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About

The firm

Grupo ICB was founded to connect public and private actors through strategic public affairs consulting. Over sixteen years that idea became a practice with a method of its own: from government relations to foreign investment promotion, with milestones such as the Mexico–Texas Binational Commission, the creation and management of COMED, and collaboration with international agencies. Today the firm works across six industries and has served more than ninety clients.

Team

Leadership team. Each profile states the entity they operate from.

  • Julio Portales

    CEO, Grupo ICB

    Grupo ICB

    Biography

    He led Edelman Mexico, served as vice-president of communications and government relations for Novartis in Mexico, and was executive director of Eli Lilly for Latin America, Africa and the Middle East. He was part of the economic cabinet of the Office of the President and of the negotiating teams for the North American Free Trade Agreement and the agreement with Europe. He chairs COPARMEX's national lobbying commission and served as president of the board of the National Institute of Public Health. He holds a doctorate in economic sociology from the University of Essex, a master's in international business from ITAM, and a finance specialisation from Harvard.

  • Guillermo Máynez Gil

    Managing Director, Public Affairs

    Grupo ICB

    Biography

    He was senior director of public affairs at Llorente & Cuenca, founding managing partner of Proa/Structura and executive president of the Mexican Meat Council. In the public sector he advised the Government Delegation for Dialogue and Reconciliation in Chiapas, headed regional offices at the Ministry of Education and led congressional liaison at IPAB; in the private sector he directed institutional relations at Grupo Lala. For fifteen years he taught at Mexico's Army and Air Force Studies Centre. He writes Grupo ICB's weekly report. He holds a degree in international relations from Universidad Iberoamericana and a master's in international affairs from Johns Hopkins.

  • Alma Susana Portales

    Managing Director, Portales y Asociados

    Portales y Asociados

    Biography

    Thirty years of financial and administrative leadership at firms including DEVECON and COTURAMI, with experience in claims at Quálitas and in publishing operations. She directed the Rehabilitation Centre of the International Pro-Blind Committee, serving adults with visual impairment, took part in founding the Mexican Network of Braille Publishers, and lectures on assistive technology for the blind. She holds a degree in business administration from Universidad del Valle de México.

  • Héctor Sánchez

    Director, ICB Telekom

    ICB Telekom

    Biography

    Twenty years in the telecommunications industry. He was Broadsoft's business leader for Latin America and regional vice-president for CALA at Cisco, vice-president of sales at Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise in Latin America, and head of strategic industries — oil and gas, utilities, public sector and transport — at Alcatel-Lucent Mexico. He took Broadsoft's solutions past 54% regional market share according to Frost & Sullivan. He holds a degree in industrial engineering from Universidad La Salle.

  • Tomislav Lendo

    Senior Consultant, Political Communication

    Grupo ICB

    Biography

    He served as general speechwriting coordinator for the Office of the President across two federal administrations, executive coordinator of the National Institute for the Evaluation of Education, and head of the Social Studies and Outreach Unit at INDESOL. He has advised the World Bank, Mexico's Ministry of Energy and the Federal Electoral Tribunal on public policy and strategic communication, alongside state governments and local congresses. He is a visiting professor at the University of Essex and has lectured at Complutense de Madrid and FLACSO. He holds a doctorate in government from Essex and a master's in public policy from the University of London.

Mission

To be a strategic bridge between the public and private sectors — including civil society organisations — helping our clients identify, analyse and act on the opportunities and risks of the public environment.

Vision

To consolidate as Mexico's leading public affairs consulting hub and, in the long term, extend our network of alliances internationally to promote foreign direct investment.

Values

  • Integrity
  • Ethics
  • Social responsibility
  • Inclusion
  • Transparency
  • Innovation

Firm milestones

Firm milestones

Milestones of the firm. A year is shown only when it is documented; the rest appear undated.

  • A bridge between public and private actors. The firm was born to connect public and private actors through strategic public affairs consulting.
  • Mexico-Texas Binational Commission. One of the firm's milestones in the relationship between Mexico and Texas, between government relations and investment promotion.
  • Creation and management of COMED. The Mexican Council of Medical Diagnostics Companies was created and the firm took on its management. It achieved the industry's first certification by the General Health Council and its integration into the CCE Health Commission.
  • Collaboration with international agencies. The firm has collaborated with international agencies.
  • 2019: Socially Sustainable Scenarios with artificial intelligence. Since 2019 the Public Affairs practice has been combined with artificial intelligence to build Socially Sustainable Scenarios.
  • Today: six industries, more than 90 clients. The firm operates in six industries and has served more than ninety clients.

A bridge between public and private actors

The firm was born to connect public and private actors through strategic public affairs consulting.

Mexico-Texas Binational Commission

One of the firm's milestones in the relationship between Mexico and Texas, between government relations and investment promotion.

Creation and management of COMED

The Mexican Council of Medical Diagnostics Companies was created and the firm took on its management. It achieved the industry's first certification by the General Health Council and its integration into the CCE Health Commission.

Collaboration with international agencies

The firm has collaborated with international agencies.

2019

Socially Sustainable Scenarios with artificial intelligence

Since 2019 the Public Affairs practice has been combined with artificial intelligence to build Socially Sustainable Scenarios.

Today: six industries, more than 90 clients

The firm operates in six industries and has served more than ninety clients.

  1. A bridge between public and private actors

    The firm was born to connect public and private actors through strategic public affairs consulting.

  2. Mexico-Texas Binational Commission

    One of the firm's milestones in the relationship between Mexico and Texas, between government relations and investment promotion.

  3. Creation and management of COMED

    The Mexican Council of Medical Diagnostics Companies was created and the firm took on its management. It achieved the industry's first certification by the General Health Council and its integration into the CCE Health Commission.

  4. Collaboration with international agencies

    The firm has collaborated with international agencies.

  5. 2019

    Socially Sustainable Scenarios with artificial intelligence

    Since 2019 the Public Affairs practice has been combined with artificial intelligence to build Socially Sustainable Scenarios.

  6. Today: six industries, more than 90 clients

    The firm operates in six industries and has served more than ninety clients.

A year is shown only when documented.

Group structure

Grupo ICB operates through several entities. The one delivering each service is stated on its page; for the client, the counterpart is always the same.

Group structure

Group structure: Grupo ICB as the single point of contact and the entities that operate each practice.

  • Grupo ICB (Public Affairs): Community Development, Political strategy, Corporate Intelligence, Negotiation
  • Portales y Asociados (Public Affairs): Public Affairs practice
  • ICB International L.P. (Investment and M&A): Financial Institution Partnerships, Mergers and Acquisitions, Foreign Direct Investment Promotion, Investor Relations
  • ICB Telekom (Technology and Security): Command Centres, Application Factory, Data Intelligence, Information Security, Financial Services

Grupo ICB

One point of contact for the client

  • Grupo ICB

    • Community Development
    • Political strategy
    • Corporate Intelligence
    • Negotiation
  • Portales y Asociados

    Public Affairs practice

  • ICB International L.P.

    • Financial Institution Partnerships
    • Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Foreign Direct Investment Promotion
    • Investor Relations
  • ICB Telekom

    • Command Centres
    • Application Factory
    • Data Intelligence
    • Information Security
    • Financial Services