Ex-CNN Anchor John Defterios Joins APCO Worldwide, Boosting its Emerging Markets, Sustainability Expertise

London – 7 July, 2021: John Defterios, former CNN Business emerging markets editor and anchor, joined APCO Worldwide as a senior advisor, bringing more than 35 years of experience covering top business developments with a special focus on trade, geopolitics and energy, CEO Brad Staples announced today.

“John is highly sought after at high-level meetings, as both a speaker and a moderator, by global leaders looking for his insight and perspective on pressing issues, founded on decades of experience being on the frontline covering world-shaking events,” Staples said. “With deep knowledge of critical issues impacting emerging markets, including climate change, healthcare, energy and sustainable development, John’s insight will surely be highly sought after by clients, as well as by APCO colleagues around the world.”

Based in London, but splitting his time between Europe and the MENA region, Defterios will support the development of branded content for global media platforms as APCO continues to burnish its expertise in a full range of digital client solutions.

“I have watched with great interest and respect APCO’s strategic expansion into the most relevant sectors and high-growth emerging markets over the past two decades,” said Defterios. “This is an ideal match with a core group of like-minded leaders at APCO.”

Until recently retiring from CNN, Defterios was based in the network’s Abu Dhabi bureau since 2011, with a global brief focusing on the top business stories from emerging markets. As an award-winning journalist, Defterios has covered some of the landmark world events during his career, including the Gulf War, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the World Trade Centre bombings, G8/G20 summits and the L.A. Riots from his postings in London, Washington, New York, Los Angeles, Rome and the U.A.E.

Defterios joins APCO at an exciting time of continued growth for the company. It recently launched APCO Impact—the company’s global nerve center, supporting and accelerating its work on sustainability and social impact—and kicked off a strategic partnership with Vector Center—a pioneer in AI-powered, real-time environmental intelligence—to help clients better anticipate, mitigate and communicate around critical environmental issues. In January, APCO acquired the Global Philanthropy Group, a consulting firm specializing in helping individuals, foundations and corporations design and implement philanthropic strategies and programs.

With decades of experience covering the most critical global business issues at CNN, Reuters and PBS, Defterios has in-depth insight and unique perspectives on emerging markets strategies based on international and intergovernmental collaboration—with a particular focus on the Middle East, global energy issues and sustainability. He further augments APCO’s advisory and advocacy capabilities and expertise, joining other market-leading experts at APCO, including UK Chairman Richard Harrington, London Managing Director Roi Feder, London Deputy managing Director Polly Kennedy, former trade official and China expert Richard Burn, APCO Impact Global Lead Denielle Sachs, Senior Director Jennifer Butte-Dahl, Climate and Sustainability Global Lead Heather McGeory, ESG expert Julie Jack, Co-lead of the European Energy & Sustainability Practice Danuta Slusarska, healthcare expert Dr. Joyeta Ghoshal, health communications and stakeholder engagement expert Stephanie Tan, Director Elaine Yang and emerging markets specialist Nic Labuschagne.

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 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.