By Ted McDougal

Hear, hear! We applaud the nomination of proven business executives to economic, financial and regulatory positions of influence in the new administration. How refreshing to view the relationship between government and business as collaborative, rather than adversarial. In particular, the nomination of Jay Clayton to lead the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as tapping the deep talent pool at Goldman Sachs for Treasury Department nominee Steven Mnuchin and National Economic Council appointee Gary Cohn strike us as shrewd moves. The result is likely to be looser regulatory policies to relax provisions that have constrained economic growth. A recent Conference Board survey found optimism among U.S. business leaders at its highest level in six years, creating opportunities for communications and marketing professionals to prepare clients for the implications of greater capital markets activity in anticipation of accelerating global expansion.