‘Gladden’s agenda-setting work has made him a key interlocutor at the highest levels of Washington as well as in European policymaking.’
Ballard Partners is expanding into Central and Eastern Europe, bringing on Gladden Pappin to lead a new practice anchored by offices in Budapest and Warsaw.
Pappin will serve as managing partner for Central and Eastern Europe and as a partner in the firm’s Washington office. The Budapest and Warsaw offices will be Ballard’s first in the region, and will advise companies, investors and governments there and in adjoining markets.
Pappin most recently served as President of the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs. He also co-founded American Affairs, a policy journal, and previously taught politics at the University of Dallas.
Ballard said Pappin has advised Vice President JD Vance and his office on U.S.-Europe relations. According to the firm, Pappin participated in the November 2025 White House meetings with President Donald Trump and in Vance’s April 2026 visit to Budapest.
“Gladden’s agenda-setting work has made him a key interlocutor at the highest levels of Washington as well as in European policymaking,” said Brian Ballard, president and founder of Ballard Partners.
“For more than a decade, Gladden has built the case for American industrial prowess, supply chain security, and foreign policy strength, priorities the United States is now acting on. He will help our clients see where governments on both sides of the Atlantic are headed, not just where they are today.”
Pappin said the new practice would focus on the region’s role in U.S. security, energy and supply chains. “Businesses and governments want to anticipate where policy is headed, and we are ready to help them position themselves accordingly,” he said.
The two offices add to Ballard Partners’ international presence, which includes Tel Aviv, Istanbul, Riyadh and Caracas.
