Twiststl

Friday, 30 July 2010

Monday, 11 August 2008 00:00 Craig Kaminer

Leadership

Twist is managed by an experienced team of account managers with 20+ years of experience each both on the agency and client sides of the business. Each has worked with each other previously at other agencies or as clients, and has chosen to work on a leadership team at Twist to build one of the most innovative firms of its kind in the country.

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , CEO
Practice Expertise: Branding, Strategy, Web, Technology, Professional Services, Fundraising

Craig Kaminer founded TWIST (formerly Kaminer & Co.) in 2002 to provide full-service branding, web and marketing programs to clients interested in building a relationship with influential audiences. In addition to the firms A-List clients, Craig is a part of the community the firm markets to, sitting on numerous boards, chairing many events and fundraisers, being the focus of many trend stories, and having a deep list of “Who’s Who” contacts in St. Louis, New York and many cities around the country.

Prior to founding TWIST, Craig was CEO of a high profile e-business development company, and senior management of leading public relations firms WeberShandwick and Fleishman-Hillard. He started his career in New York (1986) as the publicist for the Italian Government Tourist Office, The Italian Hotelier Association and Alitalia Airlines. In his career, Craig has served many noteworthy clients including Tiffany & Co., The Ritz-Carlton, Build-A-Bear Workshop, Anheuser-Busch, MasterCard, Microsoft and Compaq.

Craig is an avid art collector and patron to the arts, a collector of wine and well known foodie, and frequent traveler who is at home in Northern Italy, New York City, Cabo San Lucas and the Gulf Coast of Florida. He is originally from New York City and attended Horace Mann School. He received his bachelor's degree in architecture and art history from the University Michigan - Ann Arbor and completed graduate studies there and at Columbia University in business management and administration.

heather This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Vice President
Practice Expertise: Food, Beverage, Restaurant, Hospitality, Retail, Real Estate

Heather Strahorn is an accomplished marketing professional with 20 years of experience in strategic planning, brand development, integrated marketing and communications within the restaurant industry and other consumer segments. She joined the Twist team in January 2005 as a Vice President, focusing on restaurant, hospitality and real estate clients.

Most recently, Heather was Director of Marketing for the Restaurant Group of Levy Restaurants, an industry leading food service organization with a network of internationally acclaimed restaurants and sports and entertainment food-service contracts. During her seven years with Levy, Heather managed the development and execution of all marketing programs for 15 restaurants in five national markets, ranging from quick-service to fine dining. As a member of company’s strategic leadership team, Heather also helped evaluate new business opportunities, create new restaurant concepts, and manage and enhance existing brands within the company’s portfolio.

Prior to joining Levy Restaurants, Heather was a Senior Account Executive for WeberShandwick, an international public relations firm with a variety of consumer, technology, health care and financial services clients. While in their St. Louis and Chicago offices, she managed public relations initiatives and client relations for consumer accounts including Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Energizer Batteries, Race Rock Restaurant, Monsanto Wear-Dated Carpet and Fair Saint Louis.

Heather earned a B.A. in history from Duke University. She is a native St. Louisan, and she and her husband and their three children returned home to St. Louis in 2005 after nearly a decade.

kristi Kristi Kovalak, Vice President
Practices: Travel, Leisure, Arts & Entertainment, Consumer Electronics, Lifestyle Products, Professional Services

Kristi brings a wealth of consulting experience across a variety of industries, including large accounts, mature and emerging industries and lifestyle and entertainment. She has held executive positions on both the agency and client side, including 4 years in the non-profit sector as Vice President for Marketing and Sales with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra. With strong leadership and creative vision for developing integrated, strategic campaigns, she has worked seamlessly in the advertising, public relations, direct and digital marketing sectors for more than 18 years.

At Twist, Kristi specializes in the planning and implementation of integrated, market-driven programs that connect consumer products with core constituencies. She is well-known for her consumer insights and program leadership as well as her ability to blend multiple marketing disciplines into cohesive, efficient and successful programs.

Previously she managed Marketing and Sales planning for the various business units at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida developing creative approaches that connected consumers to the various parks, resorts and cruise line. Prior to Disney, she spent time at Duffey Communications in Atlanta serving consumer and technology accounts and at Weber Shandwick where she led the on-site program implementation for client sponsors of the 2006 Summer Olympic Games and launched the Compaq Presario brand. She has gained branding experience throughout her career from campaigns for Ralston Purina, Sunmark Brands, the Nature Conservancy, Fisher-Price and Eastman Kodak.

Kristi earned her B.A. from Miami University in Ohio and returned home to Saint Louis in 2005 with her husband and two boys. She serves as Secretary of the Therapeutic Horsemanship Board of Directors and is the official blogger for the Regional Arts Commission.

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Vice President
Practice Expertise: Beauty and Wellness, Public Relations, Lifestyle

Ann Higby is an expert in beauty and wellness public relations, and is a lifestyle brand manager, salon industry spokesperson, and contributing writer from Chicago. The city’s emerging designers and top beauty entrepreneurs have turned to Ann Higby for help launching their designs, brands and business ideas. Ann designed a successful 16-year marketing communications career from her experience in developing an innovative, Chicago-based training academy and four concept stores to drive sales for a Paul Mitchell hair care distributor.

Prior to Twist St. Louis, Ann Higby was president of Hatch PR, a Chicago-based beauty public relations firm that she founded in January 2006. Using her connections with consumer editors at top magazines, newspapers, and websites nationwide, Ann successfully introduced more than 20 brands through awareness building PR campaigns. Her award-winning PR Campaign to launch an 11,000-square-foot destination and wellness spa was named Best Green Spa nationally by Skin Inc, Magazine; Best Media Kit by DAYSPA Magazine; and Best Spa Experience by Lucky, Allure, and In Style Magazine. As a trade industry expert, Ann’s previous agency experience included: P&G Beauty - Global Consumer Goods Corporation; Major Beauty Industry Trade Show and Leading Salon Professional Association, where she produced "DryerART", a charity auction featuring designs from industry icons, to build awareness of the association's partnership in CUT IT OUT, a domestic abuse outreach program for stylists.

Ann Higby currently serves on the board of Fashion Group International of Chicago, and the Illinois Institute of Art’s Chicago Fashion Marketing Program. She is the PR Director of the 2010 Spirit Awards from Designs for Dignity, a non-profit organization that transforms existing spaces through pro bono design services and in-kind donations. She grew up north of Milwaukee, and attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, where she received a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a major in Finance.

Other Account Management Staff

Jocelyn Twist, Senior Account Executive
Practice Expertise: Celebrity Publicity, Events, Arts & Entertainment, Sports

Jocelyn Twist has a proven track record of managing several public relations and marketing campaigns consecutively, both locally and nationally. A unique, personal two-decade background with sports, arts and entertainment and event planning led to a successful career in specialized agency work. Jocelyn joined Twist in 2008 focusing on media relations, publicity and event planning for a wide spectrum of clients, including sports figures, rock stars, actors and actresses, circuses, festivals, major fundraisers, book tours, real estate firms and retailers. With a knack for networking and the ability to build strong, results-driven relationships, Jocelyn has compiled an extensive list of media, client, celebrity and sponsorship contacts across North America.

Prior to Twist, Jocelyn was Vice President of Image Works Public Relations heading several successful public relations campaigns that included: theater, art, entertainment, financial, medical and construction. Many of her clientele made the transition to Twist with her including: Circus Flora, Sports Trivia Championship (the largest sports trivia event in the world) and Wentworth Galleries, for whom she has represented the national art exhibitions of Paul Stanley, the legendary lead singer of KISS, and actress Jane Seymour, just to name a few.

Jocelyn earned her B.A. in Public Relations at Webster University in St. Louis with a minor in International Relations. Originally from Canada, Jocelyn came to St. Louis two decades ago and has called it home ever since, except for a three-year stint in Quebec City, Quebec.

erinh Erin Husband, Account Executive
Practice Expertise: Database Marketing, Social Media, Retail, Direct Mail

Erin joined Twist in 2009, with five years of experience in marketing and promotions. After a prestigious internship at Fleishman Hillard Communications, Erin went on to work for St. Louis Magazine in both advertising and consumer marketing. From there, Erin worked at Soft Surroundings Company in St. Louis, where she developed and managed their marketing database, acted as editor of the corporate blog, and coordinated direct marketing promotions.

Erin graduated from Miami University of Ohio in 2004 with degrees in Public Relations and Journalism. She is a native St. Louisan, and resides in Richmond Heights with her husband, Matt and their schnoodle, Kona.