APCO Worldwide Makes Strategic Push Into Financial Communications With Camarco Acquisition

London – 28 March 2023: Leading global advisory and advocacy firm APCO Worldwide has completed the acquisition of Camarco—a London-based financial communications firm—elevating APCO’s C-suite advisory capabilities and spearheading an ambitious move to extend its counsel to stakeholders in the capital markets arena, APCO CEO Brad Staples announced today.

The acquisition sees Camarco’s 40+ strong team of client-facing experts and specialists in accountancy, banking, broking, asset management, legal and journalism join the fast-growing APCO group of companies. Combining the firms will enable Camarco’s teams to tap into APCO’s global reach and deep expertise in corporate advisory and advocacy while bringing invaluable capabilities in investor relations and financial communications.

Staples said of the acquisition: “Camarco has a proven track record of helping clients—companies in the FTSE 100, FTSE 250, multi-national, European-listed and private companies—navigate complex stakeholder issues, risks and opportunities and execute business strategies that boost valuation. Supported by a team of experts with decades of experience and established influential networks, Camarco provides a disciplined approach to execute and deliver at the highest level.”

APCO plans to leverage its global team to expand Camarco’s presence—anchored in London—to other leading financial centers around the world. Together, APCO and Camarco will deliver end-to-end advisory and advocacy services for global clients and provide support throughout the lifecycle of corporate transactions—from inception through regulatory approvals and from change management to integration.

“APCO and Camarco share a host of common values, including our client-centric commitment and belief in the power of highly collaborative teams that is truly distinctive in our part of the market,” Camarco CEO Geoffrey Pelham-Lane said. “We have pursued the principle of employee ownership right from the start, and equity was widely distributed with every member of the Camarco team benefiting. We are all extremely excited to combine our and APCO’s capabilities into a powerful blend of integrated solutions that will be highly appealing to boardrooms across the world.”

Camarco is a trusted advisor for clients seeking critical guidance on:

• Financial Communications: advising companies on communicating strategic priorities, financial performance and decision-making, spanning all forms of corporate activity from financial calendar communications and M&A to IPOs and investor activism.
• Investor Relations: providing strategic advice—anchored on years of experience of former asset managers, sell- and buy-side analysts and accountants—to help clients gain the support of shareholders at critical strategic moments.
• Corporate Communications: dedicating a team of senior advisors—led by former heads of communications for FTSE 100 companies—to help clients increase understanding of their businesses and strategies, and articulate their visions to business partners, customers, regulators, political influencers and industry decision-makers.
• Debt Restructuring and Litigation: clarifying the extremely specialised world of debt restructuring through a keen understanding of balance sheet structures, the objectives of different sets of creditors and the debt media, supported by the insight and experience of former accountants and debt specialist journalists.
• ESG Communications, Digital Communications, Campaigns and Crisis: senior dedicated teams providing clear, timely and insightful advice to clients in these fast and ever-changing market backdrops.

The acquisition of Camarco further builds on the continued expansion of APCO’s advisory capabilities, following the purchase earlier this month of Gagen MacDonald—a people-centered strategy consulting firm focused on transformation, employee engagement, internal culture and connection to purpose—and strengthening of its M&A and Competition offer. These additions demonstrate APCO’s ambitious growth and development plans to further solidify its position as an industry leader and innovator.

For nearly 40 years, APCO has been a trusted advisor and partner to private, public and non-profit clients as they try to identify and manage new and emerging issues, challenges and opportunities around the world. Established by Margery Kraus as a single-person operation in 1984, APCO has grown to a global advisory and advocacy communications consultancy helping clients be catalysts for progress through its 1,100+ staff and International Advisory Council members in more than 30 markets, and having experience working in more than 80 markets globally, providing in-depth advice, perceptive guidance and creative approaches for its clients.