APCO Builds On International Trade, Intellectual Property Capabilities

Washington, D.C. (February 9, 2012) – Parita Shah, former public affairs strategist at the U.S. Department of Commerce, joins APCO Worldwide as a vice president, Robert Schooling, managing director of the Washington, D.C., office, announced today. Shah will lead on building APCO’s competencies in international trade policy and intellectual property issues.

“We’re pleased to welcome Parita to our team,” said Schooling. “She brings more than a decade of experience in developing and coordinating media strategy and messaging for the public sector and will be a valuable resource to help clients communicate with government and private stakeholders.”

Most recently, Shah served as senior advisor to newly appointed U.S. Ambassador to China Gary Locke, where she led the ambassador’s transition process. She developed a comprehensive 100-day outreach plan to introduce the ambassador to key stakeholders in the bilateral relationship, the people of China and the media, while simultaneously coordinating with embassy staff and external stakeholders to develop policy priorities and public dialogue.

Shah was previously deputy director of public affairs and press secretary for the Department of Commerce. She served as the department’s spokesperson and was responsible for briefing the secretary on departmental issues, including international trade and economic policy. She also crafted and executed global and domestic media strategies for several of the secretary’s international meetings and trade missions with business executives. Additionally, Shah designed and implemented successful communications plans around the annual meeting of the U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade, strengthening her expertise on issues such as intellectual property protection, bilateral trade disputes and market access barriers.

“To compete in today’s globally integrated economy, companies must engage a diverse set of stakeholders and embrace new market opportunities,” said Shah. “I’m eager to leverage my knowledge and experience in navigating complex international trade issues to effectively counsel APCO’s impressive portfolio of clients.”

Prior to her work with the Department of Commerce, Shah was press secretary for Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. She also served in leading communication positions for nonprofits and presidential campaigns. She began her career as a member of the White House advance team.

Shah joins a highly respected group of international trade and public affairs experts at APCO, including: Paul Dyck, former associate White House political director and deputy assistant secretary for Europe and Eurasia at the U.S. Department of Commerce; Gordon Johndroe, former White House deputy press secretary and former spokesman for the National Security Council (NSC); Ira Kasoff, former deputy assistant secretary for Asia for the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration; Jim Moore, former U.S. assistant secretary of commerce for trade development; and Jennifer Millerwise Dyck, former director of public affairs at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

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About APCO Worldwide

Founded in 1984, APCO Worldwide is an award-winning, independently owned global communication consultancy with offices in major cities throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. APCO currently has two offices in India, in New Delhi and Mumbai. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., APCO clients include corporations and governments; industry associations and nonprofit organizations; and six of the top 10 companies on the Fortune 500. APCO offers services related to business, industry and finance; media, public opinion and society; and government and public policy. The firm is a majority women-owned business. For more information, please visit www.apcoworldwide.com.