Trade and China Expert Richard Burn Returns to APCO Worldwide a Senior Advisor

London – 17 June, 2021: Richard Burn, former trade official and China expert, returned to APCO Worldwide as senior advisor, CEO Brad Staples announced today.

“With more than 30 years of experience, Richard has extensive experience navigating complex global trade, regulatory and investment challenges. His expertise reaches across the consumer goods, and other highly regulated business sectors,” Staples said. “I’m delighted to welcome him back to APCO and look forward to us benefiting from his insights.”

Burn will provide counsel on trade, China, EU and a wide range of business issues, complementing and growing APCO’s work around the world. Prior to joining APCO, Burn served as UK trade commissioner for China, then Europe for the Department of International Trade, where he supported British exports, promoted market access and helped UK firms to navigate Britain’s new place in the world.

“I am thrilled to be re-joining APCO as a senior advisor, working with old and new colleagues to help APCO’s clients address major global challenges,” Burn said. “There has never been a more exciting time to be at APCO as it advises western clients on how to build sustainable business relationships with China, and businesses from emerging economies on building business in mature markets.”

From 1999 until 2005, Burn served as the managing director of APCO in Asia, helping clients invest in a wide range of sectors across the region. In this role, Burn helped to establish APCO’s presence in China and across Asia, providing a defining contribution to APCO’s growth in the region. In 2005, he joined Diageo, where he served as corporate affairs director for Asia Pacific, based in Singapore. In this role, he established a robust corporate affairs network across the region and negotiated a significant acquisition in China. He moved to London in 2014 as global public policy director for Diageo.

Burn joins APCO during an exciting time of growth for the company and its London office. Earlier this year, Richard Harrington expanded his role at APCO Worldwide to serve as UK chairman. Last year, APCO acquired TWC Associates, a boutique consultancy in London, specializing in the development of business strategy for a wide range of corporate and non-corporate clients.

For more than 37 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. 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—helping them be catalysts for progress.