LeBron James
LeBron James

Interpublic Group is teaming with The SpringHill Company, the media conglomerate led by LeBron James and business partner Maverick Carter, on IPG x The SpringHill Company, an effort that will focus on connecting SpringHill’s community of creators with IPG clients. Each company will dedicate resources to the joint venture, charged with identifying new opportunities to pair IPG’s clients with The SpringHill Company’s creative roster. The partnership, which was announced during a panel with executives from IPG and The SpringHill Company at the Cannes International Festival of Creativity, is the first between SpringHill and a global advertising and marketing holding company. “IPG’s people, clients and communities will all benefit from close collaboration with The SpringHill Company as we look to spark important, and sometimes difficult, conversations, elevate voices that need to be heard and help our clients connect with new creative perspectives and purpose-driven projects,” said IPG chief executive officer Philippe Krakowsky.

Cornerstone

Cornerstone Government Affairs opens an office in Frankfort, Kentucky, and adds staffers in its Oklahoma, Maine and Colorado locations. The Frankfort office will initially include Katelyn Bunning, Cornerstone principal and former legislative director to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY); Karen Kelly, former district director to the Dean of the House of Representatives Hal Rogers (R-KY); and Ethan Witt, former assistant vice president of government and community relations for Eastern Kentucky University, with additional support from Cornerstone principal Will Smith. The new Kentucky office and the additional capabilities in other states mark a significant expansion of the firm’s national footprint, adding to existing offices in Washington, DC, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas.

Mark Riordan
Mark Riordan

Summit Strategy Group, a corporate reputation, public affairs and ESG consulting firm, forms a healthcare practice. Headquartered in Dallas, the practice will provide services including stakeholder research, strategic narrative development, issue advocacy and risk management/rapid response to emerging issues. Mark Riordan, who was most recently vice president, stakeholder engagement at Texas Health Resources, will lead the practice. “Negotiations with payers and providers, addressing calls for greater pricing transparency, and the emergence of ESG in the health sector are among many of the issues to be addressed,” said Riordan.