Veteran political strategist, former senior government official and transportation expert Brandon Neal, and technology, cybersecurity and government affairs expert Preston Grisham joined APCO Worldwide’s Campaigns & Advocacy team, Senior Director and Head of Advocacy Dan Meyers announced.
“Brandon and Preston bring a deep wealth of knowledge of government affairs and political strategy gained from decades of experience in both the public and private sectors,” Meyers said. “Their expert insight and relationships will help guide clients, inside and outside of the Beltway, to successfully navigate obstacles and overcome challenges, particularly during an election year unlike any before.”
Neal joined as a senior director today and Grisham assumed his role as a director on May 18—both in Washington.
APCO’s strategic mindset and campaign-style approach towards building relationships and strong connections with critical stakeholders and the public are founded on the shared passion of the firm’s global team of industry experts hailing from both sides of the political spectrum. Through their shared passion and expertise, APCO creates and executes bespoke, fully-integrated communications strategies and grassroots advocacy campaigns to help clients tell their stories and create authentic change in the world.
Neal and Grisham join an extraordinary team of experts in APCO’s market-leading campaigns and advocacy team, including Meyers, Raleigh Managing Director Courtney Crowder, North America Lead Gadi Dechter, Senior Director Jack Kalavritinos, MENA Lead Nic Labuschagne, Executive Director Frank Lowenstein, Europe Lead Theo Moore, Senior Director Bill Pierce, Director Rachel Savey, Senior Director Dan Scandling, India Lead Rahul Sharma, Executive Director Cliff Stearns, Senior Director Zoe Thorogood and Greater China Lead Anne Wang. Additionally, APCO’s International Advisory Council includes more than 100 recognized policy experts, business and industry leaders, former elected politicians, diplomats and other global leaders, such as Ambassador Claudia Fritsche, Craig Fuller, Lance Leggitt, Jim Manley, Anita McBride, Susan Molinari, Ambassador Tim Roemer and Peter Urbanowicz.
Prior to joining APCO, Neal founded and served as the CEO of a political strategy firm in Washington, D.C., and served as a senior advisor to Mayor Pete Buttigieg and the Pete for America Presidential Campaign. He has served in various senior positions on Capitol Hill, including as senior advisor, deputy chief of staff and national political director for a high-ranking Democratic member of U.S. Congress. He previously served as the national political director at the Democratic National Committee, following his tenure as a senior advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Transportation in the Obama Administration. As a Senior Executive Service member and a part of U.S. Department of Transportation’s key leadership team, he provided management and direction on contracting opportunities throughout USDOT with the business community.
Grisham joins APCO from TechSC, where he served as executive director, leading efforts to accelerate growth and innovation across South Carolina, while providing a unified voice for the statewide technology community by supporting entrepreneurs, connecting peers and decision makers, and establishing the state as a global hub for innovation. He also previously served as a senior manager of public policy communications for the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA). In 2010, Grisham founded and managed a public affairs company in South Carolina, representing a variety of corporate and association clients in the state. Grisham began his career on the staff of Republican Congressman Joe Wilson of South Carolina.
