Former President George W. Bush, Former President Bill Clinton, and Fulcrum Macro Founder Frank Kelly
Leveraging more than 30 years as a senior Wall Street executive with extensive geopolitical experience at three leading global financial firms, Frank founded Fulcrum to offer clients the opportunity to not only understand political risk but how to succeed in these challenging settings.
We seek to build long, deep relationships around the world, helping execute profitably in an ever-challenging world environment.
Frank Kelly
Founder & Managing Partner
Having worked as a senior executive on Wall Street and served in senior government roles, Frank brings extensive global experience and insight into the public policy decision-making process and its impact on global markets.
Frank began his career as a writer for President Ronald Reagan and later served in the White House Office of Political Affairs. He served as a writer for President George H.W. Bush and then served at the Justice Department in the Office of Policy Development, focusing on national security and international issues. From there, Frank went to the US Securities and Exchange Commission, being appointed Senior Policy Advisor to the Chairman and Chief Spokesman for the Commission as well as a member of the SEC Senior Staff.
He then joined Merrill Lynch Investment Banking in New York, serving as Chief of Staff and Global Head of Marketing for Investment Banking, Sales & Trading. Frank was also a member of the German/Swiss/Austrian country coverage team and was involved in numerous large cross-border deals. He returned to Washington, DC, to establish Charles Schwab & Co.’s first Global Government & Regulatory Affairs operation. He served as both the Senior Vice President and Global Head of Government Affairs and the firm’s first Chief Political Strategist.
Frank joined Deutsche Bank in 2003 as the Bank’s first Head of Government Affairs and then later, as Global Coordinator for Government & Public Affairs. He was also the Bank’s first Chief Political Strategist. In this role, he advised the Bank’s top institutional clients globally on US and geopolitical issues. He also has extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, having established and led the Bank’s Direct Investment Advisory Group (DIAG). Frank and his team advised corporates on sensitive national and economic security-related mergers and acquisitions, seeking approvals from the US Committee for Foreign Investment in the US (CFIUS).
Frank is also a Senior Advisor to The Scowcroft Group, a global business advisory firm with an emphasis on emerging markets. It supports clients at every stage of business development, including political risk analysis, strategic planning, risk management, market development, and ongoing operations. The firm also supports clients in the investment community, providing leading-edge analysis of market impact events and trends.
Frank is an adjunct professor at The Catholic University School of Business, teaching coursework on Business Intelligence and Risk Assessment. He is also a Senior Associate with the Americas Program at the Center for International and Strategic Studies (CSIS) in Washington, where he focuses on Latin American politics, economics, and trade.
Frank has served on corporate boards and not-for-profit boards. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of CODESPA America, an organization dedicated to helping people living in extreme poverty become self-reliant by providing access to dignified, sustainable work. He also serves as Vice-Chair of the Jerome Lejeune Foundation of America, which advocates for people with Down Syndrome.
Frank is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the American Council on Germany, and the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies. He resides outside Washington, DC, in Great Falls, Virginia, with his wife, Maura, on their working farm, Open Door Farm.
Karen Laureano-Rikardsen
Senior Advisor
Karen Laureano-Rikardsen is a strategic C-suite communications and marketing executive and trusted advisor to CEOs, board members, and senior leadership teams, with a distinguished record of guiding global organizations through periods of growth, transformation and intense public scrutiny, She has built and led high-performing teams across financial services, fintech, real estate, insurance brokerage, retail and philanthropic sectors and is widely respected for her ability to align communications strategies with enterprise priorities.
Her expertise spans corporate and executive communications, brand and reputation strategy, public affairs, crisis and issues management, enterprise marketing, and product marketing with a focus on aligning reputation, brand, and commercial objectives to drive measurable performance and enterprise value.
Throughout her career, Karen has designed and executed fully integrated communications and marketing strategies that bring together brand, reputation, and commercial intent. She is skilled at navigating regulated environments and advising leaders through high-pressure situations, including global crises, regulatory investigations, high-profile litigation, business transformations, and reputational challenges involving significant public scrutiny. Her approach balances strategic foresight with disciplined execution, ensuring that communications fortify enterprise risk mitigation while fueling business growth.
Karen has held senior executive leadership roles at Cantor Fitzgerald, BGC Partners, Newmark Group, Credit Suisse, and Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein.
Karen holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs from the University of Maryland University College and completed academic coursework in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany. She speaks fluent English and Spanish and is conversational in German.
