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Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Read Our 2022 DEI Outlook

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APCO serves its clients and our communities best when our people are at their best. That’s why we are committed to a culture where each employee can work authentically as their full, brilliant, caring selves and collaboratively help clients be catalysts for progress and solve the world’s greatest challenges with bold solutions.

APCO fosters a workplace where everyone can:

  • authentically be their whole selves
  • thrive as employees
  • be recognized and celebrated for their talents and perspectives
  • collaborate and appreciate others’ differences
  • tackle the world’s most complex problems by confidently offering bold solutions
  • continue learning, growing and flourishing
  • build a lasting career

We do this by:

  • Creating policies and systems that are accessible and equitable in offering opportunities to help employees grow, especially those from marginalized identities.
  • Ensuring our leaders fully take responsibility in creating an inclusive, equitable environment.
  • Expecting our employees to participate in and be an ambassador of APCO’s DEI efforts internally and externally.
  • Communicating closely with regional and practice leaders to partner with clients and organizations who are catalysts for progress.
  • Incorporating our DEI perspective into how we operate.

 

Why This Matters to APCO

As the world’s largest women-owned and independent advisory and advocacy communications consultancy, it’s our responsibility to not only celebrate the work we’ve done so far, but to continue to push ourselves to do more and to do better. We have a role to play in supporting and empowering our employees to help clients address these issues in their own organizations and communities.

We can’t change the world through the impactful work our clients do if we aren’t continuously changing ourselves.

We are building on our 35+ year legacy to ensure that all 850 employees (and counting) are empowered with the most equitable systems fully integrated into a truly inclusive workplace culture.

In addition to APCO’s talent and leadership teams, there are several groups dedicated to driving DEI efforts, including:

North America DEI Council

APCO’s North America DEI Council – Formed in 2018, the role of APCO’s North America DEI Council is to create an equitable environment and the best workplace for APCO’s people.

The Council is sponsored by the CEO, Chief Talent Officer and North America Region President. The Council’s work represents a diverse set of voices from across APCO’s North American offices to advise the company on matters of DEI strategy and programming, as well as inform the Global Leadership Team’s priorities, which are tied to APCO’s culture and talent acquisition and retention process. North America Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are:

The Parents Group provides a community and resources for soon-to-be and current parents at APCO Worldwide that advocates for parents’ success in the workplace; helps colleagues understand their unique value; and benefits all types of parents, including but not limited to: biological parents, adoptive parents, step-parents, single parents, same-sex parents, expecting parents and those thinking about starting a family.

The LGBTQ+ ERG is an active group comprised of LGBTQ+ employees and their allies to support one another while advocating for full inclusion and belonging at work and in society. We seek to represent the wide range of perspectives of and from the LGBTQ+ population, while working to illuminate the issues still facing us.

The APCO WLG is an Employee Resource Group (ERG) that provides resources, support and mentorship for women of any identification at APCO. APCO prides itself on being majority woman owned. In that tradition, our group is committed to helping all women at APCO show up authentically, share and learn from differing perspectives and collaborate to continually heighten the experience of women at APCO.

LatinAPCO is a community in which members support and empower one another by sharing their experiences to unite the Hispanic/Latino(a) community at APCO through a collaborative network that promotes cultural awareness.

The ANHPI ERG aims to create a collaborative network of support, understanding and validation for those with heritage from countries in the Asia Pacific region. Along with a safe space to share stories and cultural experiences, this group works to support the advancement, talent recruitment, retention and professional development of our ANHPI community at APCO.

Black African Ancestry Movement (BAAM) is an ERG for all employees of the African diaspora, including those of African American, Caribbean, and mixed-race background. BAAM seeks to attract, retain, develop, and support employees at APCO while advancing a diverse and inclusive work environment.

APCOAccess is committed to creating a more diverse and resilient workforce by empowering people with disabilities and allies, and advocating accessibility best practices across the organization.

Europe DEI Council

The Europe D&I Council was formed in 2020 as a cross-office initiative. Employee-led and supported by APCO’s European leadership team and the European HR team, its mission is to create a safe, welcoming and inclusive space where everyone can belong. The Council focuses its actions on four key areas:

  • Recruitment, Retention & Talent Development – Attracting and recruiting a workforce that is representative of the communities we work in, with and for;
  • Education & Advocacy – Raising awareness and educating the workforce about topical issues, encouraging self-reflection;
  • Client & Project Work – Building teams based on individuals’ potential, skill and experience and the needs of the projects over any potential biases or stereotypes;
  • Community Outreach – Partnering with local youth and community organizations to share our expertise and experience and broaden horizons.

Within each of these areas, a group of dedicated individuals collaborate to create awareness and drive change within APCO in Europe. We pledge to not only adopt new policies and processes, but also encourage the whole team to learn and understand how we can all make our workplace more diverse and inclusive.

Power of Difference (PoD) is a group to empower LGBTQIA+ employees and allies in Europe, creating a place to share experiences and foster relationships within our diverse community. Along with our internal work to inform, educate, and celebrate our colleagues, we also work on community outreach programmes that help uphold APCO’s commitment to do more and do better.

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