WASHINGTON —APCO Worldwide veteran Bill Dalbec has been upped to managing director of APCO Insight, the firm’s research consultancy.

Dalbec, most recently Insight’s deputy managing director, will oversee the continued integration of research tools across the APCO, manage the daily operations of the consultancy and provide research and strategy guidance for clients. He brings particular expertise in communications research.

 “In today’s crowded communications landscape, it is essential for companies’ messaging, content and targeting to be on-point to break through the noise,” said APCO global president Evan Kraus. “Opinion research has long been at the heart of our work at APCO, providing valuable insights on reputation, public affairs and communication strategy. Bill has been a leader at APCO Insight for more than a decade. I look forward to seeing him build on past success while continuing to lead the way on developing new approaches that strengthen the counsel we provide to our clients.”

Dalbec replaces Karen Buerkle Kaludov, who left the job to join the tech company Polecat as North American managing director and VP of reputation risk.

Dalbec joined APCO in 2006. Developing the firm’s annual TradeMarks study, which measures the influence of associations on public policy, is among the hallmarks of his career with the firm.