Who WE ARE

We are a team of passionate, creative, and driven communications mavens who will always work – and play – hard. Show us a problem and we’ll show you a solution. Give us a brief and we’ll give you a dynamic plan. Our greatest successes are the outcome of being our clients’ biggest champions. We are proudly female-owned and operated since the day we opened our doors in 2010.

Savona Communications will always find the path up the mountain, deliver the best possible work and create lasting partnerships with our clients. We are fiercely proud of the work we deliver.

MANUELA SAVONA
PRESIDENT

Manuela Savona has worked in the pr/marketing sector for more than 20 years, both as an in-house pr manager and with different lifestyle pr agencies before starting her own shop in 2010. The experience Manuela gained working in-house (for Nespresso, S.Pellegrino, Seagram/ABSOLUT) has afforded her the understanding that the job of pr and pr results should and can impact the a company’s goal to have share of voice in its industry. This ‘insider’ information has helped shape the way Manuela develops and executes plans for her clients. Over the course of her career, Manuela developed an affinity and passion for beverages and found that her contacts and connections were firmly based in this area. For someone who grew up the daughter of a restaurant owner and who now rarely passes up a chance to visit a distillery, Manuela realized her dream of opening her own firm specializing in representing some of the finest companies in the beverage and beverage-related industry.

Things I love: a cold Martini, always with extra olives, watching my son row, my rescue dogs, a great cigar, summer salad from my vegetable garden, tulips and peonies…and another great Martini.

“2022 marks our 12th year in business. What started as a dream to launch my own business has grown this amazing company that I’m proud to head today. I give big thanks to all those who have helped us get here along the way – clients, writers, colleagues, vendors and more. Our team of strong, creative, professional, smart, funny, eloquent, driven, motivated, dedicated women run this company and could run the world. They certainly help make my world spin. I applaud them and am so proud to call them my colleagues. Thank you!” - Manuela Savona, January 2022

The team

Maggie Doherty
ACCOUNT DIRECTOR

Maggie comes to Savona with more than a decade of communications industry experience specializing in the premium beverage space. Following internships at Billboard Magazine, she started her career on the editorial side at Market Watch Magazine, part of the M. Shanken publishing company, which ignited her passion for wine and spirits. Moving into PR and marketing in 2014, she has represented global luxury and consumer lifestyle brands including Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Hendrick's Gin, Tullamore D.E.W., Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, The Little Nell Resort & Wine Academy, Marchesi Antinori, Whispering Angel rosé at the height of the rosé boom, and was behind the global re-launch of SelvaRey Rum with owner Bruno Mars. Prior to Magrino, Maggie worked at boutique Manhattan-based agency Colangelo & Partners, working with many wine producers and importers from Italy –Frescobaldi, Damilano, Vias Imports, Amaro Lucano – as well as the Spirit France portfolio with Calvados Boulard and Pere Magloire. Maggie earned her WSET Level II certification in Wine & Spirits with distinction and is a certified Italian Wine Professional.

Things I love: late-night karaoke, performing with her wedding band The Chromantics, music/pop culture podcasts, the perfect pairing of a glass of wine, cocktail or craft beer with an amazing meal, skiing and aprés skiing, and her rescue pup Patsy Cline, also a redhead!

Ashley Ott
ACCOUNT DIRECTOR

As an integral part of the Savona Communications team since 2010, Ashley works across all client brands, with a specific focus on the Maison Ferrand portfolio of unique French spirits. She works closely with Manuela to develop and lead the execution of all pr strategies and initiatives on behalf of Maison Ferrand. Ashley is exceptionally creative and detail-oriented, two traits that are most important in pr.

A gourmand at heart, Ashley is passionate about all things epicurean, which includes tending to her 200 year old working farm, perfecting her traditional Hungarian cooking techniques and crafting unique décor and lifestyle pieces by hand.

Things I love: champagne, cookbooks, milk glass décor, home-grown flowers and veggies, champagne, the smell of summer rain, farm stands, deviled eggs and antiquing.

STEPHANIE ANGER
ACCOUNT DIRECTOR

Stephanie joins us with a decade of Public Relations experience in the spirits, consumer and lifestyle space, focusing specifically on premium beverages and whisk(e)y. After getting her start in the fashion world, Stephanie moved into the consumer PR space and shortly thereafter into hospitality, finding her love for wine and spirits. Stephanie has worked with brands such as Brother's Bond Bourbon, Keeper's Heart Irish American Whiskey, Monkey Shoulder Scotch Whisky, Ojo de Tigre Mezcal, The Community Spirit Vodka and Hudson Whiskey and was part of the team behind Hudson Whiskey's rebrand in 2020. Stephanie has also worked on the Copper Cane (California) and Casillero del Diablo (Chile) wine portfolios, and on the hospitality side, with select Nobu Hospitality properties, including Nobu Hotel at Eden Roc in Miami and Nobu Ryokan in Malibu and The Flatiron Room and Fine & Rare in New York City.

Things I love: whisky highballs on warm days and hot toddies on cold days, fresh-cut flowers, flea markets, traveling to new cities, intimate dinners outdoors and wine tastings.