What DCI Group does

DCI Group is a full-service public affairs and strategic communications consulting firm headquartered in Washington, DC, founded in 1996 by Tom Synhorst, Doug Goodyear, and Tim Hyde. The firm serves Fortune 500 corporations, foreign governments, industry associations, and state/local entities with an integrated suite of services spanning strategic communications, crisis management and litigation support, coalition building, public affairs and government relations, M&A advisory, state and local advocacy, international services, and digital/creative/analytics. Its core capability is human expertise — seasoned political operatives, communications strategists, and a proprietary network of grassroots, media, and government affairs specialists across all 50 U.S. states and on six continents (EU, South America, Asia, Australia, Africa). The firm does not sell software or proprietary technology products; its output is bespoke advisory and execution work.

DCI generates revenue through professional services fees structured as retainers and project-based contracts, with notable disclosed contract values including a $9 million annual engagement with the Nigeria government (initiated December 2025) and an approximately $3 million annual Myanmar engagement. Other reported billing rates include $120,000/month for a Valcour LLC-adjacent account. The firm operates from offices in Washington DC (headquarters, 2000 K Street NW), New York, Tallahassee, and Brussels, with approximately 100 employees. Go-to-market is sales-led and enterprise-focused, driven by direct partner-level relationships with C-suite executives, corporate boards, government officials, and association leadership. DCI's marketing channels include thought leadership content (Policymaker Series, Women's Leadership Series), earned media placement, podcasts/video, industry events, and LinkedIn.

The firm is independently owned and privately held, with no institutional investor or parent company disclosed. Current leadership comprises Managing Partners Justin Peterson and Brian McCabe (who joined via acquisition of his McCabe Consulting Group in 2002), while the three founders retain active roles. Recent strategic actions in 2025–2026 include the Nigeria contract win, expansion of the strategic alliances team via senior hires (Tim Dupin, Tim Martin, Dan Savickas), seven additional staff additions and three promotions, and a data partnership with Victory Phones for the 'We Ask DC' survey on policymaker media habits.

Name

DCI Group

Legal name

DCI Group AZ, L.L.C.

Website

https://dcigroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

DCI Group is a Washington, DC-based public affairs and strategic communications consulting firm founded in 1996 that serves Fortune 500 corporations, foreign governments, and industry associations with crisis management, lobbying, coalition building, and M&A advisory services across the U.S. and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Strategic Communications Consulting: DCI Group provides strategic communications, public affairs, and crisis management consulting services to corporations, governments, and associations. Revenue is generated through professional service fees, typically structured as retainer arrangements or project-based contracts.
2. Government Relations and Lobbying: The firm provides lobbying and government relations services, particularly for international clients including foreign governments. Contract values reported include Nigeria ($9 million annual contract) and Myanmar (~$3 million per year).

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

DCI Group is a full-service public affairs and strategic communications consulting firm that advises Fortune 500 corporations, industry associations, and foreign governments on crisis management, litigation communications, coalition building, lobbying, M&A approval strategy, and digital/creative campaigns. The firm delivers services through nine integrated practice areas and operates an unrivaled field network of political, media, and government affairs specialists across all 50 U.S. states and six continents.

Product overview

DCI Group is a full-service public affairs consulting firm (not a software product company) offering an integrated suite of strategic communications, crisis management, coalition building, research, public affairs/government relations, M&A advisory, state/local, international, and digital/creative services. The firm operates as a unified consulting service rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Core service offerings include Strategic Communications, Crisis Management & Litigation Support, Coalition Building & Management, Research & Insights, Public Affairs & Government Relations, Mergers & Acquisitions Advisory, State & Local Services, International Services, and Digital, Creative & Analytics. The firm demonstrates its work through case studies in litigation support, coalition building, financial services advocacy, international campaigns, and digital/creative campaigns.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strategic Communications

Quantifiable outcome

• Prevented harmful anti-business ESG legislation in 9+ states through multi-state field campaign
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Victory PhonesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 June 2026DCI partnered with Victory Phones to conduct the inaugural 'We Ask DC' survey on Washington insiders' media habits. The partnership combined DCI's public affairs expertise with Victory Phones' polling capabilities to produce first-hand, data-backed intelligence on how DC policymakers consume information.
• Roger Stone (Contractor)minorOthersRoger Stone, Donald Trump's longtime political confidant, works as a contractor for DCI Group, lobbying on behalf of governments including the Bahamas ($125,000/month) and Nigeria ($9 million annual contract).

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Mercury Public Affairs: Mercury is a leading bipartisan public affairs and strategic communications firm with offices in DC, New York, and globally. It is one of the closest direct competitors to DCI, serving Fortune 500 clients on crisis, M&A approval, and government relations with comparable pricing and positioning.
• BGR Group: BGR Group is a Washington-based bipartisan lobbying and public affairs firm founded by former Governor Haley Barbour. It competes head-to-head with DCI on federal lobbying, foreign-government advocacy, and strategic advisory for Fortune 500 clients.
• Forbes Tate Partners: Forbes Tate Partners is a bipartisan public affairs and communications firm with strong Democratic-network ties, founded by former Senate leadership and Obama-administration alumni. It directly competes with DCI on strategic communications, coalition building, and crisis management for enterprise clients.
• ROKK Solutions: ROKK Solutions is a bipartisan public affairs and strategic communications firm serving Fortune 500 and trade association clients. It competes directly with DCI on public affairs strategy, crisis communications, and coalition-based advocacy campaigns.
• Hamilton Place Strategies: Hamilton Place Strategies is a Washington-based advisory firm providing strategic communications, public affairs, and economic analysis. It is a direct peer to DCI in serving corporate and association clients on policy advocacy and government relations.
• Beacon Global Strategies: Beacon Global Strategies is a strategic communications and government affairs firm founded by senior national security and foreign-policy advisers. It is a direct peer for high-stakes geopolitical, foreign-government, and crisis advisory work that overlaps with DCI's international practice.
• Story Partners: Story Partners is a Washington-based public affairs firm specializing in strategic communications, coalition building, and crisis management. It is a comparable mid-sized direct competitor to DCI on enterprise public affairs mandates.

Broad incumbents

• Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld (Public Law & Policy): Akin Gump is a major global law firm with a substantial public law and policy lobbying practice. It competes with DCI on federal lobbying and regulatory strategy, but as a much broader organization spanning legal, policy, and corporate advisory.
• Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck: Brownstein is a major DC-based law and lobbying firm with one of the largest federal lobbying practices in the US. It competes with DCI on government relations and strategic advisory but as part of a full-service legal platform serving enterprise clients.
• Ketchum: Ketchum is a major global PR firm (Omnicom-owned) with significant public affairs and crisis practice. It competes with DCI for corporate crisis communications and strategic advisory work but operates at much larger scale across the full marketing-services stack.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dcigroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/dcigroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dci-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about DCI Group