Gerald Freisleben, president, co-founded FolFry in 1996. Over a career extending more than 20 years, Freisleben has implemented strategic communications, investor relations and marketing public relations programs for clients ranging from Fortune 10 corporations to venture-funded start-ups to respected nonprofit organizations.

His expertise includes issues and crisis communications strategy across a broad swath of industries. Freisleben routinely provides communications counsel in support of impact litigation, corporate transactions, restructurings, labor relations and government regulatory matters.

Under his direction, FolFry investor relations and corporate communications campaigns have received some of the profession’s highest honors, including the Public Relations Society of America’s Bronze Anvil, as well as awards from the National Investor Relations Institute and MerComm Annual Report Competition.

Prior to establishing FolFry, Freisleben advanced to a senior executive post in the Los Angeles office of a leading international public relations agency, where he directed the corporate-financial and business-to-business practice group.

Freisleben is active in civic and community circles. He presently sits on the board of directors of Bet Tzedek Legal Services, a nationally respected public interest law firm serving elderly, indigent and disabled Angelenos free of charge. In addition, he and FolFry provide pro bono public relations services to Bet Tzedek. Since 2003, Freisleben has served on the annual-giving committee of Harvard-Westlake School.

Previously, Freisleben was a member of the development and major-gifts committees at Curtis School. He served from 1991-1995 on the board of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Youth Foundation, assisting the department in the creation of a program to counsel and aid victims of gang violence and their families.

Freisleben earned an A.B. degree in English language and literature from the University of California, Berkeley, where he had the distinction of delivering the commencement address to his graduating class. He also completed post-baccalaureate coursework at the University of California, Los Angeles and Claremont Graduate University.