Profile
Thomas Traumann is a political journalist with a Master’s degree in Political Science. He is also a political risk analyst, PR strategist and columnist, having worked for Folha, Veja and Época for many years. Mr. Traumann is a former spokesman for the Brazilian Presidency, former Press Secretary during Dilma Rousseff’s presidential term, and one of the founding scholars of the Getúlio Vargas Foundation’s Communications, Media and Information School (ECMI/FGV).
He is a political columnist on Veja and Poder360.
Mr. Traumann is also a published author. He wrote “O Pior Emprego do Mundo” [“The worst job in the world”], a book that describes the achievements and mishaps of 14 Brazilian Finance Ministers, published by Planeta publishing house in 2018; a series of interviews dubbed “Década de rupturas” [“Decade of disruption”] released by O Globo in 2019; a chapter, titled “A new chance for Lula”, on Routdlege Books’ “Brazil after Bolsonaro: The comeback of Lula da Silva”, released in August 2023; and co-authored, alongside Brazilian political scientist Felipe Nunes, the book “Biografia do Abismo” [“Biography of the Abyss”], published by Harper Collins.
Since 2015, Mr. Traumann has worked as an independent analyst, providing political risk assessment and crisis management services for banks, investment funds, major companies and investors both in Brazil and abroad.
Mr. Traumann holds a Journalism degree from the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR) and has worked on the leading Brazilian editorial offices for over 20 years. He was a newspaper editor and reporter, covering politics, economics and environmental topics on Folha de São Paulo and Brazilian magazines Veja and Época.
In 2007, he developed the Brazilian operation of Spanish corporate communications company Llorente&Cuenca. He was head of the Brazilian branch until 2010 when he became CEO of the FSB agency in Rio de Janeiro.
Between 2011 and 2015, Mr. Traumann worked on public communications. He was a presidential spokesman and Press Secretary. As Press Secretary, he was responsible for building the government’s digital strategy, in addition to coordinating the government’s institutional communications strategy for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. His project “Beyond the Pitch: Brazil at the 2014 FIFA World Cup” was elected as the best public communications case in the world and awarded the British magazine PR Week’s Global Awards. At the time, he was also a member of the Brazilian delegation at all G20 and BRICS Summits and a member of the Brazilian Presidency’s Economic and Social Development Council.
Back in the private sector in 2015, Mr. Traumann set up his own consulting firm specializing in corporate communications strategies, reputation crisis management and political risk assessment. Among his clients are financial corporations, retailing chains, mining, pharmaceutical, construction, and telecommunications companies. His consulting services don’t feature lobbying, Mr. Traumann’s company doesn’t have any existing contracts with the Brazilian government or any political parties, and he doesn’t work on electoral campaigns.
