The Team
Our Team combines over 30 years of public affairs and government relations experience in global blue chip corporations, international associations and government.
Ms. Alexandra de Athayde
Alexandra is the Managing Director and a founding partner of AdAC Communications. She is Executive Director of the International Feed Industry Federation (IFIF) and she holds a number of representative positions in International Organizations, including the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and Codex Alimentarius.
Alexandra has extensive agriculture and international experience representing the industry and international organizations with governments and businesses, holding positions in Corporate Affairs in Brazil, the US and Europe. She has also worked for the Brazilian Government as Adviser to the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and as Adviser to the Foreign Trade Secretary.
Alexandra holds an International Executive MBA from the University of Pittsburgh, USA and a BA degree in International Relations from York University in Canada. She has lived in Mexico, Ecuador, Brazil, India, USA, Canada and Belgium and she speaks English, Portuguese, Spanish and French.
Dr. Sebastian Csaki
Sebastian is Director and a founding partner of AdAC Communications. He is a Senior Advisor at the International Feed Industry Federation (IFIF) and a Member of the Board of Directors of the Global Feed LCA Institute (GFLI).
Sebastian has extensive international experience representing blue chip companies & international organizations in the area of sustainability, feed and food, health and nutrition regulatory issues and CSR. He previously held positions in the Global Corporate Affairs Team of LVMH Moët Hennessy - Louis Vuitton, representing the company vis-à-vis stakeholders in Brussels and Washington, DC, as well as in the government relations and environment teams of McDonald’s Europe.
Sebastian holds a PhD and MPhil in International Studies from the University of Cambridge, UK, and a BA in French literature and a BA in International Relations from the College of William and Mary in Virginia, USA. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa (PBK). Sebastian has lived in Belgium, France, Italy, the USA, and the United Kingdom and he speaks German, English and French.
Mr. Rodrigo Almeida
Mr. Almeida is a Partner and Senior Consultant at BMJ, a leading Brazilian consultancy specialized in International Trade and Government Relations. He is a Senior Advisor to AdAC Communications.
Mr. Almeida has more than 30 years experience in the agricultural sector and is a recognized expert in government relations and corporate affairs in Brazil. He advises clients on a number of complex political and regulatory issues, including international trade issues, agriculture, biotechnology, and tax policy.
Throughout his career Mr. Almeida has worked tirelessly to drive Brazil’s agricultural development through high-level regulatory and policy engagement. During his 28 years career at Monsanto Brazil he built up the Corporate Affairs & Government Relations Department and was instrumental in the introduction of biotechnology in Brazil, the construction of important regulatory milestones, such as the biosafety law, and the acceptance in the supply chain of soybeans, corn and cotton.
Mr. Almeida has held a number of leadership positions in national and international bodies, including as Director of Abiquim (Brazilian Association for the Chemical Industry), a member of the Board of Sindag, Vice President of ABIA (Brazilian Association of Food), CIESP Director, Director of Sindirações (Brazilian Feed Association) and member of the Government Relations Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM).
Mr. Almeida is an economist by training and speaks Portuguese and English. He is based in Sao Paulo, Brazil.