Mercury Taps Derek Jansen as California Managing Director

Communications Strategist and Political Consultant Derek Jansen Joins Mercury Public Affairs to Lead Sacramento Expansion

SACRAMENTO, Calif., July 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Mercury Public Affairs today announced that Derek Jansen has joined the global, bipartisan public strategy firm to lead their expansion into the Sacramento political, government relations, and communications market. Derek is a political and communications strategist with extensive experience working for political, government, and nonprofit clients facing electoral and advocacy challenges throughout California. He joins the California team led by Co-Chairs Herb Wesson, former Speaker of the Assembly and President of the City Council, and Partner Veronica Perez, as a Managing Director.

"As we continue to grow and expand Mercury's California business, we need a leader in the Sacramento area with experience and skill and Derek is the right addition to our team," said Herb Wesson, Co-Chair of Mercury California. "Advocacy, campaign work, and communications strategy are key functions of what we do and finding a person with the right combination of those skills is not easy.  With Derek, we've succeeded in finding all three and are looking forward to his bright future with Mercury."

"Because of the size of the California economy and its impact on policy discussions nationally and globally we have always thought that as a leading high-stakes public strategy firm, we needed to bring our expertise back to Sacramento," said Kieran Mahoney, CEO of Mercury Public Affairs. "Having Derek join Veronica and Speaker Wesson to build our presence here will provide California industry and organizations with access to our exceptional national network of proven talent in media, government, business, politics, and tech."

Prior to joining Mercury, Derek worked for a leading California issue advocacy and political communications firm for nearly a decade on a wide range of issues including education policy, climate action, public health, tobacco control, criminal justice, and affordable housing. Additionally, Derek served in a senior political role for Tom Steyer's NextGen Climate, cut his teeth in crisis communications at Singer Associates Public Relations, helped lead the Ed Lee for Mayor of San Francisco campaign (2011), and taught elementary school for two years in New York City as a Teach For America corps member.

Derek has served as an advisor and media consultant on political campaigns at the local, regional, and statewide levels, and will continue to serve as lead strategist, media consultant, and spokesperson for Ahsha Safaí for Mayor of San Francisco.

Derek lives in Sacramento with his wife, Victoria Hassid, and their daughter, Olivia.

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. In addition to New York, the firm has U.S. offices in Washington, D.C., California, New Jersey, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Texas. Mercury is a part of the Omnicom Public Relations Group.

About Omnicom PR Group (OPRG)

Omnicom PR Group (OPRG) is the largest global network of communications and consulting agencies in the world. It is home to three of the top global PR agencies Fleishman Hillard, Ketchum, and Porter Novelli, and more than a dozen specialist agencies in corporate and public affairs, political consulting and advertising, language strategy, global health strategy, and organizational transformation. OPRG is part of Omnicom (NYSE: OMC).

SOURCE Mercury Public Affairs