December 2022: Navigating New Frontiers

“From public health challenges and disinformation campaigns to addressing systemic inequities and managing the impacts of climate, companies have had to assess their role in addressing issues that impact their business operations and society at large.”

–Pamela Passman, Chair of Corporate and Managing Director, New York

October 2022: Climate, Energy & Sustainability

“In 2009, donor countries committed $100 billion a year by 2020 for climate mitigation in developing countries. In 2022, this commitment remained unfulfilled and the OECD estimates that it will take until the end of 2023 to get to the first $100 billion. While this allocation for mitigation is a start, the more urgent investment commitment adaptation and resilience approaches for emerging markets.“
– Heather McGeory, Global Lead, Climate and Sustainability

September 2022: The Future of People 

“Gen Z is expected to account for more than a quarter of the world’s workforce by 2025 and this trend is likely to accelerate. The changing tide is particularly acute in emerging markets such as Asia, Africa, Central and Eastern Europe and Latin America, where youth account for more than one billion of the entire population.”

– Camryn Sofronski, Project Assistant & Akinyi Ochieng, Associate Director

August 2022: Learning & Education

“The cohort is a close-knit group, coming together regularly to discuss their experiences, questions and ideas for the future of the program. From the onset there was an unspoken bond, one that laid the groundwork and set the tone for open communication, vulnerability and support. That bond has paved the way for organic learning and development for each member. Sometimes that type of learning is just as valuable, if not more, than any particular training or presentation.”

– Leanne High, Senior Director, Corporate Communications

July 2022 – Digital and Creative Trends

“We need consider that the goal is not to just be artistically creative but rather to create ideas that will help tackle how organizations can better stand out and apart, garner attention and steer conversations, while helping move humans, organizational goals, issues and society forward.”

– Howard Pulchin, Global Creative Director

June 2022 – Travel, Tourism & Infrustructure

“To safeguard against these challenging market dynamics, many travel industry operators are seeking to expand their addressable market, in part by building engagement and inroads with younger and more diverse consumer segments.”

– Richard VanOrnum, Director, APCO West

May 2022: Innovation

“In looking toward the future, leaders have a new mandate: to become catalysts for progress and co-create a place for people to flourish, have purpose and do their best work.”

–Emily Scherberth, Managing Director, APCO West

April 2022: M&A and Competition

“It is a busy time for antitrust and competition policy, with major new laws hitting the statute books and enforcers vying to outdo each other in severity in Washington, Brussels, Beijing and London. The talk is all about paradigm shifts, tougher rules and bringing big tech to heel. ”

– Benjamin Faull, Director; Livia West, Senior Director & Bruce Fu, Managing Director of Beijing

March 2022: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion 

“Leaders have to understand that employees no longer consider equity and justice the right thing to do, it has become the necessary thing to do. So, what can companies do to ensure they are doing their part to disrupt systematic racism and bias and create and nurture a culture where everyone feels included, empowered and valued? ”

– Charlene Wheeless, Senior Advisor for Equity and Justice & Majd Baniodeh, Senior Associate Director

February 2022: Global Events and Partnerships

“In this day and age, a company, or even a sector, cannot tackle alone the challenges we all face. The most successful and progressive leaders have built an ecosystem of innovative partners–private sector peers, multilateral agencies, NGOs, academic networks, tech disruptors and innovators and more.”

– Anna Tunkel, Head of Global Strategic Initiatives & Partnerships

January 2022: The Year Ahead: What Trends Will Dominate the Global Agenda in 2022. 

“Businesses adapted and evolved where they could, pivoting to new structural changes, innovative production and evolving their existing work mindset. Those leaders who paid more attention to the mental health and well-being of employees are in a better position to exit the pandemic with an enthusiastic and prepared workforce. But what challenges could those corporate leaders expect to face this year and what are the geopolitical issues that must be navigated this year?”

– Brad Staples, Chief Executive Officer

December 2021: Global Commerce in the Post-Pandemic

“COVID-19 drove unprecedented sudden and dramatic shifts in both demand and supply. Supply chain managers have always had to be nimble to respond to challenges in increasingly complex chains. But past disruptions tended to be local or regional, typically caused by environmental disasters or other emergencies. The pandemic, however, hit countries globally and nearly simultaneously.”

– Dr. Deborah Elms, IAC member

October 2021: Navigating New Frontiers

“As tourism gradually recovers globally, we are starting to see that the way people travel, the experiences they look for and, consequently, the services they demand have changed for good.”

–Valeria Rubello, Director & Silvia Perino Vaiga, Associate Consultant

September 2021: Geopolitics and Its Impact on Business Sectors 

“There is an increasing trend of thinking bolder and broader, beyond one’s organizational boundaries to shape partnerships that advance business and societal objectives, at a time when our world needs it the most.”

– Anna Tunkel, Head of Global Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships

August 2021: The Future of Health 

“The future of digital health continues to look bright, as long as policy makers, privacy experts and the private sector can work together to address key issues that limit its potential impact on those that need it most. Making these efforts, and their success, known to the public and other key stakeholders will also be a crucial part of the equation.”

– Emily Barnes, Senior Director

July 2021: ESG & Purpose: Critical Issues in the Return to Normal 

“The pandemic continues to remind us of the complex relationships between individuals and society, and—amid the sophistication of science and technology—of the fact that people are the motor of civilization and business alike.”

– Alexander M. Wegner, Account Director

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June 2021: Travel, Tourism and Entertainment in a Post-Pandemic World 

“Consumers themselves already seem to be more and more drawn to conscious forms of tourism, and attentive to the social impact of their travel choices. Responsible engagement with local communities will become an important part of tourists’ demand, hence tourism operators will be held accountable for the social footprint of their offer.”

– Silvia Perino Vaiga, Associate Consultant, Public Affairs

May 2021: Events and Partnerships in the Post-Pandemic World

“Multi-stakeholder partnerships are even more effective when there is genuine alignment in participants’ mission and organizational culture, and an understanding that partners are there to complement each other’s contributions based on their core strengths and differentiators.”

–Dasha Iventicheva, Associate Director, Multiplier Partnerships and Global Platforms

March 2021: Making Climate Change and Sustainable Development a Priority

“ESG risks and opportunities are making their way into substantive conversations in the C-suite and boardroom about business as a platform for change. What’s at stake is the emergence of new market leadership: new definitions of corporate purpose, performance and value for brands and enterprises, and the opportunity for transformative change.”

– Jeff Zelkowitz, Global Financial Practice Lead.

February 2021: Accelerating What’s Right

“Company leaders need to reimagine the business case for diversity, dig deeper and focus on the systems and power structures within their organizations that elevate one group of people and diminish another. This is hard work. It requires self-examination to understand our own biases and how we contribute to the systemic issues that exist.”

— Charlene Wheeless, Senior Advisor, Equity & Justice

January 2021: The Impact of Change

“As 2021 kicks off, we have an opportunity to rebuild society better, healthier and more supportive. While change won’t happen overnight, we can make the choice to do better not just for ourselves and our businesses, but also for the people who lost their lives, livelihoods and loved ones over the past year.”

— Margery Kraus, Founder & Executive Chairman

December 2020: What Trends Will Dominate 2021?

“Smart businesses will spend next year embedding fully new structural changes, being more inclusive, and adapting to a new work mindset. While COVID-19 left an indelible mark on us all this year, 2021 will bring different, possibly greater, but certainly connected challenges.”

— Brad Staples, CEO

February 2020: Building a Culture That Lasts

“Trust is one of the most valuable resources in the workplace, but it takes time to earn and can be easy to lose. Leaders who want to earn the trust of their employees must be willing to identify and understand the barriers within their organization and take steps to ensure they are creating a culture that benefits their workforce and the bottom line.”

— Kimberly Gardiner, director, via PR Daily

January 2020: Global Leadership in 2020: Who is Really Leading the World?

“Today, stakeholders are looking at companies to fill the leadership gap that governments are starting to leave behind. As we look ahead, leaders must understand the significance of corporate purpose and prepare for the social risks that they will face.”

— Margery Kraus
Founder & Executive Chairman, APCO Worldwide

December 2019: The Year Ahead: Which Trends Will Dominate 2020?

“I foresee 2020 being a year which crystallises change. Organisations that are slow to adapt to the increased focus on the value of business in society may find it hard to recover their position in the eyes of consumers and even their own workforce.”

— Brad Staples
CEO, APCO Worldwide

November 2019: Who Matters? Defining the Future of Influence

The future may be digital, but the future of influence won’t necessary lie with social media handles. As we move into an era when long-ignored concerns are becoming priorities for policymakers, it is imperative for brands to engage individuals who have the passion to bring and implement change.

— Salonie Chawla
New Delhi

October 2019: What Does the Consumer of the Future Want?

“Today, consumers have very little loyalty towards brands in the traditional sense. The expectation is that companies act and those actions must be connected to their values and culture.”

— Lars Petersson
APCO IAC Member, Former President of IKEA U.S.

September 2019: Alone or Together? The Role of Multilateral Institutions in a Tribal World

“In today’s world, where some multinationals are larger than national economies, and where a 16-year-old activist can mobilize more people than politicians, there is clearly a role for institutional leaders to lead the charge and serve as beacons of hope for solving the world’s most pressing problems.”

— Judit Arenas
Senior Director, New York

August 2019: How Artificial Intelligence is Changing the World

“With the rise of AI, we have the best tools in history at our disposal to solve complex problems. Companies need to stay ahead of the curve and embrace the change, or risk being at a competitive disadvantage and playing catch up.”

— Imad Lahad
Head of APCO Worldwide’s AI Comms Lab

July 2019: Corporate Conscience: C-suite’s Role in Vision and Values

“Practically every organization today has a set of corporate values that it uses to help guide its decisions and behaviors…

But the key question they need to be asking is: are these values making an impact?”

— Kimberly Gardiner
Director, Strategic Communications

June 2019: What the Future of Europe Means for the World

“In the wake of Europe’s seismic political shifts, it is more important than ever to understand Brussels.”

— Theo Moore
Managing Director, Brussels

May 2019: Building the Workforce of the Future

“A strong enterprising culture can be a differentiating factor in future-proofing an organization. Cultures that are forward-looking, reward curiosity, candor, risk-taking and reinvention have greater business success and improved business performance.”

— Kimberly Gardiner
Director, Strategic Communications

April 2019: Social Risk: How can leaders prepare?

“Together, high expectations and the eroded control of the corporate narrative have joined forces to create a new category of enterprise risk: Social Risk. Companies who integrate social risk into their strategic planning will earn the license to sustainably operate in this new landscape.”

— Barie Carmichael
APCO IAC Member

March 2019: Gaining Balance: How to #BalanceForBetter in an unbalanced world

“Diversity is a number, but inclusion is a choice. Closing the gender gap and achieving balance around the world requires that we hold each other accountable. Together, we need to be mindful and present, think before we speak and understand the cultures in which we interact daily.”

— Margery Kraus
APCO Founder and Executive Chairman

February 2019: Health Care 2020: What is the future of health?

“Health is always undergoing change – what is new today, will certainly be old by tomorrow. Actors in the industry need to understand how patient preferences are evolving and driving innovation.”

— Alexandra Lazorchak & James Tyrrell
APCO’s Health Practice Leads

January 2019: Davos: Who is truly leading the world?

“The world will look to the outcomes of the World Economic Forum as a milestone in global progress. Let’s set the stage of a new agile world.”

— Margery Kraus
Founder and Executive Chairman, APCO