APCO Worldwide Strengthens Health Expertise With Addition of HHS’ Jack Kalavritinos

Washington – May 3, 2019: APCO Worldwide bolstered its health expertise in Washington, D.C., with a significant new hire, Jack Kalavritinos, a public affairs and health communications expert with more than 25 years of experience, today announced Evan Kraus, global president and managing director of APCO’s Washington office. Kalavritinos joins as a senior director on May 28th.

“In today’s challenging health policy landscape, organizations are searching for partners with deep expertise and a proven track record,” said Kraus. “Jack’s high-level experience, both in the private sector and as a member of the Administration, will be invaluable to our growing health team and strengthens the advisory counsel we provide to our clients. We’re delighted to welcome Jack to APCO.”

Kalavritinos most recently served as director for Intergovernmental and External Affairs for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of the Secretary. In this role, he provided strategic counsel to Secretary Alex Azar on communications and stakeholder outreach and led a team dedicated to promoting the department’s policy efforts and increasing the external visibility of the Secretary. Kalavritinos also contributed to HHS’ efforts to combat the opioid crisis in communities nationwide, reduce drug prices and increase policy engagement from patients and healthcare providers.

“I’m so excited to welcome Jack to the APCO team,” said Alexandra Lazorchak, senior director, North America Health Practice lead. “In this constantly evolving health policy landscape, clients are balancing competing stakeholder expectations, now more than ever. Jack’s knowledge will further enhance how clients successfully navigate this complex environment.”

Before joining HHS, Kalavritinos served in the Food and Drug Administration as the associate commissioner for External Affairs, where he advised then-Commissioner Scott Gottlieb and other high-ranking officials and oversaw the agency’s communications efforts. Kalavritinos joined the Administration in January 2017 and served on the Domestic Agency Appointments team on the Presidential Transition.

Prior to joining the Administration, Kalavritinos spent over seven years working for Covidien (now Medtronic), a leading medical device manufacturer, on domestic and international policy issues. In this role, he collaborated closely with the industry’s association, AdvaMed, on key public policy initiatives.

Earlier in his career, Kalavritinos served as the White House liaison at the Department of Labor and as the associate administrator in the Office of Procurement Policy at OMB. He has also represented the engineering industry in Washington and promoted workforce development and building opportunities for high school students at ACE Mentor Program of America.

Kalavritinos is the latest addition to APCO Worldwide’s growing North America health team. The team, coupled with APCO’s Health Advisory Board members, includes industry veterans, such as: Wayne Pines, William Pierce, Nancy Turett, Lesley Norwalk, Kavita Patel, Bob Kocher, Stig Albinus, Alexandra Lazorchak, Sara Stevens, Richard James, and Katie Milgrom.

Kalavritinos joins the firm during a landmark year for APCO Worldwide, as 2019 marks the 35th anniversary of its founding. Founded by Margery Kraus as a single-person operation in 1984, APCO has grown to a global advisory and advocacy communications consultancy with nearly 800 employees around the world.