Mercury Welcomes Public Policy Strategist Patrick Henning as Managing Director

Sacramento, CA (December 10, 2020) – Mercury, a leading global, bipartisan public strategy firm, announced the addition of Patrick Henning as a Managing Director to the firm’s Sacramento office. A seasoned public policy strategist and veteran of California government affairs, Henning brings decades of crisis communications and advocacy expertise at the federal, state and municipal levels.

“We are thrilled to welcome Patrick Henning – and his exceptional track record of leadership and success – to the Mercury family,” said Mercury Partner and former Speaker of the California State Assembly Fabian Núñez. “Patrick has a long history of public service, and his expertise will bolster the word-class solutions we provide for our clients in California and beyond. His knowledge and firsthand experience in the inner workings of California government and politics make him a natural fit and a valuable addition to Mercury’s California team.”

Henning joins Mercury after serving as Senior Vice President of Government Relations and Public Affairs at California Life Sciences Association (CLSA), California’s leading trade association advocating for and supporting the life sciences sector. In this role, Henning led CLSA’s integrated government relations, advocacy, policy, communications, and political operations at the federal, state, and local levels.

“Mercury’s Sacramento office looks forward to working with Patrick, whose skills and capabilities make him a proud addition to our growing team,” Mercury Partner Duncan McFetridge said. “Having served in the highest levels of California government, Patrick’s capabilities, relationships, and expertise will allow us to elevate our work and provide increased value to our great team of experts and clients.”

Prior to his work at CLSA, Henning served in the administrations of the last four Governors of California and was the Director of the California Employment Development Department and served as Chief Deputy Appointments Secretary for California Governor Jerry Brown. Previously, Henning worked as the Legislative Advocate at the California State Council of Laborers (LiUNA) and was appointed by the California Governor as Assistant Secretary for Legislation and Intergovernmental Affairs at the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency, an agency he helped create. Prior to that, Henning was appointed Deputy Director for Legislation at the California Department of Industrial Relations.

Before his work in California, Henning worked in Washington, D.C as Congressional Liaison and Special Advisor to President Bill Clinton and Legislative Assistant to Congressman Vic Fazio.

Henning recently served as the elected Secretary for the National Association of State Workforce Agencies. He was also a Governor appointed member of the California Workforce Development Board, the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission (Prop. 63), and the California Career Technical Education Standards and Framework Advisory Group. Henning also served as the Chairman of the West Sacramento Economic Development Advisory Committee. Henning joins Mercury’s California presence alongside firm Co-Chairs former Senator Barbara Boxer and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

“I am delighted to join Mercury’s incredible team in California, as well as the firm’s roster of renowned experts nationwide,” said Patrick Henning. “I look forward to bringing my years of problem-solving at the highest levels of government and business to the exciting clients at Mercury.”

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
Duncan McFetridge
[email protected]
916-717-4950