Council on American Politics

Margery Kraus
President and Chief Executive Officer, APCO

Margery Kraus founded APCO Worldwide in 1984 and has transformed it from a company with one small Washington, D.C. office to a multinational consulting firm with 24 offices worldwide.

Throughout the years, her approach has been to fuse the best local experience with a global perspective resulting in an international agency with a unique culture based on seamless teamwork. Ms. Kraus’ achievements have been recognized through a number of prestigious awards, including 2001 International PR Professional of the Year (PR Week), 1998 Washington Businesswoman of the Year (ABC’s Washington, D.C. Affiliate, WJLA), and 1997 PR Professional of the Year (PR News). In 2003, APCO was named International Agency of the Year (The Holmes Report), and in 1999, APCO was named Agency of the Year (Inside PR).

Ms. Kraus specializes in providing strategic counsel on issue-based communications, crisis management, market entry and corporate reputation across diverse industry sectors. The range of her experience is reflected in APCO’s industry practice groups, which include aviation and aerospace, education, energy, environment, financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, telecommunications and transportation.

Prior to joining APCO, Ms. Kraus assisted in the creation and development of the Close Up Foundation, a multi-million dollar educational foundation sponsored in part by the United States Congress. Ms. Kraus continues to be involved with the foundation by serving on its Board.

Ms. Kraus is also active on other institutional and corporate Boards and committees, including Group Menatep (chair, Advisory Board), the largest Russian holding company; Teuza Fund, a Fairchild technology venture (Israel); the Policy Owner Review Committee (chair) for Northwestern Mutual Financial Network; Governmental Relations Committee (chair) of the Council of PR Firms; Public Affairs Council; Catherine B. Reynolds Foundation; International Management and Development Institute; Institute for Public Relations; The Creative Coalition and the Meridian International Center. Ms. Kraus previously served on and chaired the Board of Directors of the Research Institute of the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

In addition, Ms. Kraus serves on the Advisory Board of the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University and is on the steering committee of the school’s Center for Executive Women. She is a member of the Advisory Board of the Terry Sanford Institute of Public Policy at Duke University and the Council on American Politics of the George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management.

Ms. Kraus has authored numerous articles in the field of public affairs management and has been a guest lecturer throughout the world.

Ms. Kraus holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Political Science and Public Law from The American University.

Back to Council page.