Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Named Co-Chairman at Mercury

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Nov 13, 2018, 05:00 ET

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 13, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Mercury, a leading global, bipartisan public strategy firm, announced that former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has joined the firm as co-chairman. Villaraigosa's career has been defined by building broad bipartisan coalitions, earning support and respect from Democrats and Republicans alike, and his addition to the Mercury team builds upon the firm's robust bipartisan credentials in California and across North America.

"Mercury is relentlessly focused on delivering measureable business results for our clients by bringing to the table the most talented, bipartisan team from media, government, politics and business," said Mercury Chief Executive Officer Kieran Mahoney. "Mayor Villaraigosa is a proven leader and an exceptional strategist who is highly regarded and respected on both sides of the aisle. We are excited he has chosen to join our fast-growing global team."

As co-chairman, Villaraigosa will work with the global Mercury team, providing counsel and lending his unique and deep expertise to policy issues he has helped solve in government.

"I'm excited to join an exceptionally talented team that brings together the best of politics, policy and strategy to deliver winning results for clients here in California and around the world," said Villaraigosa. "I have spent my career working at the intersection of labor, government and business, and I look forward to bringing that experience to Mercury and helping our clients build even more success in the months and years to come."

Villaraigosa concluded his second term as mayor of Los Angeles in 2013. During an eight-year tenure, Villaraigosa led major strides in transportation, crime reduction, infrastructure, business development and education reform – even in the midst of the Great Recession.

In addition to his extensive work in Los Angeles, Villaraigosa also held a number of key leadership positions in national politics. He served as chair of the 2012 Democratic National Convention, president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors from 2011 to 2012 and a member of President Barack Obama's Transition Economic Advisory Board in 2008.

"Throughout his career, Mayor Villaraigosa has championed bipartisanship and pragmatic policymaking, and his depth of experience navigating complex business and governmental challenges will serve our clients well," added Mercury Partner and former Speaker of the California State Assembly Fabian Núñez.

Prior to his election as mayor, Villaraigosa served on the Los Angeles City Council from 2003 to 2005. From 1994 to 2000, Villaraigosa represented California State Assembly District 45 and served as Democratic Whip, Majority Leader and Speaker of the Assembly.

Since concluding his tenure in elected office, Villaraigosa has served as a fellow at Harvard Kennedy School's Institute of Politics, professor of the practice of policy at the University of Southern California's Sol Price School of Public Policy and senior fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Institute in Washington, D.C. He has also been a contributor for La Opinión, the largest Spanish-language newspaper in the United States.

About Mercury
Mercury is a high-stakes, bipartisan public strategy firm. The firm provides a comprehensive suite of services that includes federal government relations, international affairs, digital influence, public opinion research, media strategy and a bipartisan grassroots mobilization network in all 50 states. Our firm is not just led by top talent — we distinguish ourselves by having senior talent deeply engaged in each project from start to finish, a promise we keep to clients. The firm has an established global presence, with U.S. offices in Washington, DC, New York, California, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Tennessee, as well as international offices in London and Mexico City. Mercury is a part of the Omnicom Public Relations Group.

About Omnicom Public Relations Group
Omnicom Public Relations Group is a global collective of three of the top global public relations agencies worldwide and specialist agencies in areas including public affairs, marketing to women, global health strategy and corporate social responsibility. It encompasses more than 6,300 public relations professionals in more than 370 offices worldwide who provide their expertise to companies, government agencies, NGOs and nonprofits across a wide range of industries. Omnicom Public Relations Group delivers for clients through a relentless focus on talent, continuous pursuit of innovation and a culture steeped in collaboration. Omnicom Public Relations Group is part of the DAS Group of Companies, a division of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) that includes more than 200 companies in a wide range of marketing disciplines including advertising, public relations, healthcare, customer relationship management, events, promotional marketing, branding and research.

SOURCE Mercury Public Affairs