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Christie 55 Solutions

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About Us

Christie 55 Solutions

We are a New Jersey based consulting firm headed by former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. We provide strategic counsel and consulting services to assist clients with their business strategies and opportunities, and with complex public policy and regulatory challenges at the state, federal and international levels.

Meet Our Team

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What We Do

Our Practice Areas

Christie 55 Solutions represents corporate, government and association clients on a wide range of issues across numerous sectors of the economy. We develop and execute customized strategies and action plans based on each client’s business objectives and public policy priorities. The firm’s current practice areas focus on:

Business Strategy & Transformation

Rich Bagger and Bob Martin bring significant business strategy and planning and business transformation expertise to the Christie 55 team. Rich has more than 25 years’ experience in the health care sector, including as the chief corporate affairs officer for two global biopharmaceutical companies and as legal counsel for a health insurance plan. Prior to public service, Bob was a Partner at Accenture LLP with over 25 years of experience consulting to a broad variety of businesses and industries, and trusted advisor to senior executives to help them achieve their vision and create value. He has extensive skills and experience in all aspects of business and management consulting, including business strategy and planning, business transformation and operations reengineering, IT strategy, systems implementation and change management. In government, Bob transformed the NJ Department of Environmental Protection to be a more effective, efficient, and customer focused organization, while continuing to protect the natural resources of the state.

Crisis Management and Communications

With Governor Christie’s experience as U.S. Attorney and Governor of New Jersey and Rich Bagger’s experience as the senior most global corporate affairs officer (including both government relations and communications) for two Fortune 500 companies, Christie 55 Solutions is well positioned to advise clients in preparing for and managing major public crises, such as legislative investigations, litigation, and significant brand or product issues. We can bring boardroom level strategy and political campaign execution speed to support senior executives in proactively addressing high-stakes situations.

Disaster Response and Recovery

Following Hurricane Sandy’s devastating landfall in New Jersey in October 2012, Governor Christie led his state’s immediate response, multi-year recovery, and long-term resilience strengthening from what was at that time the costliest hurricane in U.S. history. To support New Jersey’s recovery, Mary Pat Christie established and chaired the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund, which raised and distributed over $40 million to help New Jersey residents rebuild their homes and small businesses reopen their doors. Christie 55 Solutions has the capabilities and experience to support clients in strengthening their readiness for disasters and, if necessary, in recovering from them. Bob Martin, as the Commissioner of NJ’s Department of Environmental Protection, played a key leadership role under Governor Christie in coordinating the State’s preparation and response, and long-term rebuilding from natural disasters, especially for Superstorm Sandy in 2012.

Environmental and Land Use Strategy & Regulations

Bob Martin brings significant knowledge and experience to the Christie 55 Solutions team having served as New Jersey’s Commissioner of Environmental Protection under Governor Christie from 2010 to 2018. Bob managed over 2,800 professionals and a multi-million dollar annual state budget and other federal and state resources. He effectively implemented DEP’s mission to protect the air, water, land and natural and historic resources of the state. He has deep knowledge and expertise in state and federal environmental and land use laws and regulations, and working with numerous federal agencies and departments.

Financial Services

Mary Pat Christie’s financial services experience includes expertise in high yield and distressed capital debt markets, insight into numerous industries and leadership in the Hampshire/Christie Opportunity Zone Fund. Christie 55 Solutions combines financial services industry experience with the government and public policy capabilities to support financial services clients with complex legislative and regulatory issues.

Government Relations and Public Policy Strategy

In addition to Governor Christie’s extensive federal and state government service, Rich Bagger led state, federal and international government relations and public policy for both Pfizer Inc and Celgene Corporation. With their combined experience, Christie 55 Solutions assists clients in developing and executing government relations and public policy strategies across the states and with the federal government. We work with each client to thoroughly understand their business objectives and policy priorities, identify government relations opportunities and challenges, and support execution of engagement plans with policymakers and other stakeholders.

Gaming

Governor Christie led the fight to legalize state regulated sports gaming, initiating a six-year battle in the federal courts and persevering through six judicial setbacks before convincing the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case, Christie v. NCAA, et. als., in December 2017. He prevailed in May 2018, when by a vote of 6-3 the Supreme Court permitted each state to legalize sports gaming. Since the Court’s decision, Governor Christie has been invited to speak across the country to state lawmakers and members of the gaming industry to advise them on the best way to implement sports gaming. There are now a growing number of states which have legalized sports gaming. Each state has a somewhat different approach and, therefore, each state necessitates a unique strategy to enter and succeed in that market. Christie 55 Solutions has the expertise and capabilities to advise and support clients engaged in or considering entering the sports gaming market.

Health Care

Governor Christie has a decades long commitment to addressing the scourge of drug and alcohol abuse. He devoted much of his second term as Governor to fighting the opioid crisis gripping his state and the nation. President Trump appointed Governor Christie to chair the President’s Commission on Combatting Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis, ultimately delivering more than 65 substantive recommendations, all of which were adopted by the President. Rich Bagger worked for more than 25 years in the health care sector, including as the chief corporate affairs officer for two global biopharmaceutical companies and as legal counsel for a health insurance plan. Christie 55 Solutions represents clients across the health care sector, providing a range of services from strategic advice to public affairs counsel.

International Trade

Governor Christie was appointed by President Obama to serve on his Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations and has extensive experience in direct bilateral engagement with Heads of Government and Ministers from countries around the world. Rich Bagger chaired the Global Innovation Policy Center of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the International Section Executive Committee of the Pharmaceutical Researchers and Manufacturers of America, both of which focused on trade policy issues. Christie 55 Solutions advises clients on matters involving the U.S. trade relationship with foreign governments and in developing solutions for businesses impacted by international trade issues.

Utilities & Energy

In addition to Governor Christie’s knowledge and experience setting and directing the State of New Jersey’s Energy Master Plan and energy policy for 8 years, Bob Martin brings over 25 years of utility and energy knowledge and experience in the private sector as a Partner at Accenture LLP. Bob has demonstrated expertise in all the key aspects of the utility industry, including electric generation, electric & gas transmission, and electric, gas and water distribution operations. Expertise also includes offshore wind, solar and other renewable energy sources, distributed generation, energy resiliency and reliability, nuclear power and decommissioning of nuclear power plants. This includes working with utilities in the UK for 5 years and doing significant consulting work throughout Europe and Canada. Bob also brings 8 years of energy and environmental policy experience and knowledge in offshore wind and solar energy and energy policy as the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
What’s Happening

News & Media

03Nov

Governor Christie Provides Recommendations to the Coronavirus Mental Health Working Group

Governor Christie's recommendations to the Working Group focus on the opioid epidemic and encourage policy actions that build upon the recommendations of the President's Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis, which he chaired. Specifically, Governor Christie called for expanded access to medication-assisted therapy for opioid use disorder through greater regulatory flexibility for the use of telemedicine and by authorizing specialized health practitioners to treat greater numbers of patients.

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21Oct

Outlet: Wall Street Journal

I Should Have Worn a Mask

By: Chris Christie

For seven months I was very careful about mask wearing, social distancing and hand washing. As someone with asthma, I knew I faced heightened risk. Then, at the Rose Garden nomination event for Judge Amy Coney Barrett, and during debate preparations with President Trump, I let my guard down and left my mask off. I mistook the bubble of security around the president for a viral safe zone. I was wrong. There is no safe zone from this virus.

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23Sep

Outlet: ROI-NJ

Keep it simple, New Jersey: Make budget serve residents

Last week, Rich Bagger, former state senator and assemblyman, and former chair of the Assembly Appropriations Committee, spoke to a group of interested taxpayers and property owners brought together by the Garden State Initiative. Bagger offered his analysis of the current budget proposal and outlined an alternative budget strategy based on three straightforward steps that could be pursued by our legislators.

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