APCO Expands UK Advisory With Senior Hires

LONDON – 24 November 2025: Global advisory and advocacy firm APCO has made two senior appointments in its expanding London office designed to further strengthen its capability in corporate reputation, public affairs and geopolitical advisory and to reinforce its growing work in the sports sector.

Ken Gude joins the team from Swansea City AFC, where he has held senior roles for the past two years–initially as chief of staff then latterly as executive director and company secretary. As one of the most senior executives in the EFL Championship team, Ken has helped the club to shape its financial, operational and strategic capabilities as well as leading on liaison with key stakeholders, including investors.

Prior to joining Swansea City AFC Gude spent 20 years working in politics and policy organizations in Washington, D.C., including with the Center for American Progress, specializing in transatlantic relations and geopolitics. His role at APCO will be focused on providing strategic advice to clients while also reinforcing the global advisory firm’s robust and growing capabilities in the sports, tourism and foreign direct investment space.

Meanwhile, Joe Rankin, formerly senior director in FTI Consulting’s International Campaigns and Issues Management team, has also joined APCO’s Global Solutions practice in London as a senior director.

Rankin brings 18 years of multidisciplinary experience in communications, public affairs, crisis and issues. His career spans global agency and in-house roles, including as head of communications at London City Airport and international consultancy work in Africa and the Middle East. Working with leading brands, governments and individuals, Rankin has particular experience and expertise in transport and aviation, energy and resources, consumer goods, and financial services. Joe is known for tackling complex reputational challenges with robust strategies and bold solutions, and advising leaders in moments of opportunity and risk.

Tom Short, co-managing director of APCO’s London office, said: “Organizations and their leaders are facing myriad geopolitical and economic headwinds. They are looking to APCO for counsel and solutions that help them navigate these challenges, emerging stronger and fit for the future. Ken and Joe both have deep expertise guiding organizations through high-stakes periods with complex regulatory, reputational, geopolitical, and operational dynamics. We are thrilled to welcome them to our team and are excited for our clients to benefit from their experience, insight and expertise.”

Gude commented: “I am thrilled and honoured to be joining APCO in London. Whether working on presidential campaigns, in party politics, at think tanks large and small, or at major clubs in the NFL and EFL, I have been privileged to work at the centre of politics, policy, and sport in the United States and the UK. As the importance of sport grows as an asset class and a driver of the new global media, business, and political landscape, I am very excited to bring my diverse experience to the APCO team.”

Rankin commented: “APCO operates where reputation, geopolitics, policy, and strategic interests collide – exactly where I like to work. It’s a firm I’ve long respected for its intelligence and influence, and since joining I’ve found it to be every bit as sharp as its reputation suggests. We’re doing serious, high-impact work for clients who shape the world. I’m pleased to be part of that and am looking forward to driving our next phase of growth.”