Rick French is chairman & chief executive officer of French/West/Vaughan (FWV), one of the nation’s largest independently-owned public relations, public affairs, advertising and digital media agencies. He is 2017 inductee of the North Carolina Media & Journalism Hall of Fame; has twice been named PR Agency Professional of Year; and is listed among the 300 “Most Influential Communicators in the World,” by PR Week.  But that’s only part of Rick’s resume: he is also a noted film financier and producer who serves as Managing Partner of Prix Productions; he co-owns the Daytona Tortugas, the Advanced A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds; and holds board seats and private equity investments in a half-dozen other media, sports and entertainment ventures. He is a national trustee of both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame + Museum in Cleveland, Ohio and the London-based Buddy Holly Educational Foundation.