APCO Worldwide Bolsters its UK Team

London – April 11, 2019: APCO Worldwide announced today that the firm bolstered its UK-based team with three significant additions. Public affairs and strategic communications experts Burhan Al-Gailani, Amy Selman and Maram Alkadhi have joined the firm, announced Alex Bigland, deputy managing director of APCO’s London office.

Burhan Al-Gailani, a public affairs specialist with more than a decade of experience in the industry, will join APCO as a director and will help lead its UK public affairs team. Al-Gailani most recently served as head of public affairs for Brands2Life, where he provided strategic counsel to clients across a broad range of sectors including technology, transportation, manufacturing and food. Al-Gailani was recently named by Public Affairs News as one of the top “movers and shakers” in UK public affairs.

“With the uncertainty surrounding Brexit and its effects on the business community, our clients are looking for advisers with deep UK policy and public affairs expertise,” said Bigland. “I’m thrilled to welcome Burhan to our public affairs team. I know our clients will value his expertise, ideas and campaigning approach to their business challenges.”

“In 2019 businesses are facing two major challenges: political volatility and an increased appetite to seek new regulatory solutions to issues,” said Al-Gailani. “I’m delighted to be joining APCO’s team to help clients navigate these changes and create new opportunities to support their growth and success.”

Amy Selman, a public policy expert, joined APCO’s London office as an associate director. Her role will be to support strategic communications projects in the Gulf region, an area of significant growth for APCO. Selman most recently served as a special adviser for the former UK Minister for London and Rail, where she drafted and implemented strategic plans for Ministerial activities and managed the Minister’s public, parliamentary and media activities.

Maram Alkadhi, a public relations and strategic communications expert, also joins APCO’s London office as an associate director, with a focus on supporting projects in the Gulf region. Alkadhi most recently worked for H+K Strategies in Riyadh and has over a decade of experience developing and implementing strategic communications campaigns for a variety of clients. Alkadhi has worked in London, the UAE and Saudi Arabia during his career.

“I’m delighted to welcome Amy and Maram to help APCO’s London team better support and resource the significant growth we have seen in APCO’s work for clients in the Gulf region. They will frequently be deployed for short periods on the ground to help set up new teams and projects in the region, while also creating compelling English language content for Gulf-based clients.”

The additions of Al-Gailani, Selman and Alkadhi come during a landmark year for APCO Worldwide, as 2019 represents the 35^thanniversary year of the company’s founding. APCO first opened its doors in London in 1995 and its UK office was named International Consultancy of the Year by the PRCA in 2018. Founded by Margery Kraus as a single-person operation in 1984, APCO has grown to a global advisory and advocacy communications consultancy with nearly 800 employees in more than 30 offices worldwide.