Summit Strategy hires Mark Riordan to lead new healthcare practice
Summit Strategy Group, a Silicon Valley-based communications and ESG consultancy, has welcomed Mark Riordan as a managing director and head of its new healthcare practice.
Based in Dallas, Riordan brings more than 30 years of experience at the intersection of government, media, healthcare, and advocacy.
He will lead a practice that supports hospital and health systems grappling with increased scrutiny and transparency demands. The healthcare practice will provide services including stakeholder research, strategic narrative development, issue advocacy, and risk management/rapid response to emerging issues. The practice will also advise on risks and opportunities linked to ESG performance requirements.
Riordan joins Summit from Texas Health Resources, a large non-profit health system, where he spent over six years as VP of stakeholder engagement. Before that, he spent two years at public relations firm Burston-Marsteller, where he was a senior director specializing in public affairs campaigns, issues management, and crisis communications.
Prior to that, he was senior advisor and speech writer for the assistant secretary of the Administration for Children and Families within the US Department of Health and Human Services. Riordan was also previously director of communications for the Florida Department of Children and Families.
Earlier in his career, he held media relations leadership roles at Florida International University and Florida State University.
Riordan has a master’s degree in journalism from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University and a bachelor’s degree in politics from The Catholic University of America.
“Hospital systems are under constant pressure from government entities, changing consumer demands and a dynamic competitive landscape,” said Summit founder and CEO Michael Law, who previously worked with Riordan at Burston-Marsteller. “I am thrilled that Mark is taking the helm of this new practice.”
Riordan added, “Healthcare industry leaders are looking for partners to help them navigate the uncertainty and risk inherent in today’s business landscape. 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. Michael has built this team for this purpose, and I am thrilled to join Summit and work with him again.”
Founded in 2016, Summit’s more than 25 professionals provide advisory services in corporate reputation, sustainability and ESG, political and issue advocacy, crisis preparedness and response, and workplace transformation, among other areas.
