Neal M. Cohen

Neal M. Cohen is president and chief operating officer of APCO Worldwide. Mr. Cohen is also a member of APCO’s board of directors, serves on the company’s executive committee and chairs its management committee. In addition to his management responsibilities, he is a nationally-known strategist and practitioner of litigation communication, crisis management, issue campaigns, grassroots lobbying and third-party coalition building. In 2005, he was named "Public Affairs Executive of the Year" by PR News.

During his career, Mr. Cohen has led strategy development and execution for numerous industry coalitions, individual companies and trade associations. His experience covers a wide range of corporate reputation matters as well as domestic and international issues such as health care, tort reform, trade, environment, intellectual property, siting, energy, science and taxes.

Mr. Cohen has led successful issue campaigns at the local, state and federal levels, as well as throughout Europe. He has built coalitions from the bottom up, taking a group from no members to tens of thousands. Mr. Cohen’s campaigns are noted for their strategic originality and tactical design. Recent campaigns to build citizen groups fighting lawsuit abuse have been recognized with numerous awards for their excellence in the public affairs field, including overall issues campaign strategy and implementation, as well as paid advertising.

Prior to joining APCO in 1986, Mr. Cohen worked as a legislative assistant to Congressman Esteban E. Torres, served as an associate at the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations and worked for then-Speaker of the California Assembly Leo McCarthy and Congressman Pete Stark.

Mr. Cohen holds his bachelor's degree from Claremont McKenna College and his master’s degree in public policy from the University of California at Berkeley.