Former Senior State Department Advisor to Lead Strategic Communications at the MPA
Jonathan Powell Previously Served Top Biden and Obama Cabinet Officials and Congressional Leaders
WASHINGTON – The Motion Picture Association has hired Jonathan Powell, a seasoned advisor to Cabinet secretaries, Congressional leaders, and other top officials in the Biden and Obama administrations, as Senior Vice President for Strategic Communications.
Based out of the MPA’s global headquarters in Washington DC, Powell will report to both Charles Rivkin, MPA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and the MPA’s Executive Vice President of Media Relations and Communications. In this newly created role, Powell will drive strategic communications, in particular, shaping the organization’s messaging to local, national, and regional stakeholders around the world.
“I am delighted to have Jonathan join the MPA,” Rivkin said. “His global policy expertise and his gift for connecting with a wide range of audiences around the world, honed through years of service at the highest levels of the U.S. government, make him the ideal choice for this important new role.”
Powell joins the MPA from the Department of State, where he served under former Secretary John Kerry and most recently as a senior advisor to Deputy Secretaries Wendy Sherman, Richard Verma, and Victoria Nuland. He has previously advised Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, as well as Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, former Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker, and former Los Angeles Mayors Eric Garcetti and Antonio Villaraigosa. In these roles, he led on speechwriting, public diplomacy, press engagement, social media, and strategic communications.
“Storytelling is the beating heart of this iconic industry, and I am honored to join the world-class team at the MPA to help share the story of the more than 2.7 million American workers who develop, create, and produce films and TV shows loved by audiences worldwide,” said Powell. “The MPA is the leading advocate, at home and abroad, for the creative forces that inspire, engage, educate, and entertain people on screens large and small – and it’s a privilege to play a role in shaping that voice.”
###
About The Motion Picture Association
The Motion Picture Association (MPA) serves as the leading voice and advocate of the motion picture, home video, and television industries. It works in every corner of the globe to advance the creative industry, protect its members’ content across all screens, defend the creative and artistic freedoms of storytellers, and support innovative distribution models that bring an expansion of viewing choices to audiences around the world. Its member studios are: Netflix, Paramount Global, Sony Pictures, Universal Studios, The Walt Disney Studios, and Warner Bros. Discovery. Charles Rivkin is Chairman and CEO.
Media Contact
John Mercurio
john_mercurio@motionpictures.