LOS ANGELES, CA – Mercury, a leading global, bipartisan public strategy firm announced the addition of Coca-Cola Company executive Peter R. Villegas as Co- Chairman to the Los Angeles office. After an extensive and successful career in corporate America, Villegas brings 27 years of experience as a regional and national corporate leader to Mercury, with expertise in government relations, community relations, corporate responsibility, business strategy and executive management.
“We couldn’t be happier for Peter to join the Mercury family, as we know he will be an invaluable leader to those who work alongside him at the firm, as well as to our clients,” said Mercury Co- Chairman John Ek. “As an executive who has been in management positions for over 15 years, and a renowned public affairs expert with seasoned skills, he will undoubtedly elevate our firm and the work we deliver.”
Villegas joins Mercury after serving as Vice President & Head of Latin Affairs at The Coca-Cola Company, where he acted as a national spokesman responsible for North America for over six years. There he developed and executed local, regional and national strategies that positioned The Coca-Cola Company as a leading corporate citizen in the U.S. Hispanic community, using his solid and well-established relationships with Hispanic and multi-cultural political, business, civic and community leaders across the country. He was also a member of the Coca-Cola North America Executive Leadership Team and the Coca-Cola Social Justice Committee.
“Mercury is incredibly excited to welcome Peter to our growing team in California,” said Mercury Partner and former Speaker of the California State Assembly Fabian Núñez. “He brings a breadth of knowledge when it comes to effectively engaging Hispanic and multi-cultural communities across the country and crafting strategies that promote thoughtful corporate citizenship. We look forward to integrating him into the team and being able to tap into his expertise to bolster our firm’s work.”
Prior to his tenure at The Coca-Cola Company, Villegas served as the Vice President of the Office of Corporate Responsibility at JP Morgan Chase & Co. with national responsibilities. For over two decades he developed unique approaches that made a lasting economic, environmental and social impact on communities the company served. Villegas started his career as a bank teller, working his way up through various roles in the financial industry.
“I am excited to be a part of a team filled with established public strategists that are unparalleled in their ability to get the job done and deliver for their clients,” said Villegas. “I look forward to providing Mercury with my own expertise and capabilities and producing unmatched results for those that I work with moving forward.”
Currently, Villegas is a Commissioner of the California State Athletic Commission, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute, the National Association of Latino Appointed & Elected Officials, and the U.S. Conference of Mayors Business Council and is the Chairman of the Inland Empire Economic Partnership.
Villegas was recognized by the Orange County Business Journal as one of the most influential Hispanics in Orange County, Calif., and in 2005, the Orange County Register identified him as one of the top 10 people who will help shape the next 100 years of Orange County. In 2012, he received the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Corporate Advocate of the year award. Villegas is regarded as one of the top Latino executives in corporate America by the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility and Hispanic Executive Magazine. In both 2019 and 2020, Villegas was recognized by Latino Leaders Magazine as one of the Most Influential Latinos in the country. Villegas was also listed as #20 of the 101 most influential Latinos in corporate America in the Winter 2020 edition of Latino Leaders Magazine.
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, California, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, Montana, Texas, Iowa, South Carolina 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.
Contact
John Ek
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310-947-6406