NEW YORK (BUSINESS WIRE) -On Friday, October 9, 2009, Interpublic Groups (NYSE: IPG) Hispanic/Latino Heritage Group,

SOMOS, in partnership with their colleagues from IPGs Multicultural Employee Resource Groups for Excellence (MERGE), celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month with a Gala Reception and Private Screening of Johanna Bermdez-Ruizs documentary film Sugar Pathways at Tribeca Cinemas in New York City. Our goal is to be the most inclusive and diverse marketing services holding company, said Michael I. Roth, Chairman and CEO of Interpublic Group, who introduced the evenings events. That is only possible when all of our employees are able to bring important aspects of their heritage to bear on their professional lives. We want our employees to share their stories in ways that enrich our workplace and inform the work we do for our clients. Im proud that SOMOS sponsored this event and invited members of the community to join us, Roth added. Ms. Bermdez-Ruiz introduced the film and described her journey as she uncovered the untold story of the migration by Puerto Rican families from the small Caribbean island of Vieques, Puerto Rico, to the U.S. Virgin Islands. Sugar Pathways has been a labor of love. It is the story of how Black, Latino and Crucian people came together to create a shared narrative and build a society that is inclusive politically, economically and culturally. I am honored to have the support of so many members of the community, IPG and SOMOS." Ms. Bermdez-Ruiz is a writer and producer of narrative films, music videos and television documentaries. She is a native of St. Croix and her film company, Cane Bay Films LLC, is based in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Her awards include the Maffa Film Festival Best Short Documentary, San Juan Cinema Fest Humming Bird Best Short Documentary, and Image Nation Special Mention Award. SOMOS is IPGs Hispanic/Latino Heritage Group and one of the four Employee Business Resource Groups which belong to IPG MERGE. Its mission is to energize and empower Latino employees by leveraging cultural connections and creativity to advance their careers and make vital contributions to our agencies. The idea behind SOMOS isnt just to be social and network, but to connect ones culture with our professional lives. The goal of MERGE is to bring people together in support of the inclusion

of all employees. About Interpublic Interpublic is one of the worlds leading organizations of advertising agencies and marketing services companies. Major global brands include Draftfcb, FutureBrand, GolinHarris International, Initiative, Jack Morton Worldwide, Lowe Worldwide, Magna, McCann Erickson, Momentum, MRM Worldwide, Octagon, UM and Weber Shandwick. Leading domestic brands include Campbell-Ewald, Campbell Mithun, Carmichael Lynch, Deutsch, Hill Holliday, Mullen, The Martin Agency and R/GA. For more information, please visit www.interpublic.com. About IPG MERGE MERGE an umbrella organization for company-wide employee resource groups formed to foster a culture of inclusion amongst all employees of the company. Currently there are 4 employee resource groups: AHG Asian Heritage Group; BEN Black Employee Network; IPGLBT Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual, Transgender Network; and SOMOS Hispanic/Latino Heritage Group. Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgibin/mmg.cgi?eid=6073403&lang=en

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