Daniela Ballard, U.S. Consul General in Florence
U.S. Consul General in Florence Daniela Ballard joined the Department of State in 2004. She has served overseas in Pakistan, Brazil, and the Dominican Republic and domestically in the Economic Bureau, the Bureau of International Organizations, and at the Foreign Service Institute. Most recently, she served as the Deputy Office Director of the European Bureau’s Office of European Union and Regional Affairs, providing economic policy analysis and advice. She also served as a foreign policy fellow in the Office of Senator Christopher Coons.
Prior to joining the Department of State, Daniela was an investment banker in New York and San Francisco working for Salomon Smith Barney and Bank of America Securities. Daniela received a Master of Science degree in National Security Strategy from the National War College in 2019. She is also a graduate of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where she received an MBA in Finance and holds a Master of Arts degree in International Studies from the University of Pennsylvania. She graduated magna cum laude from Bryn Mawr College with a degree in Economics.
Carlotta Ferrari, Director, Destination Florence Convention & Visitors Bureau
She is forty-four years old; she graduated in Political Science from the University of Florence. After a career in the world of organizing events in an important DMC, Carlotta became director of the Firenze Convention Bureau in 2010. She immediately launched a new territorial marketing strategy, transforming the company from a public company into a private consortium with over 300 partners, prestigious local sponsors and the strong political and economic support of the institutions. In particular, the Municipality of Florence of which, since 2014, the Convention Bureau has become an official partner. In 2015 Carlotta launched a new division, devoted to the Destination Wedding Industry: Tuscany for Weddings, which is still today the most important aggregative project in the sector.
Destination Florence was born in 2017, devoted to leisure tourism, which definitively transformed the Convention Bureau into Destination Florence Convention & Visitors Bureau.
From 2013 to 2017 Carlotta was Vice President of Federcongressi&eventi, the Italian association representing the MICE sector and in this context, together with the most important trade associations (Confindustria, Confcommercio-Federalberghi, Confesercenti), she created the Italian Convention Bureau, the first network of national companies in the sector, becoming its President as of 2015. CB Italia is the operational arm of Enit for the promotion of the MICE offer in the world and has over 3500 companies in the sector.
Session Description
Set in Florence, a city that has shaped culture, commerce, and diplomacy for centuries, this panel brings together two women leading at the intersection of local influence and global impact. Carlotta Ferrari, Director of Destination Florence Convention & Visitors Bureau, and Daniela Ballard, U.S. Consul General in Florence, will share insights from their leadership journeys navigating complex systems, public responsibility, and international relationships.
Through conversation, the panel explores how women lead with vision, integrity, and relational intelligence in roles shaped by history, power, and global connectivity. Attendees will gain perspective on balancing tradition and innovation, building trust across diverse stakeholders, and exercising leadership that is both strategic and human-centered in an increasingly interconnected world.
