Arick Wierson
Arick Wierson (right) alongside Albert II, Prince of Monaco (left) at the 2009 Monte-Carlo Television Festival
Born
Arick Brice Wierson

(1971-11-23) November 23, 1971
Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Occupations
  • Media personality
  • columnist
  • political consultant
  • businessman
Years active2001–present
Known for
Spouses
Fabiana Calhau Mesquita
​
​
(m. 2000; div. 2012)​
    Hermenegilda Marcelina Vianeke
    ​
    ​
    (m. 2016)​
    Children3
    Parents
    • Wallace Edward Wierson (father)
    • Coletta Mae Hahn Wierson (mother)
    RelativesEric Sevareid
    Websitearickwierson.com

    Arick Wierson (born November 23, 1971)[1] is an American columnist who writes on politics and business for CNN and Newsweek. He is also a regular contributor to several other major US publications including Vice, The New York Observer, Worth, The New York Daily News, and CNBC.[2][3][4] [5] He is a six-time Emmy Award-winning television producer. In 2010, Wierson won an Emmy award for the documentary film Back Door Channels: The Price of Peace featuring former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his work to bring peace between Israel and Egypt. Wierson first appeared on the national stage as a senior political advisor to former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Wierson has been described as "one of the most important people in New York media"[6][7]

    Along with co-founder Seth Unger, Wierson was responsible for the creation and launch of NYC TV[8] (now known as NYC Media).[9]

    Wierson has also been credited as a major force behind the creation of the first private television station in Angola, TV Zimbo, and the establishment of Luanda Fashion Center, the largest department store in Angola.[10][11]

    In the United States, Wierson played a key role in the launch of the annual Manova Summit, a large annual event on the global health calendar that brings together leaders from healthcare and retail,[12][13]

    It has been reported that Wierson played a key behind-the-scenes role as a media advisor to the 2018 campaign of Brazilian presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro, softening the candidate's message to broaden his appeal in the run-off election.[14][15] with the campaign's strategic messaging and television advertising.[16][17][18] In 2020, Washington Compol named Wierson as one of world's 100 most influential political marketers for his work on the Bolsonaro election.[19] Wierson has since broken ties with Bolsonaro, who he has criticized in the Brazilian media for his handling of the government's poor response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Early years

    Wierson grew up in Excelsior, Minnesota and attended part of his high school years overseas, attending the Alexander Muss High School in Israel. He graduated from Minnetonka High School (1990), later graduating cum laude from Georgetown University (1994) with a Bachelor's of Science degree in Foreign Service. In 1997, Wierson, was named the Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholar representing the State of Minnesota, which he used to receive his master's degree in economics from the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP).[20] Wierson's career began as an investment banker, working for the World Bank, ABN AMRO Bank, and JP Morgan.[21]

    Political campaigns

    In 2001, billionaire businessman Michael Bloomberg[22] recruited Wierson to aid him in his first bid to become the 108th Mayor of New York City. During the campaign, Wierson oversaw field operations which combined traditional electioneering and voter profiling databases, which political analysts point to as the campaign that ushered in a new era of technically sophisticated, statistical, voter profiling for political operations in the country.[23]

    Wierson is known to be close to maverick political strategist Bill Hillsman, who has asked Wierson to lecture in his courses at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University on several occasions.[24] In June 2010, Brazilian vice presidential candidate and Federal Deputy Antônio Pedro de Siqueira Indio da Costa (Democrats) invited Wierson to advise him and presidential candidate José Serra on media and political matters during the final months of the campaign before the October election.[25] Wierson is said to have declined the invitation due to "ongoing engagements in Angola."[26]

    In 2018, Wierson's name surfaced again in the Brazilian media as being in talks with several presidential candidates. Although it was initially widely reported in major Brazilian news outlets that a marketing and political consulting firm closely associated with Arick Wierson had been working to elect Brazilian businessman-turned candidate presidential candidate João Dionisio Amoêdo and the New Party (Brazil),[18] multiple reports later indicated that Wierson was in fact advising the campaign of presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro who was elected President of Brazil in October 2018.[14][15] Wierson advised the Bolsonaro campaign on its strategic messaging and television advertising.[17] Analysts covering the race in Brazil credit Wierson with "softening" Bolsonaro's image and encouraging him to not attend the final debates. It is suggested that Wierson impacted the outcome of the race was by repositioning Bolsonaro as more moderate and inclusive[16] in an effort to lower the candidate's negatives.[27][28]

    Media and television

    During his tenure at NYC Media working under New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Wierson led the flagship NYC TV station to 160 Emmy nominations, while personally being nominated on 29 different occasions for the role of Executive Producer in the creation of various programs. To date he has won five Emmy awards for his role as the Executive Producer of the nationally syndicated Secrets of New York[29][30][31][32] as well one Emmy for his role as Executive Producer of the feature documentary film "Back Door Channels: The Price of Peace" which featured former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, former Secretary-General of the U.N. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Dr. Henry Kissinger, the former U.S. Secretary of State and CNN's Wolf Blitzer, among other notables.[33][34][35][36][37] The film deals with the 1979 Peace Treaty between Israel and Egypt and the unlikely circumstances and behind-the scenes jockeying that led to its coming to fruition.[38]

    In 2009, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that Wierson was returning to the private sector.[39]

    Broadcasting & Cable Magazine described Wierson as "one of the most important people in New York media".[6] Under Wierson, NYC TV expanded from a local cable operation to a broad array of broadcast, cable, production, online video and syndication entities, organized under the name of NYC Media.[40] At his time at NYC TV, Wierson led the network to 42 NY Emmy Awards and over 100 National Telly Cable Awards. In addition to Secrets of New York, Wierson played a role in the creation of many of the network's original series' productions including $9.99, Eat Out NY, New York 360*, and The Bridge. In 2008, Wierson led NYC TV's digital media group to its first-ever Webby nominations.

    At NYC Media Group (since rebranded as NYC Media), Wierson was vocal critic of traditional public broadcasting for second-tier stations in heavily saturated markets like New York City.[41] In 2005, Wierson disbanded the station's long-held PBS status, enabling NYC TV's original shows to take over prime-time[42] "It was smart not to be the 'fifth channel,' said Dalton Delan, executive vice president of WETA in Washington and producer of the PBS News Hour. You don't want to be the triple-A team. You want to find a new ballpark where you can be No. 1."[43] In August 2006, Wierson, Unger and Bloomberg appeared in the NBC studios, joined WNBC General Manager Francis X. Comerford and former NBC Station Group President Jay Ireland in announcing a partnership between NYC TV and NBC flagship station WNBC[44] Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who began Bloomberg Television as part of his media empire, knew better than most the value of a city television station, his aides said."[9]

    In addition to the TV business, Wierson is also credited with leading a complete overhaul of WNYE-FM 91.5FM, with new formats for morning and afternoon drive-time programming, re-branding itself as "Radio New York" and in partnership with live coast-to-coast music feeds from Seattle-based alternative rock station KEXP.[45] The announcement was seen as an aggressive move by the New York City Indie music community, causing broadcaster WFUV to take public on-air swipes at Wierson for having encroached on their market.[46] On March 5, 2009, Wierson, along with NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, announced that WNYE, after being in Brooklyn since 1938, was moving its radio broadcast operations to Manhattan, and was unveiling a new digital transmitter, capable of transmitting multiple in-band HD radio streams.[47]

    Over the years that Wierson was at the helm of New York City's media assets, he was known to spar with several public officials who were critical of the Bloomberg Administration. New York City Councilwoman Gale Brewer, who at the time represented Manhattan's Upper West Side on the City Council and had oversight over telecommunications and technology (she is now the Manhattan Borough President[48]), regularly criticized the Bloomberg media and communications operation as being "too flashy" with its focus on fashion, celebrity, and other topics she viewed as inconsistent with the mission of the network.[49] Wierson countered Brewer in sworn Council testimony that "television is meant to be watched."[50]

    While at NYC Media, Wierson also taught as an adjunct professor of business at the MBA program at Metropolitan College of New York (formerly known as Audrey Cohen College) lecturing on the business of media and television.

    In 2009, Mayor Bloomberg announced Wierson was stepping down as President of NYC Media Group, saying "Over the past seven years, Arick Wierson and his team transformed NYC TV into one of the nation's best television stations. After helping build the station virtually from scratch, Arick oversaw the merger of NYC TV with WNYE-TV and WNYE-FM, creating the largest local media group in New York that now reaches hundreds of thousands of people every day. NYC TV's 160 New York Emmy nominations and 42 awards serve as a testament to Arick's vision, tenacity, and leadership and to the excellence of the media group he was instrumental in creating. I have no doubt that Arick's entrepreneurial and creative talents, which helped him achieve great things at NYC TV will serve him well as he rejoins the private sector..."[51]

    The New York Times later revealed that Wierson had been quietly producing a documentary film starring former U.S. President Jimmy Carter "Back Door Channels: The Price of Peace" which later opened in Monte-Carlo and Abu Dhabi.[52]

    Business activities in Angola

    In 2009, Wierson was recruited by Brazilian TV juggernaut Globo (conglomerate) and Brazilian-Angola billionaire Valdomiro Minoru Dondo to serve as the CEO and General Manager of Angola's first private TV station in Angola.[53]

    In 2011, it was reported that Wierson was leading an effort to open the first large-scale modern department store in Angola to be called Luanda Fashion Center.[54][55] Luanda Fashion Center was acquired by the Brazilian retailer, Morena Rosa Group in 2014.[56][57]

    Manova Global Summit

    In the spring of 2018, in the wake of a failed attempt to bring the 2023 World's Fair to Minnesota,[58] it was reported that Wierson, former General Mill's Chief Marketing Officer Mark Addicks, and publicist Kathryn Tunheim joined forces with The Medical Alley Association, The Mayo Clinic, and Walmart to launch The Manova Global Summit on the Future of Health.[13][59]

    Journalism career

    Wierson began writing for The New York Observer shortly after returning to the United States in 2017,[60] oftentimes sharing his views on recently elected US President Donald Trump and offering insights and comparisons that could be drawn from his time working with his former longtime boss, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg,[61] the wealthiest man to ever hold public elected office in the history of the United States. In 2018, Wierson began writing political columns for CNBC,[62] offering his analysis of the 2018 United States elections, drawing upon his years as political aide to Bloomberg. Later that year he began doing political analysis for Vice[63] as well. It was also in 2018 that Wierson was invited to offer political commentary for CNN both as an on-air analyst as well as for the network's website.[64] Wierson became a regular columnist for CNN in 2019 as speculation began to mount that Bloomberg would be running for president in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries. In a column for the Observer, after Bloomberg famously dismissed speculation he would be running for president in 2020, Wierson famously labeled the New York billionaire as the "Obi-Wan Kenobi of the Democratic Party, more powerful in his political afterlife than he ever was as an elected official or as a potential presidential candidate."[65]—a meme Bloomberg would use as part of his political messaging once he entered and then dropped out of the presidential race after a disastrous showing on Super Tuesday, 2020.[66] With the Observer moving to decidedly less political coverage by 2018 due to the outlet being owned by Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner,[67] Wierson began to focus his writing on disruption and innovation in business.[68] His annual list of "The Hottest Companies in 'Flyover tech'" has become a staple of the outlet's "Power Lists."[69][68] In 2019, Wierson began writing for the upscale Worth (magazine) on a range of topics spanning healthcare, innovation, philanthropy, and other topics of interest to the magazine's ultra-high net worth readers,[70] including interviews with famous business leaders.[71][72][73] In 2020, Wierson began a monthly column for the Robin Report, a retail industry insiders news service for retail and fashion executives.[74]

    Personal life

    From 2000 to 2013 Wierson was married to Fabiana Mesquita-Wierson, a former executive at Bloomberg, LP with whom he has one daughter, Isabella Wierson. He later remarried Hermenegilda Vianeke, a native of Angola in 2016.[75] Together they have two children, Haakon and Gabriella. Wierson has written on his mixed-race children and issues of race and racism in various op-eds.[76][77]

    References

    1. ↑ "Career Advice". Mediabistro.
    2. ↑ "Arick Wierson". Observer. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
    3. ↑ Wierson, Arick (April 11, 2018). "Why Trump chickened out of going to Peru (Opinion)". CNN. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
    4. ↑ "March for our Lives gun control rally only hints at the political power of Generation Z". Cnbc.com. March 23, 2018. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
    5. ↑ https://www.newsweek.com/america-can-do-more-protect-its-children-opioid-overdose-opinion-1830900
    6. 1 2 "Big Apple media chief promoted" Broadcasting & Cable, Feb 7, 2005
    7. ↑ "Thanks to the media-mogul-turned-mayor, New York City is a bigger star than ever". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved October 23, 2006.
    8. ↑ Steinhauer, Jennifer (July 14, 2003). "New York Times, "New From City Hall, TV Worth Watching" Jul 14, 2003". The New York Times. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
    9. 1 2 "One Television Station, and Countless Hours, Devoted to Pulse of New York Life". The New York Times. May 22, 2006.
    10. ↑ "Modelos que Vestem tamanho grande desfilam na Luanda Fashion Center".
    11. ↑ "Arick Wierson | Mediander | Topics". Archived from the original on March 1, 2016. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
    12. ↑ Kaplan, Allison. "Twin Cities Business - Fall Healthcare Summit will Bring Global Leaders to Minneapolis". Tcbmag.com. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
    13. 1 2 Wierson, Arick (October 4, 2018). "Manova Wants to Be 'the Davos of Health.' But Can It Deliver?". Observer. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
    14. 1 2 "Estrategista de ex-prefeito de NY contribui com campanha de Bolsonaro | Valor Econômico". Valor.com.br. February 28, 2019. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
    15. 1 2 "Campanha de Bolsonaro vai usar empresa de estrategista americano". Cultura.estadao.com.br. September 13, 2018. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
    16. 1 2 "Bolsonaro's Message on Love and Peace Tested in Brazil Media". Bloomberg.com. October 9, 2018. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
    17. 1 2 "Campanha de Bolsonaro mantжm conversas com marqueteiro americano - Polьtica". Correiobraziliense.com.br. September 16, 0310. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
    18. 1 2 "Estrategista de Michael Bloomberg pode atuar para o partido Novo | EXAME". Exame.abril.com.br. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
    19. ↑ "COMPOL 100 class of 2019 | MPR GROUP".
    20. ↑ "Instituto de Economia". Archived from the original on August 7, 2007. Retrieved July 29, 2007.
    21. ↑ "Career Advice". Mediabistro.
    22. ↑ "News, Features, Reviews, Forums and Resources for the Professional Content Creator - Creative Planet Network".
    23. ↑ Steinhauer, Jennifer (July 14, 2003). "New From City Hall, TV Worth Watching". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 24, 2011. Retrieved September 18, 2003.
    24. ↑ Hillsman, Bill (April 26, 2004). Run the Other Way. ISBN 9780743238595.
    25. ↑ "Portal da Televisão -> TV: E os candidatos a vice? Vocês consideram eles na hora de escolher o candidato?". Archived from the original on August 26, 2010. Retrieved August 30, 2010.
    26. ↑ http://revistapiaui.estadao.com.br/materia/ego-nas-alturas%5B%5D
    27. ↑ Notícias da TV (January 28, 2019). "Televisão perdeu relevância na campanha eleitoral, constatam marqueteiros · Notícias da TV". Noticiasdatv.uol.com.br. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
    28. ↑ "Jair Bolsonaro começa a divulgar 'Manifesto à Nação'". renovamidia.com.br. September 26, 2018.
    29. ↑ "City TV dons stilettos and vinyl". Los Angeles Times. May 28, 2007.
    30. ↑ "2008 NY NATAS Emmy Press Release" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 25, 2011. Retrieved February 22, 2009.
    31. ↑ "2009 NY Natas Official Emmy Winners Press Release" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 25, 2011. Retrieved April 1, 2009.
    32. ↑ "Young Guns Running the City's TV Network". Downtown Express. Retrieved July 20, 2007.
    33. ↑ SteamFeed Admin. ""BDC: The Price of Peace" by Channel Production Films Won a New York Emmy". SteamFeed. Archived from the original on November 25, 2015. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
    34. ↑ "Film | ADFF". Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved October 3, 2010.
    35. ↑ Weissberg, Jay (November 9, 2010). "Back Door Channels: The Price of Peace". Variety.
    36. ↑ Fisher Klingenstein Films (October 5, 2011). "'Back Door Channels: The Price of Peace' to Air on Public Television... -- NEW YORK, Oct. 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --" (Press release).
    37. ↑ McNary, Dave (June 21, 2011). "'Peace' doc roll out set". Variety.
    38. ↑ "'Back Door Channels' to Open 49th Monte Carlo Television Festival". Archived from the original on February 22, 2012. Retrieved March 23, 2016.
    39. ↑ "- Channel Production Films -".
    40. ↑ "Mayor michael r. bloomberg announces merger of wnye-tv and wnye-fm with nyc tv". Mayor's Office, City of New York. Archived from the original on October 10, 2006. Retrieved January 30, 2005.
    41. ↑ "NYC TV - Love It or Hate It". Gothamist. Archived from the original on September 14, 2008.
    42. ↑ Hu, Winnie (May 22, 2006). "One Television Station, and Countless Hours, Devoted to Pulse of New York Life". The New York Times. Retrieved April 25, 2010.
    43. ↑ NEW YORK TIMES, "One Television Station, and Countless Hours, Devoted to Pulse of New York Life" filed by Winnie Hu, 5.22.06
    44. ↑ Morfoot, Addie. "NYC TV shows to WNBC". Variety.
    45. ↑ Jazz Chill. "JAZZ CHILL".
    46. ↑ "Air raid". Time Out New York.
    47. ↑ "New York City Upgrades Radio Transmitter, Government Technology News". Archived from the original on January 24, 2013. Retrieved March 8, 2009.
    48. ↑ "Manhattan Borough President - Home". Manhattanbp.nyc.gov. Archived from the original on March 14, 2019. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
    49. ↑ "Municipal Television – A Clash Of Vision". Gotham Gazette. Archived from the original on October 29, 2006. Retrieved October 18, 2006.
    50. ↑ "Brewer Critical Of NYC-TV's Coverage". NY Sun. Retrieved September 16, 2006.
    51. ↑ "NYC.gov".
    52. ↑ Gold, Daniel M. (September 15, 2011). "Back Door Channels: The Price of Peace". The New York Times. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
    53. ↑ "What It's Like to Work for Billionaires: The Good, the Bad and the Notable". observer.com. March 16, 2017.
    54. ↑ "Moda e Beleza". SAPO Lifestyle. Archived from the original on January 22, 2015. Retrieved October 19, 2012.
    55. ↑ "Roupa para todas as mulheres - Boa Vida - Vida - O país em revista". Archived from the original on January 22, 2012. Retrieved October 19, 2012.
    56. ↑ "Diretor visita lojista do Grupo na Angola". Portal.morenarosagroup.com:9090. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
    57. ↑ pt:Morena Rosa Group
    58. ↑ "Minnesota loses bid for 2023 World's Fair; Argentina wins instead". StarTribune.com. November 15, 2017. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
    59. ↑ Kennedy, Patrick (October 8, 2018). "Inaugural MANOVA Global Health Summit kicks off". StarTribune.com. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
    60. ↑ "Forget Mexico: Trump Needs Bloomberg's 'Chinese Wall'". Observer.com. January 12, 2017.
    61. ↑ "What It's Like to Work for Billionaires: The Good, the Bad and the Notable". The New York Observer. March 16, 2017.
    62. ↑ consultant, Arick Wierson, political and branding (February 28, 2018). "In 2018 midterms, Democrats must win this House race-commentary". www.cnbc.com.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
    63. ↑ "Mitt Romney Might Become Trump's Next Great Nemesis". www.vice.com. December 14, 2018.
    64. ↑ Wierson, Arick (April 10, 2018). "Why Trump chickened out of going to Peru". www.cnn.com.
    65. ↑ "By Not Running for President, Michael Bloomberg Is Now the Obi-Wan Kenobi of Democrats". Observer.com. March 8, 2019.
    66. ↑ Glennon, Jen (March 4, 2020). "Bloomberg says he's Obi-Wan to Trump's Vader, so is Biden Luke Skywalker?". www.inverse.com.
    67. ↑ Seelye, Katharine Q. (July 31, 2006). "Developer's Son Acquires The New York Observer". www.nytimes.com.
    68. 1 2 "Arick Wierson". The New York Observer.
    69. ↑ "Power List". observer.com.
    70. ↑ "Arick Wierson, Author at Worth". www.worth.com.
    71. ↑ "Life Time Founder Bahram Akradi Says 'COVID-19 Is a Wake-Up Call'". www.worth.com. April 1, 2020.
    72. ↑ "Jeff Fritz on Icario and Health Care in a Post-COVID World". www.worth.com. January 5, 2021.
    73. ↑ "An Inside Look at the US Fintech Company With Its Finger on the Pulse of Gen Z". www.worth.com. July 8, 2020.
    74. ↑ "Arick Wierson, Author at The Robin Report". www.therobinreport.com.
    75. ↑ "Arick B. Wierson". IMDb.
    76. ↑ Wierson, Opinion by Arick (June 19, 2020). "White dad with Black kids: George Floyd was my wake-up call". www.cnn.com.
    77. ↑ open letter on CNN.com
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