APCO Appoints New Asia CEO
Washington, D.C. (June 14, 2005) – Christian Murck, former chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China and co-managing director of APCO China for four years, was named chief executive officer of APCO Asia, Margery Kraus, chief executive officer of APCO Worldwide, announced today. Patrick Horgan, who jointly managed APCO China with Murck, will continue to lead China’s operations.
“Chris’ significant depth and experience has been pivotal to APCO’s success in China and I am delighted his expertise will now benefit APCO’s staff and clients across the Asia region,” said Kraus. “APCO’s clients require innovative solutions and practical advice, and under Chris’ leadership our Asia team will continue to deliver exceptional results. I am also pleased that our China operations will retain an experienced manager and China expert under Patrick’s leadership.”
During his time as APCO China’s co-managing director, Murck provided advice on China development strategies to many of the world’s foremost companies, as well as foreign governments and non-profit organizations.
“APCO continues on an upward trajectory. We work at the nexus of government, business and the media at a time when clients are addressing the strategic implication of Asia’s rise for their businesses. I believe there is now an opportunity to deliver greater value for clients and look forward with my colleagues to doing so,” said Murck.
Murck served two terms as chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China from 2002 to 2003 and joined APCO after five years in Beijing as senior country officer of The Chase Manhattan Bank. Previously he was based in Taipei, where he ran Chase and its predecessor banks from 1991 to 1996. He was chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei in 1995 and 1996 and is the only person to chair AmChams on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
A graduate of Yale University, Murck taught for two years at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and subsequently earned a doctorate in East Asian Studies at Princeton University. He was a Mellon Fellow at Columbia University before becoming a banker. During his doctoral research, he spent two years as a research fellow at the University of Kyoto in Japan. He is a trustee and former chairman of the Yale-China Association. Murck is also a member of the board of directors of the Bank of Shanghai.
Horgan is currently chairman of the British Chamber of Commerce in China and also serves as vice chair of the European Chamber’s IT/telecom committee. He joined APCO China after working at Jardine Matheson & Co. in Hong Kong. Prior to this, he worked in Taiwan and China for joint venture companies. He specializes in the areas of telecommunications and IT and his work has addressed a range of technical and regulatory issues such as the formation of standards in China and the policy environment for foreign investment. Horgan graduated from Oxford University with a degree in oriental studies.
About APCO
APCO Asia employs over 90 staff throughout the region. APCO Asia’s regional headquarters are in Hong Kong, but it services clients across most Asia-Pacific markets. APCO Asia is part of APCO Worldwide, an independently owned global consulting firm with over 20 offices in major cities throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Clients include corporations, governments, industry associations and non-profit organizations. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., APCO includes among its clients six of the top 10 companies on Fortune’s Global 500. Core services include corporate, investor and internal communication, crisis management, issue management, government relations, litigation communication, media relations, coalition building, opinion research, market entry, corporate social responsibility and online communication. For more information, please visit www.apcoworldwide.com.
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Contact:
Megan Carpenter
202-659-7913
mcarpenter@apcoworldwide.com