Spotlight on the South American Members of the Ballard Global Alliance

Ballard Partners spent its first nine years exclusively as a Florida-based public affairs firm. From its offices in Tallahassee and elsewhere across the Sunshine State, it developed a sterling reputation for leveraging its relationships with top figures in state and local government to help clients exceed their goals.

Since 2017, however, the firm founded by Brian Ballard, a former chief of staff to the Florida governor, has experienced rapid growth. After expanding out of Florida for the first time with an office in Washington, DC, Ballard Partners has spent the last eight years opening locations across the country. Along with Florida and Washington, DC, it now has a presence in Los Angeles; Boston; Chicago; and Sacramento, California.

In addition to establishing itself on the national stage, Ballard Partners has developed an international presence with locations in Tel Aviv, Nigeria, Istanbul, and Saudi Arabia. It has also launched the Ballard Global Alliance. Established in 2024, the Ballard Global Alliance is an international network of public affairs, government relations, and other similar firms working together to enhance services for clients worldwide.

Currently, along with the US-based Ballard Partners, the partnership consists of firms in Canada, the United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Mexico. Also an important part of the alliance are two South America partners. Let’s learn more about each of them.

Cefeidas Group

When organizations need support in navigating the complex business environment of Latin America, they turn to Cefeidas Group. Based in Buenos Aires, Cefeidas Group provides a full suite of advisory services—including public policy, regulatory affairs, and risk and crisis management—to clarify clients’ goals and help them attain their objectives.

Cefeidas Group is led by managing directors Juan Cruz Díaz and Santiago Chaher. A lawyer who holds a master’s degree in banking law and international finance from the London School of Economics, Chaher has spent much of his career leveraging his skills and knowledge to serve financial firms. The founder of Cefeidas Group, he previously directed the Global Corporate Governance Forum in Latin America for the Washington, DC-based International Finance Corporation, for which he continues to consult.

Díaz specializes in advising companies doing business in Latin America on strategic, regulatory, and policy matters. Previously, he directed the public policy program at the Americas Society/Council of the Americas and served as the senior editor at Americas Quarterly. A graduate of Tufts University’s Fletcher School of Law, where he studied international business and Latin American politics, he has consulted with clients such as the World Bank and the Organization of American States.

In a statement accompanying the announcement of Cefeidas Group joining the Ballard Global Alliance, Díaz expressed his excitement for the partnership and noted that collaborating with Ballard Partners will enable his firm’s clients “to take full advantage of the cooperation throughout the hemisphere.”

Esfera

Esfera is an independent civic organization and think tank that brings together stakeholders in the private sector, government, and academia with the goal of achieving policy solutions. Esfera, which is Portuguese for “sphere,” seeks to bring balance to Brazil by acting as the center of the country’s sphere.

Esfera is overseen by chairman João Carmago. An experienced leader in the communications sector, he maintains a stake in several radio and television stations. Previously, he served as chairman of the executive board of CNN Brasil. As Esfera’s cofounder, he guided the firm as CEO for its first 18 months before transitioning to the role of chairman.

Esfera’s current CEO, Camila Funaro Camargo, rose to her leadership position after serving as the firm’s first director of new business. She holds a degree in social communication from the Armando Alvares Penteado Foundation and is the cofounder of an education-focused digital agency.

Upon joining the Ballard Global Alliance in May, João Carmago said the partnership was a “milestone” for his firm. He noted that Ballard Partners’ “deep understanding of the shifting US political landscape” is vital to “crafting informed, long-term policy guidance for Brazil.”

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