–Operator & Board Advisor | PE Value Creation, Turnarounds & Growth | Interim CEO / Operating Partner | Hospitality, Sports & Entertainment | Author & Speaker

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Day 14: Lifting Others Up for November

In my opinion outside of the love of family and friends nothing gives me as much pleasure as lifting others up. 

As I laid out in an earlier post the Second Chance program I implemented in my early career while in the UK was a life highlight for me.

At Centerplate we had the privilege of providing event hospitality for hundreds of iconic venues across the globe. 

Our commitment was to make every community we operated in better for our presence. 

Enter the re-boot of the Second Chance program. 

At the time in Washington DC we operated several high profile venues: the DC Convention Center, Carnegie Hall, several restaurant operation, RK Field and the Washington Redskins operation. 

Multiple thousands of hard working people were employed. 

This is where we worked with the city and employed many of the previously incarcerated. 

The mission was to provide former felony’s  with an opportunity to learn life skills so they could lead productive life’s. 

Our local teams stepped up and brought the program to life that helped many during this time. 

Please give some thought to how you can lift others up. Every small act helps.

Reach out to me if you have questions or don’t know how to start. 

Here’s to raising up the world together. 

Onwards!
Des

Day 10 of “Lifting Others Up Month” for November. 

I want us all to pause for a moment and think back to a time when every one of us was looking for a job. 

The powerlessness we felt. 

The abandonment we felt.

The frustration with sending out hundreds, sometimes thousands of applications to not even get a response.

The loneliness. The soul searching.

It’s crushing.

It’s like no one was in your corner.

I want us ALL to change that. 

If you know someone is looking for a chance to shine please take a moment and help them. 

Right now I know two great people just starting out in their careers and looking for work. Both are equally talented and open to working in the USA or internationally. 

Please meet Cecilia Falkenstein and Rohan Rodrigues  - resumes are attached. 

Their talents are off the charts. 

To anyone in HR recruiting talent please take a look at these two bright people and share with your network. 

To anyone in my network reading this please take a look and see if you have positions available or pass on to others hiring. 

Let’s do for these people what we wished others would do for us and help Lift Others Up please. 

Onwards!
Des

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Soar Onwards!
Des

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