APCO Names Pamela Passman as Chair of Corporate, New York Managing Director
September 14, 2021
New York – September 14, 2021: APCO Worldwide’s North America President Kelly Williamson today announced the appointment of Pamela Passman as chair of corporate and managing director of its New York office. Born in New York, Passman brings decades of experience working with global business leaders to advance their corporate strategies through innovative partnerships with government, civil society and business partners.
“Pamela has a deep understanding of the pressures facing companies today and extensive experience helping them better adapt while building their corporate reputation,” Williamson said. “There has never been as interesting and challenging time for corporate brands. As our clients continue to navigate internal, competitive, societal, regulatory and reputational pressures, we are helping companies pursue their own transformation and authentically engage to deliver a lasting societal impact. Our New York office is at the center of driving this type of work globally, and Passman is well positioned to further grow our brand and advisory services in New York and the region.”
During her 15-year career with Microsoft, Passman served in various executive positions, leading regulatory affairs, global government relations, philanthropic programs and cross-company corporate citizenship efforts—including during a period of intense regulatory, media and investor scrutiny. She was the founder and leader of innovative organizations that developed and marketed data-driven risk management solutions for companies and their global value chains. She also practiced law at Covington & Burling in Washington, D.C., and Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu in Tokyo.
“I was a long-term client of APCO and I have a profound appreciation for the talented people here who bring an understanding of the geopolitical and cultural dynamics in which companies operate with a creative campaign approach to managing issues and building brands,” Passman said. “I look forward to working across our corporate teams as we help our clients engage with key stakeholders and advance their business and societal impact.”
Passman joined APCO in 2020 as a member of its International Advisory Council (IAC), which includes more than 150 recognized global leaders, including policy experts, business and industry leaders, former elected politicians, academics, renowned journalists, diplomats and nonprofit pioneers. Earlier this year, she played a critical role in launching APCO Impact—an integrated approach to helping companies positively address the most challenging issues of our time, including climate and sustainability, racial and gender equity and social justice, and embed environment, social and governance into their business strategies.
“Pamela has been inside the C-suite and boardrooms, representing corporate priorities in some of the most challenging markets around the world,” APCO Founder and Executive Chairman Margery Kraus said. “We are excited to have Pamela expand her role at APCO to help our clients look around corners to meet the heightened expectations of governments, employees, investors and customers.”
Passman will lead and collaborate with a strong bench of corporate experts and leaders in APCO’s New York office and other locations, including James Robinson, global lead for Geo-Commerce based in New York; Julie Jack, ESG lead for APCO Impact based in New York; Howard Pulchin, global creative director based in New York; Tina Kaiser, corporate communications senior director based in New York; Caroline Starke, corporate communications senior director based in New York; Kelly Stepno, managing director, Chicago; Courtney Crowder, managing director, Raleigh; Licy M. Do Canto, managing director, Washington, D.C.; and Jason Meyer, Washington, D.C. lead for corporate communications.
For more than 37 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 Kraus as a single-person operation in 1984, APCO has grown to a global advisory and advocacy communications consultancy with offices in more than 30 markets and experience working in more than 80 markets globally, providing in-depth advice, perceptive guidance and creative approaches for its clients.