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Led by Brian Ballard, Ballard Partners has experienced incredible growth since expanding out of Florida in 2017. Along with its eight Sunshine State offices, it has opened locations in five major markets across the country. In Washington, DC, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, and Sacramento, Ballard Partners has a local team that’s ready and equipped to help clients achieve their policy goals.
As Ballard Partners has expanded across the county, it has likewise developed an international presence. Today, the firm maintains offices staffed by highly experienced public affairs consultants in Israel, Turkey, Nigeria, and Saudi Arabia.
Ballard Partners has also grown its international presence through the Ballard Global Alliance. Launched in 2024, the Ballard Global Alliance unites public affairs, government relations, risk advisory, and similar firms from around the world to give clients access to superior cross-border services and solutions.
The Ballard Global Alliance was formed with Japan’s KyodoPR and the United Kingdom’s SABI Strategy Group as its first members. It now comprises, in addition to Ballard Partners, nine partner firms across North America, South America, East Asia, and Europe.
On October 1, Ballard Partners announced the newest member of the Ballard Global Alliance: Forward Global, whose presence in the key European markets of Paris and Brussels will enhance Ballard’s services on the continent.
Forward Global
Forward Global is dedicated to helping clients manage risk. Working with executives, businesses, and institutions, the firm applies its expertise in public affairs, communications, and other areas to improve decision-making and enhance strategic positions on the national and international levels.
The firm is led by its chairman and cofounder, Matthieu Creux. A graduate of Sciences Po Paris, Creux has worked in government as a parliamentary assistant and in the private sector as a consultant for Ernst & Young.
Through the collaboration with Ballard Partners, clients of Forward Global will benefit from Ballard Partners’ expansive US presence, particularly in Washington, DC, as well as its relationships with the other international partner firms that make up the Ballard Global Alliance.
In partnering with Forward Global, Ballard Partners will establish a presence in Paris and Brussels, thus making it better equipped to serve clients doing business in these major European Union markets. It will also enjoy access to Forward Global teams in London, Ivory Coast, and Montreal.
“Companies today face policy challenges that don’t respect borders,” said Brian Ballard, the founder and president of Ballard Partners. “This partnership gives our clients the strategic coherence they need across both sides of the Atlantic.”
An Integrated Partnership
Firms collaborating with one another is nothing new. Ballard Partners and Forward Global, however, have taken a novel approach to their strategic alliance.
As part of the relationship, Forward Global partner Mike Rubino will join Ballard Partners as a partner. A government affairs consultant who primarily works with high-profile companies and individuals, Rubino is a veteran of Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign, where he directed campaign operations in 10 key states, nine of which the future president won. Rubino subsequently served as a senior official at the US Department of Health and Human Services during the first Trump administration before launching his career in public affairs.
Rubino’s dual partner role—an industry first—will strengthen collaboration between the two firms and ensure unified guidance and direction for shared clients. “Most firms talk about international capabilities, but few can deliver truly integrated counsel,” said Rubino. “By joining forces, we’re expanding what each firm can deliver and ensuring clients have the expertise and execution they need, wherever they need it.
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