Public Affairs Veteran, DE&I Leader Licy Do Canto Joins APCO Worldwide as Washington Managing Director

Addition bolsters strengths in public affairs, advisory and healthcare

Washington – January 25, 2021: Licy Do Canto, a values-driven leader with more than 25 years of experience across nonprofit, philanthropic, corporate and government sectors, joined APCO Worldwide as managing director of APCO’s Washington, D.C., office, North America President Kelly Williamson announced today.

“Licy is a strategic leader with a proven track record—at the national, state and local levels—of developing and executing integrated campaigns, utilizing his advocacy and advisory expertise to support clients’ organizational priorities and deliver quality services and outcomes,” Williamson said. “I am very excited to welcome Licy to APCO, and look forward to his leadership to help guide and further grow our Washington office and the company as a whole.”

“I am extremely proud to join APCO in this moment of extraordinary opportunity and challenge around our nation and world, and I am incredibly honored and excited to work alongside our extraordinary team to generate and drive impact with purpose and inclusion on a global scale for those we serve and the communities they represent,” said Do Canto. “This is our time to help our leaders and communities to transform the difficulties they face into a creative force for positive impact, and no one is bettered positioned to do that than APCO.”

An expert in healthcare policy with nearly three decades of experience inside the Beltway, Do Canto has a track record of building bipartisan consensus, guiding federal legislation into law and directing national issue campaigns and coalitions. He has vast inside knowledge of the Washington political process, and deep substantive experience on a wide range of public policy issues from public health, healthcare and social impact to immigration, trade and economic development. Over the years, his expertise has been sought out by policymakers, lawmakers, C-suite executives, advocates and other leaders on international, national and state issues from economic inclusion, equity and diversity, medical supply chain to environmental protection, fisheries and sustainable development. He founded and operated his own public affairs firm—The Do Canto Group—in 2010 until he joined BCW in 2019 to serve as executive vice president and managing director. Before starting his own company, Do Canto was the health-education practice co-director and principal at The Raben Group.

Fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, Do Canto has held a wide range of positions and has worked across diverse sectors and industries over the course of his successful career, making him uniquely qualified to undertake the diplomatic, technical, and multifaceted industry challenges his role will present and with which it will be confronted. He previously served as the CEO of AIDS Alliance for Children, Youth & Families, and held various leadership positions at the National Association of Community Health Centers. In addition to working at the American Cancer Society, managing its federal government relations efforts, Do Canto was also previously a senior legislative assistant to former Congressman Barney Frank.

Do Canto takes the helm as the managing director of APCO’s Washington, D.C., office from Evan Kraus—who will continue to serve as APCO’s global president and managing director of operations—and as the lead for the Mid-Atlantic region. His broad experience and expertise combined with his thorough understanding of complex issues and the way in which the world works, and his deep commitment to making it a better place come at a consequential time of growth and positioning for the company. APCO recently announced the acquisition of two leading advisory and advocacy firms—TWC Associates in London and LMG in Washington, D.C.—as well as the acquisition of leading advisory firms in philanthropy—Global Philanthropy Group—and social impact issues—Tembo Group. It also launched a global Tech Issues Intelligence offer, led by former Oracle head of global communications Bob Winslow. Building on surge in client demand, APCO recently launched its Regional Growth and Innovation Hubs across the United States. Do Canto will lead the regional hub in the Mid-Atlantic, joining Chicago and Raleigh managing directors Matt Gallagher and Courtney Crowder, who lead the West and South growth hubs, respectively.

APCO continues to expand its market-leading bi-partisan campaigns and advocacy team—it recently added former Google vice president of public policy for the Americas and former member of Congress Susan Molinari; veteran campaign strategist, former senior government official and transportation expert Brandon Neal; technology, cybersecurity and government affairs expert Preston Grisham; and leading public affairs, government relations and political strategy expert Courtney Crowder. The deep bench of APCO experts and APCO International Advisory Council members also includes international development and strategy consultant Elizabeth Cohan; public affairs and communications strategist Brian Keeter; former vice president and chief communications officer at Dow Corning Corporation Barie Carmichael; former corporate vice president and deputy general counsel at Microsoft Pamela Passman; and former White House advisor Lance Leggitt.

For more than 35 years, APCO has been a trusted advisor and partner to private, public and nonprofit clients as they try to identify and manage new and emerging issues, challenges and opportunities around the world. Founded 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.