APCO Expands to Chicago
Washington, D.C. (October 3, 2005) – In another sign of its rapid growth and expansion, APCO today announced the opening of a Chicago office. With the opening of its Israel office in August, APCO now has offices in major business and government capitals throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa; North America and Asia.
Tilden Katz, a former practicing attorney and litigation communication expert, will serve as managing director; and Pete Wentz, a strategic planning and crisis communication veteran, will serve as executive vice president of the office.
“APCO is growing at a phenomenal pace and with many of our multinational clients based in the Midwest it makes sense that we have a physical presence in the region,” said Neal Cohen, APCO chief executive officer for North America. “We are fortunate to welcome Tilden and Pete, both experts in key service areas for the company and with a strong understanding of the Midwest market, to the APCO team.”
In recent years, APCO has worked for a number of companies based in the Midwest including Abbott Laboratories, Discover, Dow Corning and Johnson Controls. The new office broadens APCO’s ability to service clients based in the Midwest, and Katz and Wentz strengthen its cutting edge crisis and litigation communication practices.
Katz and Wentz, also an attorney, were previously partners in a communication firm for three years, New Vistas Consulting. Their practice included representation of Adventist Hospital, Northwestern University School of Law and litigation clients of some of the country’s most prominent law firms. “Running APCO’s Chicago office is an exciting opportunity for Pete and me,” said Katz. “The momentum of the company and the intellectual talent to draw upon is unmatched in the industry. I look forward to bringing that excitement and creative energy to clients in the region, and to working with APCO’s cadre of experts internationally.”
Before founding New Vistas Consulting, Wentz was associate dean at Northwestern University School of Law. Prior to that, he served for 17 years as vice president of corporate communications and law for Helene Curtis Industries, Inc. and also as a principal and general manager for the Chicago office of The Dilenschneider Group, a strategic public relations and crisis management firm. Before joining Helene Curtis, he was an attorney at Sidley & Austin and, prior to that, a legislative assistant to U.S. Senator Joseph R. Biden (D-Del.). He is a graduate of Trinity College and Northwestern University School of Law.
Before founding New Vistas, Katz was an attorney at Seyfarth, Shaw and a vice president at Holland & Knight Strategic Communications. Before attending law school, he spent five years working with the media for several elected officials, including the district attorney of San Francisco and the speaker of the house in Missouri. He graduated from Wesleyan University and Northwestern University School of Law.
About APCO Worldwide
Founded in 1984, APCO Worldwide is an independently owned global communication consultancy with offices in major cities throughout North America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. The firm was named 2005 European Consultancy of the Year by Public Affairs News, 2004 Public Affairs Agency of the Year by The Holmes Report and 2003 International Agency of the Year by The Holmes Report. 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