H/Advisors is strengthening its position in the European public affairs with the appointment of María Lledó as the new chair of its Brussels office, where she will lead the Havas Group’s Public Affairs strategy at EU level. Until now Vice-President for European Affairs at H/Advisors in Spain, Lledó is taking on the leadership of the firm’s main European hub at a time when European Union regulation is playing an increasingly important role in the business agenda.

The move reflects the growing importance of Brussels as a centre for political and regulatory decision-making and reinforces H/Advisors’ strategy to consolidate an integrated advisory platform across communications, influence and institutional relations. The office is positioned as a key hub for companies and organisations operating in highly regulated environments.

With experience at the highest institutional level, having served as Secretary-General for the European Union at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lledó combines political expertise with a strategic communications approach, a profile increasingly in demand in European Public Affairs. “In Brussels, influence requires anticipation, structure and constant dialogue. Our goal is to help clients understand the regulatory environment and play an active role in the European conversation,” she says.

The new structure brings together talent and capabilities from different offices across the group, especially London, Frankfurt, Paris and Madrid, with the aim of providing a truly pan-European service. In this context, Stéphane Fouks, Executive Chairman of H/Advisors and Executive Vice-President of Havas, notes: “Brussels is the epicentre of influence in Europe, and this step allows us to strengthen our offer by combining Public Affairs and strategic communications.”

Lledó will work alongside Vanessa Haumberger, who takes on the role of Chief Strategy Officer in Brussels, and Carlos Villota, Executive Director of the structure, as part of a team designed to respond to the growing complexity of the EU environment.

H/Advisors’ reinforced Brussels presence comes at a time of strong growth in the European affairs market, driven by the increasing regulatory weight of the European Union and by a global trend in which Washington continues to set the pace in the professionalisation, scale and sophistication of lobbying and Public Affairs.

In this context, leading international firms are accelerating strategic moves, including senior institutional hires, acquisitions and expanded capabilities, to strengthen their position in the EU capital. Against this backdrop, H/Advisors’ new integrated structure aims to play a relevant role as one of the emerging players in European and EU-level advisory.