MIAMI — Schwartz Media Strategies has appointed Yudi Fernández as its first Hispanic partner, after ten years with the Florida firm. She is also the first woman to join the agency’s ownership team.

Fernández, who was born in Cuba and emigrated to Miami aged nine, joined the firm following a career in journalism. She now leads multilingual media relations, marketing and social media campaigns across the firm’s practices, with a focus on commercial real estate, construction, financial services and municipal affairs clients including JLL, Skanska USA, and Federal Realty Investment Trust.

As a partner, Fernández will take on an expanded role focused on business development, firm marketing and mentorship within the 18-person agency.

Tadd Schwartz, president and CEO of Schwartz Media Strategies, said: “From her first day at our firm, Yudi has been 100% committed to advancing the goals of our clients, expanding our team’s capabilities, and helping us grow at a steady, methodical pace. She has learned our business inside and out and has naturally transitioned into a leadership role.”

Schwartz added: “Along with our partner Aaron Gordon, Yudi will put renewed emphasis on team building, community involvement and sustaining growth for our firm. Yudi proves her value to our team and our clients every day, and I am proud to call her a partner.”

Fernández, who was named a 2019 Latina of Influence in the US by Hispanic Lifestyle Magazine, is heavily involved in the community through leadership roles in organizations including the Miami Women’s Leadership Council, and the Women of Tomorrow, a Miami-based mentoring and scholarship program for young women, of which she was a mentee herself.