Motion Picture Association Names John Mercurio Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications
WASHINGTON – The Motion Picture Association today announced that John Mercurio will join the communications team as Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications. In this role, Mercurio will report to and serve as a deputy to Emily Lenzner, Executive Vice President, Global Communications and Public Affairs. He will have joint oversight of the organization’s global communications, media relations, digital media, and events practices. Mercurio will join the association on September 28 and will be based in its global headquarters in Washington, DC.
“I’ve admired John for years and couldn’t be more excited about having his extreme talent and experience in our ranks,” said Lenzner. “John’s deep understanding of emerging technologies, policy and advocacy, and expertise in media and crisis communications will be of tremendous value to the Motion Picture Association and our member studios.”
Mercurio most recently served as Global Chief Communications Officer for the Bitfury Group, a blockchain and AI software company, and the International Association for Trusted Blockchain Applications. Before joining Bitfury, John served in senior strategic roles at Purple Strategies and Burson-Marsteller, where he led public affairs campaigns and provided senior counsel on crisis communications.
“The Motion Picture Association is at the forefront of this pivotal moment for the film and television industry,” said Mercurio. “I look forward to working with the MPA team and our iconic members to advance our advocacy goals on behalf of all storytellers around the world.”
Before transitioning to public affairs a decade ago, Mercurio was a political journalist, reporting and editing for various outlets, including National Journal’s Hotline, where he served as executive editor, wrote a weekly column, and regularly provided commentary and analysis across all major TV networks and cable news channels. He also served as CNN’s political editor, where he managed the network’s reporting on U.S. politics and government and provided on-air analysis for CNN. He began his career at Roll Call, the Washington Times, and the Journal Newspapers.
Mercurio participated in the U.S. State Department’s Public Diplomacy program, through which he spoke to groups about U.S. politics and policy around the world.
Mercurio is the latest addition to the global communications department under Lenzner. In April, Kristen Tarnol joined the Motion Picture Association as Vice President of Communications, focusing on the association’s content protection efforts and supporting the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE). Tarnol is based in the Sherman Oaks office.
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About the Motion Picture Association:
The Motion Picture Association, Inc. (MPA) serves as the global 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: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures; Netflix, Inc.; Paramount Pictures Corporation; Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.; Universal City Studios LLC; and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Charles Rivkin is Chairman and CEO.
Media Contact:
Tom Zigo, Motion Picture Association
202.378.9110