With experience spanning both the public and private sectors, commentators and consultants Harold Ford, Jr. and Mike Murphy give an insider’s perspective on the policies impacting corporations today.
Former five-term Congressman Harold Ford, Jr. is the Executive Vice President and Vice Chair of Corporate and Institutional Banking for PNC. In addition to his work leading critical strategic initiatives, Ford Jr. also served as former chairman and chief executive officer of Empowerment & Inclusion Capital I Corp, a PNC-sponsored mission-based special purpose acquisition company. He is also a sought-after commentator, serving as a co-host of FOX’s The Five as well as a frequent contributor to Special Report with Bret Baier. A Democrat, Ford Jr.’s politics, as well as his time in office, are characterized by a belief in compromise and working across the aisle to make progress solving problems for businesses, industries, and people.
Mike Murphy is one of the Republican Party’s most successful political media consultants, having handled strategy and advertising for more than 26 successful gubernatorial and Senatorial campaigns, including 12 wins in “blue” states that have consistently voted Democratic in Presidential elections. He served as a top campaign advisor to John McCain, Mitt Romney, Jeb Bush and Arnold Schwarzenegger, along with dozens of other GOP Senators, Governors and Members of Congress. Murphy has worked on five GOP Presidential campaigns and for foreign leaders in Europe and Latin America. He also advises several Fortune 500 corporations, as well as several hedge funds and trade associations.
Ford and Murphy speak on policies shaping our economy today with the shared understanding of political media and corporate decision-making. Join them for a robust discussion of where our economy is going and what we can do to stay ahead of the curve.
Former five-term Congressman Harold Ford, Jr. is the Executive Vice President and Vice Chair of Corporate and Institutional Banking for PNC. In addition to his work leading critical strategic initiatives, Ford Jr. also served as chairman and chief executive officer of Empowerment & Inclusion Capital I Corp, a PNC-sponsored mission-based special purpose acquisition company. He is also a sought-after commentator, serving as a co-host of FOX News Channel’s The Five as well as a frequent contributor to Special Report with Bret Baier. A Democrat, Ford Jr.'s politics, as well as his time in office, are characterized by a belief in compromise and working across the aisle to make progress solving problems for businesses, industries, and people.
After serving in the House of Representatives, Ford Jr. spent more than ten years in investment banking with Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley. In addition, he was non-executive Chair of Rx Saver, a patient-directed prescription medication search engine platform. Ford Jr. brings his robust experience as a policy maker and shrewd insights as a business leader to talks that are informative, engaging, and memorable for audiences of all kinds.
Famed conservative political media consultant Mike Murphy is a widely quoted pundit, longtime analyst and frequent guest on NBC News, CNN and MSNBC, and co-host of the popular Hacks on Tap podcast. One of the Republican party’s most successful consultants, he has served as a top campaign advisor to John McCain, Mitt Romney, Jeb Bush, Arnold Schwarzenegger, along with dozens of other GOP Senators, Governors, and Members of Congress. Murphy has spoken for groups including the Council of State Restaurant Associations, Simpson College, Friess Associates of Delaware, the California Chamber of Commerce, America’s Health Insurance Plans Association, Goldman Sachs, NY Life, and John Hancock, among many others.
Murphy advises several Fortune 500 corporations, as well as Hedge Funds and Trade Associations. He has written columns and op-ed pieces for TIME, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and the Bulwark, and the LA Times. He is currently co-director the University of Southern California’s Center for the Political Future and served as a longtime senior fellow at Harvard’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, focusing on the intersection of domestic politics and national security decision making.
Former five-term Tennessee Congressman, Harold Ford, Jr. is a co host of FNC’s The Five and is a frequent contributor to Special Report with Bret Baier. A Democrat, Ford Jr.’s politics is grounded in a belief that compromise is a lost art in politics that must be rediscovered and pursued if we are to make progress solving problems. “Ideological purity is more important than doing what is right in today’s politics. Both parties too often deem compromise a weakness, not an essential strength,” he believes. “Instead, they [both political parties] spend their time trying to marginalize and cancel each other out, leaving voters disgusted and turned off by the lack of seriousness and results.”
Ford Jr. is currently a Vice Chair and EVP in PNC’s corporate and institutional banking business. He is also the former Chair and CEO of Empowerment & Inclusion Capital I Corporation (NYSE: “EPWR”) - a PNC sponsored mission based special purpose acquisition company. Prior to joining PNC, he spent more than 10 years in investment banking with Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley. In addition, he was non-executive Chair of Rx Saver, a patient-directed prescription medication search engine platform.
Ford Jr. earned a BA in history from the University of Pennsylvania and a JD from the University of Michigan. He and his wife Emily and their 2 kids - Georgia Walker and Harold III (HEF)- live in New York City.
Mike Murphy is one of the Republican Party’s most successful political media consultants, having handled strategy and advertising for more than 26 successful gubernatorial and Senatorial campaigns, including 12 wins in “blue” states that have consistently voted Democratic in Presidential elections. He served as a top campaign advisor to John McCain, Mitt Romney, Jeb Bush and Arnold Schwarzenegger, along with dozens of other GOP Senators, Governors and Members of Congress. Murphy has worked on five GOP Presidential campaigns and for foreign leaders in Europe and Latin America. He also advises several Fortune 500 corporations, as well as several Hedge Funds and Trade Associations. In 2020 he served as a key strategist for Republican Voters Against Trump.
Murphy is also a widely quoted pundit; he is a longtime top analyst for NBC News, CNN and MSNBC and he co-hosts the popular podcast Hacks on Tap. In the Hacks on Tap newsletter, Murphy and Robert Gibbs share insights you'll only get from folks who have spent a lifetime in the political trenches of both parties. He’s written columns and op-ed pieces for TIME, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and the Bulwark. Visit Murphy's website to read his commentary >>
Murphy is currently co-director the University of Southern California’s Center for the Political Future. He serves on the boards of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools and the University of Chicago Institute of Politics. He served as a longtime senior fellow at Harvard’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs; focusing on the intersection of domestic politics and national security decision making. Murphy also works as a writer and producer in the entertainment industry with projects at HBO, CBS, and 20th Century Fox Studios.
Murphy was born in Detroit, Michigan and attended the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. He lives with his wife Tiffany and daughter Audrey in Los Angeles.
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