HPS Names Michael Steel Partner
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Hamilton Place Strategies (HPS) announced that Michael Steel has been named partner at the firm.
For the past two years, Steel has served as managing director at HPS, advising several of the firm’s most high-profile clients, including nonprofit foundations, trade associations, and major corporations on issues as diverse as financial services, healthcare, tech, and tax reform.
“Becoming a partner means so much at our firm—you’re entrusted not only with growing the business, but also with continually working to improve our culture, talent, and strategic direction. Michael Steel has been doing these things since the first day he joined us,” said HPS founding partner Tony Fratto. “Michael is already such an important part of our team. We all value his talent, leadership, judgement, and his friendship. He isn’t just one of the best communicators in Washington, he’s one of the very best people in Washington. I couldn’t be happier that he’ll now be a permanent part of HPS’s leadership. We’re very lucky.”
Prior to joining HPS, Steel was a senior policy and communications advisor for former governor Jeb Bush’s presidential campaign. Previously, Steel was press secretary for House Republican Leader and later Speaker of the House John Boehner, where he managed and coordinated communications strategy on a range of issues. While in the Speaker’s office, he was involved in debates over spending, taxes, healthcare, financial regulations, energy security, and national security. Steel also served as press secretary for vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan in 2012 and as communications director for Republican members of the House Ways and Means Committee.
In addition to his role at HPS, Steel is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy, teaching courses on campaigns and Congress. He also just finished a semester as the Rankin Visiting Professor at the University of North Carolina’s School of Media and Journalism. A North Carolina native, Steel graduated from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill with a degree in journalism and mass communications and received a Master of Science from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism.