Pirozzolo Company Public Relations

"Great Powers Grand Strategies" Looks at the Global Consequences of a Regional Conflict

Book Review

by Dick Pirozzolo, Pirozzolo Company Public Relations, Boston

How regional conflicts become global conflagrations and what to do about it.

Throughout 2017, U.S. foreign policy has been conflicted, confusing, and churlish with the US withdrawal from the Transpacific Partnership, spats between the President and the Secretary of State, a paucity of foreign affairs officers and the threat of armed conflict between the US and North Korea involving China and Russia.

In this muddled foreign policy environment comes Great Powers, Grand Strategies, offering a thoughtful analysis of how a regional trouble spot in the Pacific—the South China Sea—can have far reaching global consequences that impact major world powers. The volume, edited by Anders Corr Ph.D., delivers much-needed insight into China’s behavior and desire to project its power worldwide. Its behavior in this vital region for shipping, fishing, and oil exploration has on occasion sparked armed conflict between China’s warships and Philippine and Vietnamese commercial and military vessels. Amidst the ongoing disputes, Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei and other Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) with a stake in maintaining peaceful, multifaceted trade relations with China are being blackmailed by China’s overreach. What is more, the United States needs maintain a Naval presence in the Pacific or cede American influence and power to China.

In an advance copy of Great Powers, Grand Strategies, to be released by the Naval Institute Press on January 15, 2018, Dr. Corr writes, "This book is the first to focus on major power grand strategies including economic, diplomatic, and military strategies, and their interrelationships so that we can explore how global actors are, on the one hand, contributing to the solution and, on the other hand, perpetuating conflict."

Dr. Corr, who publishes the Journal of Political Risk, cites China’s behavior in the Pacific and elsewhere in the world as ample reason for the US Navy to maintain its cautionary

Anders Corr with Filipino fishermen in the South China Sea

presence in the Pacific, which he regards as, "part of a global system of defense of not only the United States but its allies and values, which include international law, democracy, and human rights. To criticize the United States deployment in the Pacific as offensive without geographic context ignores the global picture and principles the United States is defending.”

He is quick to add, “Viewing China’s actions in the South China Sea as defensive against U.S. forward deployment ignores China’s similar offensive actions in the East China Sea and Himalayan region of India.” He decried China’s suppression of democracy, human rights, and international law in Asia and abroad and its efforts to remake global governance to its own advantage rather than on principles of democracy adding, “China’s South China Sea actions are offensive when viewed in this global context."

Dr. Corr calls into question China’s disputed claims to the Spratly Islands and sea lanes in the South China Sea and its maneuvering to control the territory militarily.  After having established its boot print in the area, Dr. Corr notes that China then began to demand joint oil and gas development and sovereignty agreements, with ASEAN nations. “Xi Jinping calls this a 'win-win solution,' I call it China’s take and talk strategy.”

The volume assembles the thinking of foreign policy scholars and practitioners Bill Hayton, Gordon Chang, Bernard Cole, James Fanell, and others who examine the conflict in the context of a global big picture. As editor, Dr. Corr juxtaposes the grand strategies of the great powers to determine the likely outcomes of the dispute, and suggests ways to defuse tensions that are likely to spill over to other regions.

Eric Gomez, Policy Analyst, Cato Institute lauded Great Powers, Grand Strategies “for exploring the strategies of ASEAN, Russia, and other important but overlooked actors in the dispute.”

Oct. 19 - the North Korean oil tanker Ryesonggang 1 connected to a Chinese ship. U.S. Govt. Satellite photo

Alessio Patalano, King's College London credited the book for examining, “the South China Sea as a locus of strategic competition where simmering maritime disputes have significant implications for major powers well beyond its confines, and where the international power balance is being redefined.”

Dr. Corr visited all South China Sea claimant countries, undertaking research in Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Brunei.  He has also conducted analysis for USPACOM, CENTCOM, and NATO, including work in Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Ukraine.

Dr. Corr is the founder and CEO of Corr Analytics in New York, which helps governments and businesses evaluate strategic and international political risks as part of their decision-making process. 

Dick Pirozzolo is managing director of Pirozzolo Company Public Relations an international corporate communications firm based in Boston, and coauthor of "Escape from Saigon" with Michael Morris that focuses on the events of April 1-30, 1975, the last month of Vietnam War.

 

 

 Great Powers, Grand Strategies

NAVAL INSTITUTE PRESS

Publication date: 15 January 2018

China & the Asia Pacific | 336 pp.

Hardcover & eBook: $34.95

ISBN: 978-1-68247-235-4

NAFTA Threats Spark US-Canada Talks in Boston on Energy Trade, Prices, Climate Change Initiatives

New England depends on Canada for hydro-electric and other clean energy sources.

Trump Administration policy on energy, energy trade, and climate change initiatives between the U.S. and Canada are among the issues to be covered at The New England-Canada Business Council’s (NECBC) 25^th Annual Energy Trade and Technology Conference being held November 8 and 9 at the Seaport Hotel in Boston.

Talks are expected to shed light on White House efforts to dismantle NAFTA and how it will impact energy supply and prices in New England as winter approaches.
 
Time and Place: 1 pm- 5:30 pm Wednesday, November 8; 8:30 am - 2:15 pm Thursday, November 9, Seaport Hotel, Boston. 

Coverage is invited
 
Keynote: 1:15 pm Thursday Nov. 9, Hon. Bardish Chagger, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Canada’s Minister of Small Business and Tourism.
 
Also featured are executives from clean energy providers, gas pipelines, electric and gas utilities, as well as academic leaders and other experts.
 
Entitled “Energy Partners Yesterday…Today…Tomorrow,” the NECBC conference will cover opportunities and constraints in cross-border energy exchanges, and the impact of a potential U.S. withdrawal from NAFTA on energy trade and prices.
 
“This region is on the verge of major commitments to clean energy options involving Canada,” said Jon Sorenson, president of the NECBC, adding, “Working together with Canada, we believe we can find solutions that are mutually beneficial and obtain the necessary project approvals to assure a bright energy future for our region and its economic growth. Canada has been a great partner to New England and we hope that current trade agreement uncertainties don’t undercut that relationship.”
 
The program with details on speakers and sessions is available at NECBC 
 
Preregistration is required. For further information and to register, contact:
 
Jim Grasso at 781-455-0226 (jgrasso@grassoassociates.net) or
Dick Pirozzolo at 617-959-4613 (dick@pirozzolo.com ).

"Boston Voyager" Profiles Pirozzolo Company Client Jeffrey Ornstein, CEO of J/Brice Design International

A sure sign of Boston's cultural evolution is the debut of Voyager Media here.

 

After exceeding a million views with its flagship magazine VoyageLA - the trendy lifestyle media company came East to publish Boston Voyager.

 

Boston Voyager identifies local businesses, entrepreneurs, independent artists, institutions that matter and those who contribute to making our city a world-class destination. Part of their objective is to showcase the leaders in Boston's independent creative community, so we were honored when the editors chose J/Brice Design International as one of its Most Inspiring Stories. 

 

I hope you enjoy the Boston Voyager article about J/Brice Design —beginning, its influence as a hospitality design innovator, and its outlook.

 

 

Boston Voyager wants to introduce you to Jeff Brice Ornstein. So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don't you give us some details about you and your story. I have been a hotel designer all my professional life. I started with the Saunders Family which owned three of the historic properties in Boston, and worked for several other firms before starting JBrice Design. Founded in 1989, we are a global design firm, having directed projects in excess of $5 Billion USD.  Our most recent signature engagements include the fabled HMS Queen Mary, the iconic urban landmark The Helmsley Hotel in New York, The Royal Tulip Alexandria, and the Jeddah Crown Plaza, scheduled to open 2017. J/Brice Design has been a Certified Interior Design Giant since 1993, and Architectural Giant since 1995. We consistently ranked among the leading interior design firms worldwide, specializing in interiors for the hospitality industry. Recently named Top Interior Design Firm of The Year by NEWH, the nation's largest professional hospitality organization, JBrice has also twice been identified as one of the Top Ten Fastest Growing Design Firms nationwide by Interior Design Magazine. We have over 220 hotel and restaurant projects to its credit, as well as a diverse portfolio of corporate and residential interiors. JBrice has also been recognized for its work with distinctions such as Best Upscale Hotel Design of the Year, Hotel of The Year, and Intercontinental Hotel Group Renovation of the Year, Best Luxury Suite, Most Ambient Hotel Lobby, and Best Guestroom. J/Brice is a preferred design group for Hilton Hotels, Marriott International/Starwood Hotels, Intercontinental Hotel Group, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, and Wyndham Worldwide Properties. International credentials include work for TAJ Hotels, Kempinski, Royal Tulip, and boutique properties in Dubai, UAE, Qatar, and The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.I grew up in New York and graduated from Brandeis University with continued studies at Harvard University's Graduate School of Design. I am a guest lecturer throughout the Middle East, Europe and North America, and was the first American named keynote speaker of the Kingdom Hotel Expansion and Investment World Summit in Riyadh, KSA. I have twice been a featured speaker at Concepts Middle East in Doha, Qatar, as well as in Interior Design & Construction India, and many times at Heimtextil, the world's largest international textile trade fair in Frankfurt, Germany.  Other speaking engagements include lectures at HD Expo, HD Boutique, HOTEC USA, Asia and Europe, and Hospitality Match USA, and Europe.  I'm a contributing editor to Hotel Executive Magazine, and am featured in Boutique Design Magazine, Hospitality Design, Lodging and Hospitality, Gulf Interiors, Byouteit Magazine, Hotel Business, The Commercial Observer, Young Hotelier, The Improper Bostonian, and Scene Magazine, who named me one of Boston's 12 Most Influential People.  Academic associations include being on the Board of Advisers at the Prestigious New York School of Interior Design, a Visiting Critic at The Boston Architectural Center and The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). I was called upon by my colleagues to be a Judge for the annual Hotel World Platinum Circle Awards in Las Vegas, and for The Boutique Design Global Hotel Design Awards. We're always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc - but we've spoken with enough people to know that it's not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you? Ouch... 30 years not all smooth! Three recessions in that time taught me a lot about business, people, my abilities (strengths and weaknesses) and priorities in life both personal and professional.  We'd love to hear more about your business. Much of this was included in your earlier questions, but I'm most proud of the character of JBrice. We are known to be exceptionally creative, responsible, and honorable. The average tenure of an employee at JBrice is well over 10 years.., with several over 20! WE take our responsibilities very seriously, and yet we never lose sight of the fact that work should be fun. (We're known to be a little irreverent as well). I am particularly proud of the many creative individuals whom I have played in part in their professional development, advancing the careers of so many who have go one to great things. When we were awarded top interior design firm of the year, dozens came out to celebrate. Many, if not most, expressed sincere thanks for my part in mentoring their careers, it was a magical evening. What were you like growing up? Brash. Funny. Confident. Loyal. Creative. Stubborn. Appealing. Troublemaker. Theatrical. Energetic. I loved having and cultivating new friendships, and adventure, and still do

J/Brice Renews Role as Uber Luxury Interior Design Powerhouse for Boston's Seaport District and Waterfront

“ The old New England conservatism with Chesterfield sofas and ship paintings with angry seas is over,” Jeffrey Ornstein, CEO, J/Brice Design

Burroughs Wharf Boston, a  J/Brice Design

During its 30 year history, the Boston-based design firm J/Brice Design International, Inc. has become the world leader by redefining luxury hotel, resort and residential interiors in oil-rich Gulf States.

The Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Dubai wanted to rebrand their sovereignties as the newest hot world destinations for wealthy travelers from Europe, North America and Asia. They began to host international entertainment such as world-class football, Formula-1 Racing and derby level horse racing and... they brought in Jeffrey Brice Ornstein, founder of J/Brice Design, to orchestrate a new international look for the five star hotels that were cropping up throughout the region.

"I was told I had an uncanny ability to recast the regional look in an international style that was also rooted in traditional Arabian themes
and esthetics. One of my clients said I was so good at putting the two worlds together that he dubbed me 'a cultural spy' and the name stuck." Ornstein made a name for himself designing properties such as The Kempinski Hotel and Towers, AL Khobar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the Grand Heritage Hotel and Spa in Qatar, as well properties in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Egypt.  

He is now bringing his global design sense home to Boston where he is setting new standards for luxury on Boston's Gold Coast, home to the city's most affluent residential real estate—The Waterfront and Seaport Districts. "This is where property values have soared to record-breaking levels paralleling San Francisco's and Manhattan's toniest neighborhoods. The new Boston urbanite demands an intentionally inspired high style. Staid New England traditional motifs are out," said Ornstein.

The firm is fully engaged in Boston with an array of recently commissioned residential projects. J/Brice’s hottest new-construction design contract is for 50 Liberty, being developed in Boston’s sizzling Seaport District by The Fallon Company as the ultimate in waterfront living. "50 Liberty is on track to establish a new benchmark for Boston residential property values and an A-list clientele," said Ornstein

J/Brice Design recently turned the clock ahead on I.M. Pei’s iconic Boston landmark, Harbor Towers, where Ornstein’s firm recently completed a $2.3 Million reinvention of the pioneering waterfront condominiums with fashion forward interiors. “Jeff took our 40 year-old buildings and made our public space new with sophisticated reimagined interiors that appeal to a wide variety of tastes,” said Ann Thornburg, former president of the condominium association board of trustees.

Ornstein’s firm also won accolades for its interiors at Burroughs Wharf. Marilyn Stempler, chairwoman of the design committee, noted, “Burroughs Wharf is a unique, high-end condominium development on the waterfront. Our vision was for a fresh, new elegant timeless design, which Jeff successfully fulfilled.”

In addition to 50 Liberty, Harbor Towers, Burroughs Wharf and Lewis Wharf, J/Brice Design current contracts include The Residences at The Intercontinental, The Residence at The W and, across the river in Cambridge, The Regatta Riverview, and The Riverfront Condominiums.

 Ornstein emphasized, “There is a style revolution going on and we’re putting Boston at the vanguard by creating an international luxury residential environment here. The city now parallels New York and other major cities for high-style, in-town luxury living. Wealthy young professionals here increasingly forego the suburbs. They are trading manicured lawns and six-car garages for high-end in-town properties with multiple amenities and, we are meeting that demand by delivering a fresh international style and luxurious flair to high-end residential life in Boston.”