Former FMC chief Sola to lead Thorn Run LatAm business team

DC lobby firm cites “growing economic integration”

Port of Santos, Brazil. (Photo: Port of Santos Authority)

Thorn Run Partners is launching a new business unit focused on what it says is growing economic opportunities in the Western Hemisphere. 

The launch of the Washington lobbyist’s Latin America Business Opportunities Practice comes at a time of growing economic integration across the western hemisphere, “creating new opportunities for organizations seeking to establish or grow their presence in key regional markets,” is said in a release.

Louis Sola

The seven-person team is headed by partner and former Federal Maritime Commission Chairman Louis Sola; longtime FMC Chief of Staff Mary Thien Hoang, and Hayden Jewett, a government affairs specialist in both the public and private sectors. 

“As industry increasingly looks to diversify supply chains, expand into new markets, and strengthen regional partnerships, TRP will provide strategic guidance to help clients understand the evolving policy and business landscape shaping the Americas,” the company said.

The practice will identify growth and investment opportunities across Latin America, connecting clients with stakeholders and decision-makers across supply chains, logistics, energy, and critical industries.

“The Western Hemisphere is undergoing a profound economic realignment, with supply chain diversification and nearshoring rewriting the rules of regional trade,” said Sola, in the announcement. “Navigating this new reality requires more than just market entry strategies; it demands a sophisticated understanding of localized regulatory environments, maritime infrastructure, and geopolitical nuances. Formalizing this practice allows us to deploy our team’s deep, on-the-ground relationships and policy expertise to give clients a decisive edge across Latin American markets.”

Thorn Run said that the multidisciplinary team offers expertise in government relations, international trade, maritime policy, logistics, economic development, and public-private engagement.

Read more articles by Stuart Chirls here.

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Stuart Chirls

Stuart Chirls is a journalist who has covered the full breadth of railroads, intermodal, container shipping, ports, supply chain and logistics for Railway Age, the Journal of Commerce and IANA. He has also staffed at S&P, McGraw-Hill, United Business Media, Advance Media, Tribune Co., The New York Times Co., and worked in supply chain with BASF, the world's largest chemical producer. Reach him at stuartchirls@firecrown.com.