APCO Worldwide Evolves U.S. West Coast Presence with Three Key Leadership Appointments

Washington – October 20, 2021: To better help clients along the U.S. West Coast and around the world navigate today’s uncertain and changing business, social and economic environments, grow their businesses, mitigate risk and build their reputation, APCO Worldwide named Emily Scherberth Barnes as managing director of APCO West, North America President Kelly Williamson announced today.

Barnes is a veteran corporate communications expert with more than two decades of experience leading corporate positioning for Fortune 500 companies as well as go-to market strategies for several early-stage tech and health care startups. Over the course of her career, she has served as a trusted counselor to serial entrepreneurs and C-suite executives at companies such as Mayo Clinic, YouTube, Boost Mobile and Yahoo!. Barnes will focus on continuing to build APCO’s presence in the West which has quickly grown in recent months, demonstrating strong demand for the firm’s social impact and advisory offerings.

“The West Coast is the central gateway of innovation, disruption and growth for several industries and companies around the world,” Williamson said. “We are committed to deploying APCO’s global reach and resources and continuing to grow our presence in the region which has produced, and is home to, some of the world’s top companies and talents. Emily’s leadership and experience helping companies navigate a variety of market forces will help clients better manage disruptions to their industry due to policy, regulatory and societal changes, and remain agile in this ever-changing environment.”

Additionally, to help further evolve APCO’s presence in the region, Kimberly Gardiner and Liza Olsen were elevated to serve as deputy managing directors of APCO West. Both veterans of the firm with more than 12 years of experience at APCO, Gardiner and Olsen will focus on developing and growing new and existing client relationships, creating a best-in-class employee experience as well as recruiting the best talent to support APCO’s ongoing growth.

“I’m incredibly grateful to lead one of the most talented teams in our industry at a time when our offering has never been more relevant,” said Barnes. “APCO’s expertise at the intersections of the critical issues that companies are facing in this moment is unrivaled. Being able to do this meaningful work alongside colleagues who impress me every day has truly been the highlight of my career so far.”

APCO’s robust West Coast presence is anchored by a deep bench of experts and industry veterans with an intimate understanding of the regional geopolitical environment, social risk, technological disruption, policy changes and stakeholder expectations. In addition to Barnes, Gardiner and Olsen, other senior APCO leaders and APCO International Advisory Council members in the region include Technology & Disruption Senior Director Bob Winslow, APCO Impact Senior Director Jennifer Butte-Dahl, APCO Impact Senior Director Stephanie Green, Reputation Research Senior Director Katie Sprehe, Director Katherine F. Mackinnon APCO Impact Director Kelly Chrystal and Director Richard VanOrnum, as well as Hummingbird Hill Advisors Founder Andy Davidson, former Pacific Northwest Diabetes Research Institute CEO Jack Faris, former Boeing Commercial Airplanes Vice President of Communications and Marketing Mary Foerster, former Amgen Vice President of Corporate Communications and Philanthropy Phyllis Piano, former owner and partner emeritus of Vantage Partners Larraine Segil and LTG (R) Stephen R. Lanza.

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 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 900+ 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.