WASHINGTON, DC—Bob Kocher, former special assistant to President Obama on healthcare and economic policy and former member of the National Economic Council, joins APCO Worldwide's health advisory board and international advisory council.

During his time at the White House, Kocher helped form healthcare reform legislation, was an active leader in the First Lady's "Let's Move" childhood obesity initiative, worked to build the foundation of Partnership for a Healthier America and served on the Federal Advisory Panel, which was given the task of developing a national anti-obesity strategy.

Prior to his tenure at the White House, Kocher was a partner at McKinsey & Co., where he led McKinsey Global Institute's healthcare economics work and worked with various constituencies in the health care ecosystem to improve health policy, productivity, clinical outcomes and patient experience. He is now a partner at Venrock, a venture capital firm that focuses on technology, healthcare and energy.

In addition, Karen Hulebak, former chair of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, the international food standards and safety body established by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization, has joined APCO Worldwide's international advisory council. Hulebak brings more than 20 years of food safety and agricultural policy experience and will play a key role in APCO's new food safety and product recall offering, which brings together policy, communication and science experts to offer counsel and tactical support to companies that wish to effectively communicate food-safety commitments and actions.