APCO Opens in Bangkok
Washington, D.C. (October 17, 2007) – APCO Worldwide, continuing its rapid growth in the Asian region, opened a new office in Bangkok, Thailand, Margery Kraus, president and chief executive officer, announced today.
"With offices in Hong Kong and across China, Vietnam, Indonesia, India and Singapore, creating a presence in Thailand was a natural progression for APCO," said Kraus. "This strengthens our commitment to the Asian region and allows us to provide local expertise and global perspective in yet another dynamic market critical to our clients' continued expansion and success."
Sorasak Samonkraisorakit will be managing director of the APCO office in Bangkok. Samonkraisorakit, a former senior official with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Thailand, has more than 12 years of experience in diplomacy, international trade negotiations and state-to-state dispute resolution.
"Working in partnership with APCO offices throughout Asia and around the world, our Bangkok team will be providing investment and financial communication consulting, government relations and strategic communication counsel to clients from across the globe," said Samonkraisorakit. "Our new team combines in-depth knowledge of the Thai government and financial sectors, as well as good relationships with the local media; we know how to listen to the market, and how to get our clients' voices heard."
Most recently Samonkraisorakit served as first secretary in the Department of Treaties and Legal Affairs, responsible for free trade agreement negotiations for Thailand. His previous experience includes four years as first secretary at the Royal Thai Embassy in Washington, D.C., and as consul at the Thai consulate-general in Calcutta, India. He started his career as a lawyer with Tilleke & Gibbins in Bangkok.
James Stent, a banker with a distinguished career spanning over 20 years in Thailand and China, is joining APCO's International Advisory Council (IAC) and will serve as senior counselor to the new Thai office.
After starting his career at Citibank, Stent moved to Crocker National Bank and then to the Bank of Asia in Thailand, where he rose to the position of deputy president. Stent also served as director of the Thai Rating and Information Services, a credit rating agency. His banking experience in China includes serving as a director of the China Everbright Bank and the China Minsheng Bank. Stent is also an expert in tourism development and cultural heritage protection. He served as director of the Raks Thai Foundation, and as a council member and honorary treasurer of the Siam Society. He is currently a director of the Beijing Cultural Heritage Protection Center.
Stent joins nearly 40 other IAC members, including former U.S. Ambassador to China J. Stapleton Roy; former Congressman Steve Solarz; and former editor of The Economist, Dudley Fishburn.
"I'm delighted to be joining such a distinguished group within such a dynamic company," said Stent. "APCO believes that Thailand has excellent prospects for future growth and is an attractive location for foreign investors. Many of APCO's global clients already have operations in Thailand, and APCO is working with them to assist in resolving issues they face, and we will work to help other companies with market entry into Thailand in the future."
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 PRWeek; 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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