Agency Principals

Helen Gregory, Principal

A world traveler from birth, Ms. Gregory lived on four continents and was fluent in as many languages before she even started college. Her unique background- a European mother and American father with careers in international business and diplomacy, coupled with the many years she spent immersed in the cultures of Europe, South America and India- gives her a singular understanding of lifestyle marketing.

Ms. Gregory founded HG Marketing, a private branding and communications practice, in May 2001. Her prior years of experience working for some of the world's top wine and spirits brands, coupled with her own international passions, have enabled her to cultivate close ties to both the New World and the Old World, devoting her time to classic luxury brands as well as emerging categories and trends.

Ms. Gregory prides herself on her close connections with the insiders in the wine, spirits and hospitality world, including leading chefs, sommeliers and retailers, critically respected wine, spirits, and travel journalists, and gourmet suppliers.

Prior to founding HG Marketing, Ms. Gregory was the Vice President of Marketing for BevAccess, the leading technology services and publishing provider for the wine, spirits and beer trade. She joined BevAccess from premium wine importer Kobrand Corporation, where she directed consumer and trade marketing for lead French import Maison Louis Jadot. Ms. Gregory also worked for Wines from Spain, where her leadership of national sales promotion and marketing helped fuel discovery of Spanish wine and food products.

A graduate of Princeton University with a B.A. in Politics, Ms. Gregory speaks French, Italian and Spanish. Following Princeton, she was one of 15 U.S. graduates selected to participate in the Ecole Polytéchnique's prestigious EEC Fellowship Program, funded by France's leading business and engineering school. She is the former Executive Director of New York Women for WineSense, a consumer organization with over 200 members, a contributor to City Harvest and the National Association of Culinary Professionals, and a guest lecturer in hospitality marketing at the French Culinary Institute.

Kristyn Zylka, Associate

Trained in business development and management consulting, Kristyn has worked with industry leaders such as Eléctricité de France and CAP Gemini focusing on diverse areas such as automotive, pulp and paper, mining, pharmaceutical and environmental management. Her foreign language background includes proficiency in French and Spanish, which has been a determining factor in her desire to live, work and travel overseas, most recently as the head of her own natural resource development project in La Paz, Bolivia.

Food and wine have always been a passion for Kristyn, and she recently joined the HG Marketing team as an Associate responsible for account management and new business development. Kristyn is a graduate of Georgetown University School of Linguistics, as well as a MBA candidate at Fordham University, New York.

Nora Favelukes, Partner

Nora S. Favelukes entered the wine trade in her native Argentina in 1984. Early professional credits include the post of Export Director at Bodegas Navarro Correas in Buenos Aires and, as of 1988, as New York-based East Coast Sales Manager for Vinos Argentinos.

After a year and a half with Vinos Argentinos, Ms. Favelukes was appointed National Sales Manager for Billington Distributors and was responsible for the introduction of Bodegas Catena to the United States before going on to launch her own business in 1995: Quantum Wines, a consulting firm devoted to the nationwide public relations, marketing and sales of imported fine wines. From 1995 through 2000, Ms. Favelukes held the position of Director Fine Wines for Palm Bay Imports, in charge of Navarro Correas (Argentina), Bodegas Faustino and Campillo (Spain), Castello di Verrazzano (Italy) and Vina Canepa (Chile). As of 1995, she holds the Advanced Certificate on Wine Studies issued by the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, London, England.

Brent Robertson, Creative Director (Brand Robertson)

It all begins with the big idea. Over a career that began with NBC News & Saturday Night Live in 1979, Brent has applied this simple rule to marketing, advertising & design in a wide range of categories including wine & spirits, lifestyle, retail, fashion, travel, entertainment, toys, technology, and financial services. Brent's work reflects his fundamental philosophy: think big and out-of-the-box, be consistent, be persuasive and compelling and most of all, be human. Over the years Brent has worn many hats - everything from world traveler to Senior Designer at Pentagram London, Design Director at WalkerGroup and Macy's, Associate Creative Director and Founder of the Promotion Group at DDB/Griffin Bacal, Founder, President & Creative Director of One World Solutions, Group Creative Director of Frierson, Mee + Partners, Partner & Executive Creative Director of CulverRobertson and Partner & Executive Creative Director of Brand Robertson.

A short list of clients he has worked with include: Wines from Spain, Bordeaux Wine Board, Kobrand Importers, Schieffelin & Somerset, Diageo, Bernard Magrez/Chateau Pape Clement, Anheuser Busch, Foods from Spain, Restaurant Associates, James Beard Foundation, Switzerland Tourism, Bermuda Tourism, Swissair, Hamilton/Swatch Group, Coty/Lancaster, Coach, Springs, Weleda, Nature's Elements, Umbra, Rosenthal China, Sassoon, Trium/Mitsubishi Wireless, Dobson/CellularOne, MCI, TDK, Toshiba, Polaroid, Apple, Motorola, SonyEricsson, MoMA, Cantor Fitzgerald, Citibank, Dow Jones & Company, Dreyfus, Hasbro, Playskool, Milton Bradley, Disney, FAO Schwarz, Toys R Us, Stride Rite, Imaginarium, Miramax, MTV, NBC, CBS Records and The American Marketing Association.