In our Meet the Team series, we’re excited to shine a spotlight on the dedicated AKCG team members serving our valued clients.
This week, meet Chris Lukach, CEO of AKCG. Chris has deep experience in crisis and issue response and preparedness, and he has been instrumental in driving AKCG to be the national public relations firm it is today. Learn more about Chris below.
What inspired you to work in public relations?
I declared as an undergraduate public relations major because I read something in a book – specifically, I read that with a PR degree you could work as a concert promoter. (The irony, perhaps, is that I have since learned that I personally have neither the stomach nor talent for planning special events.) But once I began my studies, I was intrigued at a discipline designed to change attitudes and behaviors. My passion for PR grew from there.
What is your PR specialty?
My particular expertise is guiding clients through pivotal moments. Often, that takes the form of a crisis or an issue. In other instances it takes the form of a merger, acquisition or leadership change. Other times, it is embracing an advocacy or thought-leadership position.
What aspect of crisis communications is most interesting to you?
As crisis communicators, we guide clients not only through pivotal moments within their business lives, but stressful, disruptive and, in many cases, unforgettable moments in their personal lives. In many cases, by delivering our counsel, we also deliver peace of mind. It’s very rewarding.
AKCG has been around for nearly 40 years. What do you predict the future holds for the firm?
If anything, AKCG is steady. We know what we do well, and it’s what we’ve done well for four decades. The landscape is changing, but there will always be a place for public relations strategy that influences attitudes and behaviors, and that supports a business’s bottom-line.
And just for fun: What is the best concert you’ve ever attended?
It’s a tough call, but my all-time favorite musician is Prince, and I had the pleasure of seeing him a few times before he died.
