Former Coca-Cola Public Affairs Director Joins APCO
Rome (August 22, 2007) – Nicola Raffa joins APCO Worldwide as managing director of the Rome office, Brad Staples, chief executive officer, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), announced today. The former public affairs director for Coca-Cola Italy brings APCO’s clients and employees over 25 years of experience in journalism, government relations, communication, media relations, strategic branding and crisis management.
“Nicola is an important addition to our global team,” said Staples. “His exemplary qualifications and experience will ensure the continuing success of our business in Italy and the EMEA region.”
Since 2001, Raffa served as public affairs director of the Italian and Mediterranean divisions for The Coca-Cola Corporation in Italy. At Coca-Cola, he built relationships with key decision-makers in the Italian government and led a number of innovative public affairs and communication initiatives. Raffa served on Coca-Cola Italy’s board of directors for six years. He is also a member of the board of Assobibe, the industry association for soft drinks.
“It is an exciting time in the world, as the global market is transforming, and APCO is at the forefront,” Raffa said. “APCO’s ability to offer all of its clients unique perspectives and unrivaled strategic counsel makes me eager to join the team.”
Before his time at Coca-Cola, Raffa held a number of high-level positions at other corporations in Italy, including: director of communications and government affairs at SmithKline Beecham; director of general affairs and communication at Glaxo SpA; and director of external and international affairs at Farm Industria. In these roles, he built strong networks of key stakeholders and strong relationships with members of the Italian government.
Raffa worked as a journalist at Il Popolo before entering the corporate world. He also served as a visiting lecturer in corporate communication at the University of Milan.
About APCO Worldwide
Founded in 1984, APCO Worldwide is an independently owned global communication consultancy with offices in major cities throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. APCO was named 2006 Agency of the Year by PR Week, 2007, 2006 and 2005 European Consultancy of the Year by Public Affairs News and 2004 Public Affairs Agency of the Year by The Holmes Report. Clients include corporations, governments, industry associations and nonprofit organizations. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., APCO includes among its clients seven 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 responsibility and online communication. APCO is a majority women-owned business. For more information, please visit www.apcoworldwide.com.
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Contacts:
Kimber Cook
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Natacha Dalcorso
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