Prominent Trade Policy Expert Deborah Elms Strengthens APCO Worldwide’s Advisory Capabilities in Asia

Singapore – 28 June, 2021: Dr. Deborah Elms, a leading expert in Asia trade policy and supply chain, joined APCO Worldwide’s International Advisory Council (IAC), James Yi, managing director, Southeast Asia & Korea, announced today.

“Deborah has a proven track record in providing invaluable counsel on a range of trade issues to governments across Asia and the Middle East, drawing on decades of experience in international trade policy development and negotiations as well as global value chains,” Yi said. “Her real-world knowledge and expertise, especially in Asia, will be a tremendous resource to our clients and complements our firm’s global expertise. I am pleased to welcome Deborah to our growing IAC.”

Based in Singapore, Dr. Elms was the executive director of the Asian Trade Centre, an advisory firm which works with governments and companies to design better trade policies for the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. She is also a senior fellow in the in the Singapore Ministry of Trade and Industry’s Trade Academy. Her current research involves the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) negotiations and global value chains.

Previously, Dr. Elms also served as head of the Temasek Foundation Centre for Trade & Negotiations (TFCTN) and senior fellow of international political economy at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

“I am impressed by the expertise and diversity of APCO’s IAC and am excited to join such an esteemed group of global leaders,” said Dr. Elms, “In the face of global supply chain disruption due to Covid-19 combined with ongoing trade and political uncertainty within certain Asian markets, governments and organizations are already relooking at risk, resilience, and recalibration in the global trade network. I look forward to working with APCO to help clients in navigating the political, economic and social complexities of APAC markets to meet their trade-related needs.”

The IAC and its four subgroups comprise more than 100 recognized global leaders, including former elected politicians, leaders of business and industry, academics at leading universities, world-class journalists and editors, NGO and nonprofit pioneers, diplomats and policy experts. Each IAC member offers invaluable real-world knowledge, helping clients face and conquer complex issues and providing robust counsel to help make the right decisions.

Dr. Elms joins a growing team of communications, public affairs, healthcare, technology and corporate branding experts at APCO, with deep ties in Southeast Asia and around the world, including John Lin, Dr SK Chew, Fredrik Nyberg, Aida Greenbury, Dr Maria Radyati, Ambassador Devinda R. Subasinghe, Rami Sharaf, Mike Chinoy, Yuli Ismartono, JJ Lee, Stephanie Tan, Lance Leggitt, Leslie Norwalk, Dr. Kavita Patel and Peter Urbanowicz, among others.

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.