BSG continues expansion, adding new CFO, CTO & five new team members. WASHINGTON, D.C. - Bullpen Strategy Group (BSG) today announced the hiring of Charles Maffey as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), the promotion of Aaron Baer to the newly-created role of Chief Technology Officer (CTO), and five new hires to the Media Intelligence and Research & Analysis practices. BSG has now grown to nearly 60 team members across three offices in Washington, DC, Dallas, and London. BSG's new CFO Charles Maffey previously served as acting CFO at McChrystal Group, an international leadership consulting firm, where he oversaw accounting, treasury, audit, and internal controls; led a financial turnaround; and advised ownership and the board of directors on strategic planning. He previously spent more than a decade as CFO and Principal of Albero LLC in Washington, DC, advising private equity groups, law firms, banks, and operating companies on financial strategy, M&A, enterprise risk, and litigation support. Charles holds an MBA from the University of Denver and is a graduate of the University of Colorado. In the newly-created CTO role, Aaron Baer will focus exclusively on harnessing BSG's unique datasets - including years of high-impact research and media intelligence work - into AI-powered tech tools to help its clients gain better insights and make faster, more informed decisions. Over the past year, BSG has rolled out its RaptorAI platform across the entire firm greatly enhancing client workflows and launched several technology products - including BSG Rotunda for AI-powered legislative monitoring. Most recently, Aaron served as Managing Director of BSG's public records and business intelligence subsidiary Kyber Research. He has a long and distinguished background at the intersection of media intelligence, research, and technology. He previously led the design and execution of rapid response operations for a number of advocacy and political campaigns in Washington, DC and across the country. Aaron is a graduate of Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas. "The additions of Charles and Aaron in these key roles will strengthen our core business and double-down on our investments in technology, powering our next wave of growth at BSG," said CEO Joe Pounder. "Over the past year, BSG has made significant investments in both our people and service offerings, with a dedicated focus on developing our proprietary AI capabilities and a range of new AI-powered products to help solve client challenges. Charles and Aaron will help lead the charge as we scale." BSG further announced five new team members joining the team in BSG's Washington, DC and London offices: Taylor Hawthorne, Natalie Huber, and Nick Corbett as Associates in the Media Intelligence practice, and Amelia Costello and Madison Coleman as Associates in the Research & Analysis practice.

General Stanley McChrystal's New Book On Character Sparks National Dialogue Ahead of America's 250th AnniversaryWASHINGTON, April 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to growing concerns among the American people about the erosion of core values, More Perfect—an alliance of 37 Presidential Centers and over 100 civic partners —today announced the launch of Conversations on Character, a series of public events across the country designed to foster reflection on personal and national character.This initiative coincides with the release on May 13 of General (Ret.) Stanley McChrystal's new book, On Character , which draws from his extensive military career to explore lessons learned from success and failure and the discipline required to live up to one's beliefs. The book serves as a catalyst for the series, inviting Americans to reflect on how individual decisions reflect their own values and collectively how they shape the country's character.A recent Ipsos survey conducted for the Medal of Honor Foundation reflects the potential willingness for Americans to embrace this conversation: 87 percent of Americans believe the country would benefit from stronger values, and 82 percent feel that American society is now less values-based compared to previous generations. Furthermore, 9 out of 10 Americans consider integrity, commitment, citizenship, and courage essential values.In a recent New York Times op-ed, General McChrystal emphasized the importance of confronting our fears and embracing courage to strengthen our national character. He wrote, "The strength of our character is not defined by the absence of fear but by our ability to face it, to rise above it and to live, and lead, with integrity. It is in these moments that we show the true measure of our resolve." He continued, "Fear is not a force to be defeated by force alone, but by the steady adherence to rules that govern both our actions and our hearts. In this, we will find not just a defense against fear, but also the foundation of our strength."The first event of Conversations on Character with General McChrystal at a Presidential Center will be held at George Washington's Mount Vernon on May 29, 2025