Team
Lauren OdellPartner and Chief Operating Officer
Lauren Odell is partner and chief operating officer of Gladstone Place Partners. She manages the firm’s operations and leads strategy and execution on client engagements.
At Gladstone, Lauren has advised on a range of financial communications projects including The Walt Disney Company’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox assets, Acceleron Pharma’s sale to Merck for $11.5 billion, Dunkin Brands’ $11 billion sale to Inspire Brands, Alaska Airlines’ proposed acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines for $1.9 billion and Dell Technologies’ return to the public markets.
Lauren’s activism defense work includes working with The Walt Disney Company on its engagement with Trian Partners and Third Point Management, Illumina on its engagement with Icahn Enterprises, and Griffon Corporation on its engagement with Voss Capital.
Lauren advised WeWork throughout its capital-raising, strategic repositioning, leadership transition and its $9 billion SPAC merger with BowX Acquisition Corp. She has also advised CLEAR Secure on its initial public offering, Marriott International following a data security incident involving the Starwood guest database, and AB InBev and the board of Credit Suisse on their management transitions.
Lauren’s litigation experience includes supporting BP following the Deepwater Horizon accident and spill, Nikola during the fraud trial of its founder and Wayne-Sanderson Farms in antitrust litigation in Illinois. She has broad experience in investor relations issues, specifically designing strategies to effectively communicate with retail investors.
Prior to Gladstone, Lauren spent nine years at Brunswick Group. Lauren also worked in the Investment Banking and Investor Relations divisions of JPMorgan in New York and London. She graduated magna cum laude from Dartmouth College with a bachelor’s degree in Geography and is fluent in Spanish. Lauren lives in New York City with her husband and two children.