IN THIS EPISODE

"FRONT OF HOUSE"

"CESLIE'S PICKS"

"CULINARY DESTINATION"

FEATURED GUEST

CHRISTINE DEUSSEN
President, Deussen Global Communications, Inc.

Born in Michigan to European parents, Christine Deussen grew up in a household anchored by family meals, music, and books. She followed her mother’s roots – and dreams of dancing on Broadway -- back to the Northeast to attend Barnard College, the women’s college of Columbia University; and followed her father’s footsteps to major in classics with a concentration in ancient Greek language, culture, religion, history, and language. Christine started her career as an ancient Greek coin appraiser at Christie’s auction house, but soon followed her heart and palate into epicurean marketing. High school and college summers spent bartending and waitressing, plus a year spent studying abroad in Paris, segued into a marketing communications position with Champagne Veuve Clicquot’s wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary, and her career was launched.

The next stop was her first foray into the agency world, where she worked on clients including Campari, Wines of Portugal, and Bombay Sapphire, from its launch through its purchase by Bacardi. When the agency she worked for was sold, she spent one year with the multi-national into which it was absorbed, discovering she preferred smaller business setting. So, in 2002 with another Bacardi brand as her first client, Christine founded Deussen Global Communications, Inc. Long part of various Who’s Who listings (In American Business, Cambridge, Princeton, etc.), the agency was also named the 2016 “PR Agency of the Year” by UK-based Drinks International. Various plaques on the walls of their Manhattan headquarters celebrate additional awards, for example from UK-based Duty Free News International, Frontier. In 2019, one US award is the “Best of Manhattan” award for Marketing Communications, as well as media coverage in Chilled, Craft Spirits Magazine, and even the covers story of Total Prestige Magazine.

Deussen and her team are even more proud of the successes they generate for their clients: for example, in 2019’s Top 100 lists from Wine Enthusiast, 2 of the 100 wines are Deussen clients, as are 4 of the Top 100 spirits. Also in 2019 Deussen placed two clients on the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest growing privately held companies, plus landed another on Beverage Dynamic’s “Growth Brands / Rising Stars” list. They advise clients every year on which competitions and ratings to enter, which last year resulted in dozens of silver, gold, double-gold, and platinum medals, as well as some “Best of Category” ratings. The success of Deussen’s work is also measured in sales figures: two clients more than doubled their YOY business after hiring the firm, and another is up 88% YOY. Most gratifying, almost all of Deussen’s clients come through referral.

Deussen is based between New York, Chicago, and Miami, and is engaged to be married in August, 2020. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, entertaining, spending time with her family and friends, and traveling: to date, she has visited 6 of the 7 continents and 32 countries.