Beijing, May 16, 2013 -( ASIA TODAY )- James McGregor, author of the bestselling book One Billion Customers: Lessons from the Front Lines of Doing Business in China and No Ancient Wisdom, No Followers: The Challenges of Chinese Authoritarian Capitalism, was appointed today as chairman for the Greater China region at APCO Worldwide, founder and CEO Margery Kraus announced today. Jennifer Hart was promoted to deputy managing director of the Beijing office.
“I am pleased that Jim is taking on this new role as chairman for the Greater China region,” said Kraus. “His invaluable market knowledge is such an asset to our growing client base, and his leadership and insights will help us continue to enhance our offering in the market. I also have great pride that Jennifer is assuming the role of deputy managing director in Beijing. Her client counsel, market knowledge, staff management and entrepreneurial spirit will help continue the excellent client service and growth of the team in Beijing.”
McGregor has more than 25 years of business experience in China, including: chief executive officer of Dow Jones China where he built the company’s media business; Taiwan bureau chief from 1987 to 1990 and China bureau chief from 1990 to 1994 for The Wall Street Journal; China managing director and partner at GIV Ventures; and founder and CEO of J. L. McGregor & Co., a research service for investment firms. He also served as a reporter in the Washington bureau of Knight-Ridder newspapers during the Reagan administration. McGregor joined APCO in 2009 and has provided strategic counsel to some of APCO’s key clients in the region.
“This is an especially exciting time for the Chinese economy and the types of services and counsel APCO provides are critical for companies today to prosper in the Chinese market and for Chinese enterprises to expand overseas,” said McGregor. “I look forward to continuing to develop APCO’s business in the region for the future.”
Hart joined APCO in 2001 and specializes in corporate communication, positioning, and issues and reputation management. She spent the first eight years of her APCO career based in Beijing, counseling multinational companies on stakeholder engagement, investment and policy issues in Asia. Hart spent three years in APCO’s Chicago office serving corporate clients with international needs and then returned to Beijing in 2012. She is an active member of APCO’s global corporate responsibility team, assisting clients with community engagement strategies, and an expert in crisis management and media relations.
“I am thrilled to take on this new responsibility at APCO and continue to work with the talented team in Beijing to deliver superior service and results for our clients,” said Hart. “It is great to work at a company with such incredible opportunities for professional growth.”
APCO opened its Hong Kong office in 1997, and in 1999 acquired the Beijing-based consultancy Batey Burn, which had been serving multinational clients in mainland China since 1989. Today, APCO has offices in Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong. McGregor and Hart join a growing senior leadership team at APCO in the region including:
• Greg Gilligan, managing director, Beijing, and former general manager of corporate affairs for McDonald’s (China) Co., Ltd.
• Ira Kasoff, senior counselor, and former deputy assistant secretary for Asia at the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration
• Frances Sun, managing director, Shanghai, and former senior vice president and head of global communications at a global public relations firm in China
• Amy Wendholt, managing director, Hong Kong, and former visiting scholar at the Central University of Finance and Economics and the Beijing Administrative College
• Nor Coquillard, senior counselor, and former chairman and president of Cargill Investment (China) Limited
• Ben Morgan, senior director, and former Shanghai bureau chief of Agence France-Presse
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