Leading National Lobbyist John Ek Joins Mercury Public Affairs

LOS ANGELES, April 29, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Mercury, a leading global, bipartisan public strategy firm, announced today that John Ek, renowned California lobbyist and government relations strategist, has joined the company in the role of Co-Chairman. Ek, who has more than 25 years of experience lobbying at the local, state and federal level, will be joined by several senior members from his lobbying team, adding a wealth of talent to Mercury's top-tier government affairs teams in the firm's Los Angeles and Sacramento offices.

"John Ek is an incomparable talent in lobbying, known across the country for his expertise as a problem solver," said Fabian Núñez, Mercury partner and former speaker of the California State Assembly. "John's talents, combined with our outstanding slate of senior lobbyists across Mercury California, enable us to serve clients in any sector. This major addition places our government relations offering in a class all its own."

Ek comes to Mercury after more than 16 years running his own firm. In his titular role, Ek worked with myriad entities across the public and private sectors, managing extensive lobbying work across the United States. He is consistently recognized by the Los Angeles Business Journal (LABJ) and LA Weekly as one of Los Angeles' top lobbyists, and proudly holds the #1 position on LABJ's rankings of top lobbying firms. The team will continue to service government relations clients across city, state and federal levels. "I am thrilled to be joining Mercury and the firm's roster of talented strategists," said Ek. "This is a unique opportunity to join forces with such a well-known and highly respected group. I look forward to channeling my experience to best serve clients in California and nationwide."

Ek and his team are the latest in a series of senior hires by Mercury California. In November 2018, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa joined the firm as Co-Chairman. Mercury also welcomed Sacramento lobbyist Jodi Hicks and several senior members of her team last spring.

"John Ek is a standout in Los Angeles lobbying," said Villaraigosa. "I've known John for 30 years and have seen his talents in action on countless key initiatives in California and beyond. John has built a first-in-class lobbying team, and we are fortunate to integrate that roster into Mercury. This addition brings not only immense talent, but also proven leadership having led some of the biggest efforts in the city and state."

Prior to his lobbying work, Ek spent several years in public service. From 1990 to 1993, Ek served as the federal representative for the Southern California Rapid Transit District (RTD), the largest mass transit agency in the United States. In that role, Ek managed the federal legislative program and was responsible for securing funding for the MTA Gateway Center. He also secured funding for RTD's nation-leading alternative fuel program, securing federal funding for RTD's fleet of alternative fueled buses. 

From 1988 to 1990, Ek served as an aide to Congressman Glenn M. Anderson during his chairmanship of the Public Works and Transportation Committee. Ek later utilized this experience during his tenure with the Air Transport Association (ATA), the trade industry group for the U.S. airline industry. Representing ATA at the state and local government levels for the region spanning the Mountain West to Hawaii, Ek led several key statewide legislative efforts, and spearheaded a major victory in a financial policy battle with the City of Los Angeles.

"John's depth and breadth of knowledge across the policy spectrum will have an immediate and significant impact on the work we do for our clients," said Glenn Gritzner, Mercury partner and founder of the firm's Los Angeles office. "We are thrilled to welcome him aboard."

Ek will be based in Mercury's Los Angeles office. His team will have a presence in Los Angeles, Long Beach and Sacramento.

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, D.C., New York, Florida, California, New Jersey, Tennessee, Iowa, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, as well as international offices in London, Singapore, and Mexico City.  Mercury is a part of 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, fashion, public health and corporate social responsibility. It encompasses more than 6,000 public relations professionals in more than 330 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. 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