PRINCIPALS/PROFILES
Thomas Krens, Chairman & CEO
New York, NY, USA
Director Emeritus Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation New York
Former Director and Chief Artistic Officer Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation New York 1988-2008
Recent: For 20 years, Director and Chief Artistic Director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, which oversees and operates five museums—the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, Italy, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain, the Deutsche Guggenheim Berlin, and the Guggenheim Hermitage Museum Las Vegas; produced 292 exhibitions for the Guggenheim network (1988-2008). As Guggenheim Director, Mr. Krens doubled the size of the Guggenheim Collection; completed two major restorations of the Frank Lloyd Wright designed Guggenheim Museum New York; doubled the size of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection Venice; increased Foundation endowment from $25 million to $130 million; and conceived of and executed Guggenheim Museum Bilbao and Deutsche Guggenheim Berlin.
Awards/Education: Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degrees from Yale University (2004), Williams College (2003), and the State University of New York at Albany (1990); Golden Lion Prize for Architectural Patronage at the Venice Architecture Biennale (2000); Lifetime Achievement Award, Americans for the Arts (2007); decorated with the Order of the Aztec Eagle by the Government of Mexico (2007); MBA Yale University (1984); MA State University of New York (1971); BA Williams College (1969).
History: Assistant Professor of Art History, Williams College (1974-1982); Director of the Williams College Museum of Art and Adjunct Professor of Art History (1982-1988); Lecturer, Yale University School of Management 1990-1991); founder and Chairman of the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) 1988-1992.
James Pihakis, Vice President of Operations, Middle East
North Adams, USA
James Pihakis, Ph.D., has served as senior project manager for Global Contemporary Asset Management since 2018. Mr. Pihakis manages and oversees development, operations, hiring, R&D, and programming for globally significant arts and culture institutions internationally. Working closely with Thomas Krens, Mr. Pihakis has contributed to the company’s development while further articulating its vision.
In addition to overseeing the day-to-day operations of the GCAM offices in North Adams and New York, Mr. Pihakis has worked closely with GCAM’s design and architecture departments, overseeing the entirety of each project’s elements and outcomes. In addition, he has developed relationships with international government agencies and affiliated entities to garner the necessary support to deliver this project on budget and on schedule.
For the past 15 years, Mr. Pihakis has worked at the intersection of art, culture, and academia. He holds degrees in Philosophy, Narrative Theory, Critical Theory, Cultural Studies, and Literature, including a PhD in Comparative Literature from the University of Cincinnati, 2013.
Jung Ah Suh, Director of Communications
Los Angeles, North Adams, USA
Jung Ah Suh has twenty-six years of brand strategy and marketing management experience. She is the Founder and Creative Director of MEWS, a strategic brand and marketing consultancy focused primarily on digital experiences through new technologies.
As President and Chief Creative Officer for Arnell, a brand marketing firm in New York (1995-2011), Jung Ah Suh created Innovation Lab which was responsible for leading brand ideation, strategy, communications and the development of intellectual properties to advance companies’ growth and image. She led and directed 4 multi-disciplinary groups; design strategy, industrial design, environmental design and multi-media, challenging and defining the ultimate purpose and value of consumer products to consumer experience. During her tenure at Arnell, she has worked with clients such as Samsung, Mikimoto, Iceberg, Masterfoods, Reebok, GNC, Gucci, Fontainebleau, Kerzner International, Goop, Chrysler, PepsiCo, Home Depot, Guggenheim, and The Special Olympics.
In 2019 she joined GCAM to develop the communications and public relations platforms for GCAM.
Nick Krens, Director of Strategy
New York, USA
Nick joined the GCAM staff in 2019 and is responsible for overseeing hospitality, client relations and communication, and serves as advisor to GCAM’s CEO. As Director of Strategy, Nick has worked and advised on projects globally, contributing to master plans, museum concept development, as well as GCAM’s business development. In 2019 and 2020, Nick was head liaison between the GCAM and architectural teams (Bjarke Ingels Group and Ateliers Jean Nouvel) for AMAALA’s Miraya Cultural District Masterplan architecture competition.
As one of Thomas Krens’ project advisors and representatives, Nick has built close ties with leading architects, curators, artists and museum directors, such as Jean Nouvel, Frank Gehry, Michael Govan, and Joseph Thompson. Nick is based at GCAM’s New York branch. Nick Krens graduated from George Washington University in Washington DC with a degree in History.
Daniel J. Arbess, Chief Investment and Strategy Officer
New York, USA
Daniel J. Arbess is a professional investor and policy analyst recognized for his prescient calls on multi-year macro economic and geopolitical developments. He is a former Partner and Head of the Global Privatization practice group at White & Case from 1992, co-founder of investment firms Stratton Investments and Triton Partners (’95-’02) and founder of Xerion Investments and the $3.25 Billion Xerion Hedge Funds, which he managed from 2003 to 2014. Dan is a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and co-Founder of No Labels, a U.S. political organization promoting collaboration across the political spectrum. Mr. Arbess is a former senior managing partner in the investment banking firm of Pirella Weinberg Partners in New York, and a graduate of York University in Toronto and Harvard Law School.
John DeRosa, General Counsel
North Adams, USA
Attorney John DeRosa serves as General Council to GCAM. A diverse and seasoned practitioner, DeRosa has been serving clients for over fifty years. He has provided services across a broad range of legal disciplines, including in his earlier years, a litigation practice, civil and criminal.
His decades of practice in the area of Public Law include extensive work in the area of public-private contracts, the relationship between non-profit and for profit corporations, the drafting and securing of the passage of state legislation, and other work with government leaders and agencies at the local, state, and federal level. Among other things, he was the primary author of a series of complex legal agreements between the public and private entities that created and govern the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA).
Regarding public and municipal law, attorney DeRosa served as counsel for municipalities throughout the Berkshires and Western Massachusetts, including representing the City of North Adams and Pittsfield.
John received his law degree from Boston College School of Law, and his bachelor's degree from the College of the Holy Cross. In 2011, he was the recipient of an Honorary Degree as Doctor of Laws from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. John DeRosa is admitted to practice in all Massachusetts courts and federal districts, and the United States Supreme Court.
Zhicong Zhou, Director of Special Projects for China
Shanghai, China
As the Deputy Director of Shanghai MoCA, Zhicong Zhou is responsible for museum exhibitions and general management for Shanghai MoCA, and has worked with GCAM since 2008. Mr. Zhou also serves as a consultant to the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, MA on exhibition programs related to China. He formerly served as Director of International Affairs for the Shanghai Museum, and has worked extensively with the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York on numerous special exhibition projects, including China: 5000 Years and America 300. He has 25 years of experience in organizing international programs for major museums. Based in Shanghai, Mr. Zhou has participated in all of the 11 projects GCAM has undertaken in China.
Dustin Capek, Art Director
North Adams, USA
Dustin is a multidisciplinary artist, focusing on design and illustration. As a fine arts major at Lafayette College in Easton P.A. he took the opportunity to study painting and sculpture in Varanasi, India. Following this, Dustin worked in Boulder C.O. at Madelife as a Design Coordinator responsible for training graphic design interns and producing in-house content. He then finished his studies at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn N.Y. as a graphic design major in the Communications Design program. At Pratt he honed his skills in type, print, branding, design, art history and continued developing rigorous draftsman hand skill. In his final year Dustin was selected for the honor of displaying an installation of work in the Pratt Design Showcase, afterwards joining GCAM mid 2019.
Sarah Molloy, Senior Project Manager & Research Analyst
North Adams, USA
Sarah Molloy joined the GCAM staff as a Research Analyst in 2019. Since then, she has become one of the Senior Research Analyst at the North Adams branch, responsible for conducting research for major institutional reports, developing company database resources, capturing the latest global cultural market trends and assets, and managing progress and productivity.
Sarah reports to the Director of Research and executive team members. In addition to research and development, she oversees the CEO Thomas Krens’ professional schedule, as well as various ad hoc projects. Sarah graduated from the University of Vermont with a degree in Art History.
Harmon Pardoe, Director of Research
North Adams, USA
Harmon Pardoe joined GCAM in 2019, and currently works as Director of Research, overseeing the research and production team that contributes to project completion, database development and organization, and art market research. He acts as a project manager to deliver clients’ ambitions in a clear and concise manner in line with trends in contemporary museology.
In addition to managing ongoing research projects, Harmon acts as Project Manager for Acquisitions and Programming, developing content narratives and strategies to maximize the scope and impact of museums worldwide. Such projects have included The Red Sea Contemporary Art Museum at AMAALA, the Saudi Arabia National Museum of Contemporary art (SAMoCA), The Royal Arts Complex Museum of World Cultures (RACM), and the Digital Art Museum (DAM) in Riyadh. Harmon graduated from Williams College with a degree in German, as well as in History, with honors.
Chris Li, Architect
North Adams, USA
Chris joined GCAM in 2020 as a lead architect, responsible for the production of architectural design, renderings, and schematics for museum concepts, cultural districts, and project reports.
He previously worked in Chicago as an architect I for Lucien Lagrange Studio, a high-rise design firm, developing design drawings, schematic designs, graphics, and client management. Prior to this position we worked as a 3D artist for Nephew LLC, an architectural visualization firm, where his work included landscape development, site modeling, interior asset development and rendering.
Chris Li received his Masters in Architecture and Urban Design from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a Bachelors of Architecture from the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing.
Fozia Murphy, Business Office Manager & Executive Assistant to Thomas Krens
North Adams, USA
Fozia Murphy joined the GCAM team in 2021 as the Office Manager of our North Adams, MA location; she also serves as executive assistant to CEO Thomas Krens. Fozia is responsible for the day-to-day operations of running our headquarter office. She is responsible for organizing and coordinating office operations and procedures as well as maintaining financials for GCAM. In addition to office management, she oversees Thomas Krens’ professional schedule, as well as various projects in the growth of the company. Fozia tenure with management experience comes from working for companies like General Electric in several divisions spanning operations, engineering, contract management, legal and manufacturing.
Fozia brings with her over twenty years of experience supporting executives and office management, she is an alum of Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Cullen Drissell, Research Assistant & Special Assistant to the CEO
St. Louis, MO, USA
Cullen joined GCAM in 2021 to oversee the opening of a new office in St. Louis, Missouri. Currently, he assists the team in North Adams with research, analysis, and report building, specializing in technology and digital art research. He also manages the day-to-day functions of the St. Louis office and acts as special assistant to CEO Thomas Krens.
Cullen received a BA in computer science from Bard College in 2020. While in school, the focus of his studies revolved around the areas of computer vision, operating systems, and artificial intelligence. He has professional experience in both network automation and database design having worked at Panera Bread as a part of their network engineering team and in the data systems department of a local non-profit in St. Louis.
Soban Mehmood, Research Specialist
North Adams, USA
Soban joined GCAM in 2022 as a Research Specialist. He assists the team in North Adams with research, analysis and database management on various short- and long-term projects. He brings an academic background in Economics and Religious Studies through a BA from Williams College, which he received in 2021. He is interested and experienced in entrepreneurship, econometric and data analysis, and issues in global development.
Luke Anselmi, Research Specialist
North Adams, USA
Luke Anselmi joined the GCAM team as a Research Specialist in 2022. Having received his BA from Williams College in 2020 and his MSc from the London School of Economics and Political Science in 2021, Luke is interested in the intersection of global politics, economics, and culture with a regional emphasis on the Middle East. Following completion of his degree in London, he lived in Amman, Jordan where he studied at a full-time Arabic language school while working as a Research Assistant at the King Hussein Foundation. He most recently worked as a member of the Middle East team at geopolitical consulting firm, Albright Stonebridge Group, in Washington. D.C.
Christine Carletta, Research Specialist
North Adams, USA
Christine Carletta joined the GCAM team as a Research Specialist in 2022. She received her BA in History from Marist College in 2019 and has her Master's in Museum Studies from L'Instituto Lorenzo de Medici in Florence, Italy in conjunction with Marist Italy. She has a passion for museums, more specifically education in the arts and creating access to said education for as many people as possible. She recently moved to North Adams from Bergen County, NJ and has enjoyed getting more familiar with the area. Her most recent position prior to starting with GCAM was as a member of the education staff at the Clark Art Institute in nearby Williamstown. She's excited for the new opportunities with GCAM and learning more about the museum world from a new perspective.
Carson Ball, Research Specialist
North Adams, MA
Carson Ball joined GCAM as a Research Specialist in 2022. He works with the North Adams team to complete research analysis, database management, and report building over artists, cultural assets and institutions.
Carson received a BA in Political Science and Native American Studies from the University of Oklahoma in 2020. Upon graduation he was chosen as a Fulbright Scholar, and attended the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. Graduating with a MA in Political Science, his thesis analyzed global policies and procedures surrounding repatriation of Indigenous cultural property and proposed solutions for improvement. Carson's most recent work before GCAM was with the United Nations Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous People (EMRIP) researching the geopolitical climates that lead to the militarization of indigenous lands.
Kate Rathman, Research Specialist
North Adams, MA
Kate Rathman joined GCAM in 2022 as a research specialist to assist the North Adam’s team in compiling institutional reports and research analysis for projects in the cultural sector.
She brings with her previous professional experience working in renowned cultural and academic institutions including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and MoMA PS1 in New York and the Museo Novecento in Florence, Italy. Additionally, she’s worked with such artists as Wolfgang Laib and Mierle Laderman Ukeles to develop projects and exhibitions on an international scale. Kate holds an MA in Museum Studies from Marist College, where she dedicated her master's thesis to researching examples of artist interventions that challenged outdated museological paradigms.
Wilson Lam, Research Specialist
North Adams, USA
Wilson Lam joined GCAM as a Research Specialist in 2022. As part of the research team, he helps conduct analyses and compile reports for projects regarding cultural institutions around the world.
Wilson graduated from Williams College in 2022 with a degree in English and Anthropology (Honors). In his time at Williams, he curated exhibitions in collaboration with the Williams College Museum of Art and Williams College Special Collections.