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Helena Walsh

Helena Walsh, Executive Director and Board member

H/Advisors Cicero

helena.walsh@h-advisors.global

My Job

For over fifteen years now I have grown and continue to grow the H/Advisors Cicero European team and business in Brussels.

I lead our EU corporate strategy; client campaign strategies across EU27 and EU Institutions, in addition to building a great team who champion our core values of quality insight and delivery, respect/integrity, diversity and inclusion in all that we do i.e. getting early sight of policy developments to avoid surprises; drafting amendments, position papers, consultation responses; and sustaining and building our valued stakeholder networks across MEPs, Member State regulators, governments and ministries, trade associations, NGOs.

My Experience

  • Stagiaire, European Commission DG Employment and Social Affairs.
  • Political Fonctionnaire of the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee (ECON) for the UEN Group as it was called then.
  • EU Affairs Executive, IDA Ireland, government agency attracting Foreign Director Investment into Ireland.

My Proudest Achievements

Getting to ten years leading H/Advisors Cicero in Brussels. To be still here, growing from zero revenue to jumping into the million+ club on the EU transparency register is a nice personal benchmark of that achievement for me.  Growing a business, a brand, and a team from scratch has been incredibly challenging at times but also rewarding #entrepreneurship! I owe a lot to our CEO Jeremy Swan and Chairman Iain Anderson who took a punt on me from the start and providing the support and guidance to make this happen.  Additionally, there are not many female leaders of independent consultancies in Brussels and I am proud to be among this small elite and very resilient group!

My Education

  • Masters in European Social Policy Analysis
  • BA in History, French and Sociology.

My Languages

French and Irish.

My Interests outside work

A competitive jam maker, a stop-start bikram yoga enthusiast and avid hiker with a love of fine Japanese food.

My Favourite Brussels anecdote

Getting good betting tips off former Commissioner for Internal Market Charlie McCreevy – those were the days!

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