Brian Tierney

Brian P. Tierney (born 1957) is an American advertising and public relations executive and former publisher of ''The Philadelphia Inquirer''. Born in Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania, Tierney is chief executive officer of Brian Communications, which he founded in 2010, and RealTime Media, which he bought from the previous owners with the help of the venture firm, New Spring Capital. Brian Communications' clients include Independence Blue Cross, Aramark, Widener University, The Newspaper Association of America, Republic Bank and Amerihealth

The company handled media relations for Pope Francis' 2015 visit to Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Orchestra's bankruptcy in 2011

Tierney has advised CEOs and leaders of Fortune 500 companies, including Exelon (NYSE: EXC), Commerce Bank (now TD Bank, NYSE: TD), Marriott (NYSE: MAR), IBM (NYSE IBM), Deloitte and ARAMARK. He serves on the board of directors for NutriSystem (NASDAQ: NTRI), Republic Bank (NASDAQ: FRBK) and is also chairman of the foundation for the Poynter Institute, which supports outstanding journalism for a strong democracy. Tierney is an Entrepreneur in Residence at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He has presented at the Milken Institute Global Conference, Columbia University School of Journalism as well as international newspaper and media conferences in the Middle East and Australia. He has appeared on the BBC, NPR, CNBC, CBS, ABC and FOX

Before founding Brian Communications, Tierney created Tierney Communications, one of the largest and most successful public relations and advertising firms in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which he sold in 1999 and left in 2003 when it employed more than 200

Tierney in 2006 assembled a group of investors to form Philadelphia Media Holdings LLC, a group started with the purpose of buying ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' and ''Philadelphia Daily News''. Chief executive of Philadelphia Media Holdings, Mr. Tierney also became the publisher of ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' shortly after Philadelphia Media Holdings bought the paper. Initially, there were concerns about Tierney's neutrality because of earlier roles he held working in Republican politics and clashes he had with some reporters. But Mr. Tierney calmed those fears by hiring respected journalist and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner William K. Marimow as editor of The Inquirer and by signing a pledge not to interfere with the editorial content of the two newspapers. Under Mr. Marimow, the editorial quality of The Inquirer improved as the paper returned to its roots by doing more investigative stories. Initially, circulation increased in 2007 and advertising sales improved. Meanwhile, the Daily News won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for investigative journalism for a series of stories on corrupt Philadelphia cops. However, the 2008 financial crisis led to a steep drop in advertising revenue. At the same time, circulation dropped as more readers migrated to the Internet. Newspaper values across the country plummeted by 90 percent or more. Mr. Tierney's group bought the paper at the top of the market and was saddled with a heavy debt burden. As a result, Philadelphia Media Holdings was forced to file for bankruptcy protection under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. On April 28, 2010, the Philadelphia Inquirer, Daily News and philly.com were sold at a bankruptcy auction to a group of the original lenders, hedge funds and vulture investors led by Angelo Gordon & Company for $139 million. Mr. Tierney stepped down from his position as CEO of the company on May 21, 2010 in order to allow for a smooth transition. Several news accounts of his tenure have called him an "improbable savior" and an "unlikely warrior." Other accounts have said, "For Tierney...his tenure as CEO by many measures could be rated a success." and "As for Tierney, give him credit for trying."

In the fall of 2010, Tierney went back to his marketing and public relations roots by launching Brian Communications, and purchasing Realtime Media, a company specializing in digital marketing services for brands that include CNN, L’Oréal, Toys “R” Us and Unilever. The fast-growing firm moved to Conshohocken, Pa. in the summer of 2013 after outgrowing its old office space.

Outside of business, Tierney has been active in politics and a supporter of Republican causes. Working for the Ronald Reagan administration in the 1980s, Tierney also worked in George W. Bush's 2000 Presidential election campaign, and Sam Katz's 2003 run for Philadelphia mayor. Tierney is also an active member of numerous board of directors including NutriSystem, The Episcopal Academy and the Poynter Institute Foundation, where he serves as chairman.

Early life

Tierney is the fourth of five sons of James and Claire Tierney. Growing up in Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania, he attended Waldron Mercy Academy and later The Episcopal Academy. When he was seven, his family moved to Springfield Township, Pennsylvania. In 1975, at the age of eighteen, Tierney unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for township commissioner of Springfield. During the campaign supporters of his opponent in the Democratic primary had torn down his campaign posters and stole other campaign items. Tierney became a Republican after the primary when a few Republicans who said they would look out for his stuff during his primary campaign, invited him to a party meeting.

He attended the University of Pennsylvania from 1975 to 1979, majoring in political science. At Penn, Tierney ran the Penn Students for Gerald Ford campaign in 1976. He graduated in 1979 and, at the age of twenty-two, moved to Washington, D.C. where he worked for the Republican National Committee in various positions, including as a messenger between Ronald Reagan's administration and Republican candidates across the country. Tierney moved back to the Philadelphia region as a Reagan appointee in the U.S. Small Business Administration's public affairs office. In 1987, he received a Juris Doctor degree from Widener University. Tierney married in 1980 and has two children.

Public relations

While attending law school at Widener University, Tierney founded Tierney & Company Public Relations in 1984, which he financed on his credit card. In 1986, he sold the company to Lewis Gilman & Kynett. Tierney stayed with Lewis Gilman & Kynett and by the time he turned twenty-nine he had become president and CEO of the public relations division. In 1989, he left Lewis Gilman & Kynett and founded Tierney Group, another public relations company, with just three people. One of those people remembers Tierney's saying "We need to look at what everyone else is charging and charge our clients $15 an hour more." When told that was crazy Tierney responded, "We're going to be the best at what we do. We need to charge people accordingly. Tierney bought office equipment from a local office equipment t supplier, COPIFAX, INC. and quickly was able to produce enough copies and faxes to help his clients become successful with their businesses. ." The company quickly grew with billings of US$3.5 million and thirty-five employees in offices in three cities.

In 1994, Tierney, in association with Chicago-based True North Communications, made a deal with Foote, Cone & Belding Communications to take control of FCB Philadelphia. FCB Philadelphia, which up to 1989 was Lewis Gilman & Kynett, was renamed FCB/Tierney in May 1994 and renamed again in 1995 to Tierney & Partners. Tierney built the company into one of the largest public relations and advertising firms in the Mid Atlantic. Tierney's clients included IBM, McDonald's, Verizon, PECO Energy, and the Pennsylvania Lottery. The company created an award-winning advertising campaign for Verizon starring James Earl Jones and the slogan "Philadelphia: The place that loves you back" for the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation. Other advertising campaigns included wrapping a giant hoagie around Philadelphia City Hall to promote Wawa Food Markets and an ad campaign to prevent a hostile takeover of PECO Energy by Enron.

Cipriano affair

Along with promotions, Tierney would advocate on behalf of his clients when targeted by news reporters. Tierney would sometimes contact news editors to complain about coverage of his clients, accusing news reporters of being biased, incompetent and unprofessional. The most notable of Tierney's complaints to reporters was directed at ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' and ''Inquirer'' reporter Ralph Cipriano.

Ralph Cipriano was ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'''s religion reporter for about a year in 1993. During that time he was called several times by Tierney on behalf of Tierney's client, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia. After leaving the religion reporter position, Cipriano wrote articles for the Sunday paper, where in 1997 he wrote a profile on Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua. The profile turned into an investigative piece as Cipriano obtained documents detailing US$5 million in questionable spending and how the church was spending millions in the suburbs while cutting inner-city services.

While Cipriano worked on the piece, he and his editors, Jonathan Neumann and Pulitzer Prize winner Robert Rosenthal, were contacted by Tierney. Tierney accused Ralph Cipriano of using inaccurate facts, trespassing and creating a protest at the Archdiocese's vacation home in Ventnor City, New Jersey

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