Everything Communicators Need to Know About SPACs

Don Duffy

President, Investor Relations, ICR

Don currently serves as the company’s President and co-runs the firm. Since 2001, he has worked to build ICR’s industry teams and corporate culture, driving the firm’s rapid global growth. Don is a leading expert on IPOs, Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs) and other complex corporate transactions.

Don has led teams that have advised hundreds of companies on IPOs, mergers, acquisitions and other complex corporate transactions. Prior to ICR, Don spent over a decade as a portfolio manager and research analyst specializing in public and private investments in the consumer and technology industries. Prior to joining ICR, Don co-founded the asset management firm Meyer, Duffy & Associates and Meyer Duffy Ventures.

Don also served on multiple public boards, and has chaired audit, compensation and special committees. Don received a B.A. in Finance from St. John’s University.

Carolyn Saacke

Chief Operating Officer, Capital Markets at the NYSE

Carolyn Saacke, Chief Operating Officer, Capital Markets at the NYSE, is responsible for developing and maintaining the firm’s relationships with the private equity, venture capital, and advisory communities. She oversees the capital markets function, key IPO transactions, and the SPAC listings practice at the NYSE. Prior to joining the NYSE, Carolyn spent 14 years on Wall Street, working in the investment banking units of Bear Stearns and Citigroup. She has advised companies of all sizes on M&A, IPOs, and other capital structure alternatives. Carolyn earned her MBA in Finance from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and her bachelor of arts in Economics from Cornell University.

Matt Higgins

CEO & Co-founder, RSE Ventures; Chairman & CEO, Omnichannel Acquisition Corp.

Matt Higgins is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Omnichannel Acquisition Corp. He is also the Chief Executive Officer of RSE Ventures, an incubator and investment firm that he co-founded in 2012 to pursue opportunities in the sports, media, entertainment, food, and technology sectors. Higgins’ deep operating experience transcends multiple industries over his 25-year career, which he draws upon to help founders navigate complex situations in order to reach their full potential.

A lifelong New Yorker, Mr. Higgins began his career in public service at the site of the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil. He was appointed one of the first employees – and ultimately Chief Operating Officer – of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, the $2 billion dollar federally funded government agency created to plan and oversee the rebuilding of the 16-acre World Trade Center site. Mr. Higgins helped organize the largest international design competition in history, culminating in Reflecting Absence, the September 11th National Memorial, and the development of One World Trade, the tallest building in the Northern hemisphere.

After transitioning to the private sector, Mr. Higgins has spent 15 years affiliated with National Football League teams. He made his mark with two NFL franchises, overseeing the revenue functions of the New York Jets as Executive Vice President of Business Operations, and after leaving the Jets, serving as Vice Chair of the Miami Dolphins since 2012. At RSE Ventures (“RSE”), Mr. Higgins has incubated numerous businesses and successfully backed many challenger brands from inception, including RESY, an OpenTable competitor that American Express acquired in 2019; Drone Racing League, the world’s premier drone racing circuit; and the International Champions Cup, the largest privately-owned soccer tournament featuring Europe’s top clubs. Starting in 2016, he broadened RSE’s focus to rapidly expanding food concepts including David Chang’s Momofuku, Fuku, Milk Bar, &pizza, and Bluestone Lane.