Collaborators
Our Team
& Collaborators
At The Bureau New York City, we collaborate with seasoned professionals across every discipline in the licensing and partnership journey. Our group continually expands to meet clients' needs. Meet our core members here
FOUNDERJohn Frierson
John has over 30 years in the lifestyle and retail industry, driving innovation and growth for brands. He founded the Lifestyle Group at Creative Artists Agency (CAA) in 2006 which created and launched dozens of lifestyle brands across all categories. As President of Fred Segal from 2016 to 2021, he spearheaded the launch of some truly innovative experiential retail and engineered a successful sale of the business.
John has developed new brands with major retail partners Target, Nordstrom, Macy’s, CB2, and others that generated billions of dollars in retail sales and recurring revenue for his clients. At CAA, he initiated and built Star Avenue Capital, CAA's first private equity fund, where they acquired J Brand and achieved a remarkable 10x return in 24 months.
Previously, John built Frierson+Mee, a successful branding and licensing agency with 90 people on staff and offices in New York and Paris. The agency managed marketing budgets for fashion and luxury brands that totaled hundreds of millions of dollars.
Now, John is applying this experience to his latest venture, The Bureau New York City.
Lisa Bisk
MANAGING DIRECTORLisa is an experienced senior executive at the forefront of integrated marketing and communications. With leadership experience at Grey, iCrossing, Group SJR, and DiMassimo Brand Advertising, she has worked with high-profile clients including Moët & Chandon, The Plaza Hotel, Barnes & Noble, Nespresso, 3M, Avon, and Match.com. She honed an entrepreneurial spirit growing up in her parents' artisan chocolate shop, and today it fuels her hands-on approach to client needs. Lisa excels by leveraging agency expertise to drive sustainable growth and new revenue streams for her clients. She has led the strategic development and execution of impactful cross-platform marketing programs for both startups and Fortune 500 companies, and works seamlessly across different environments.
Sophie Ewing
CHIEF OF STAFFSophie graduated from Vassar College in 2023 with a degree in Art History and Italian. As Chief of Staff, she draws on her academic foundation in research, language, and aesthetics to excel in this fast-paced, multifaceted role. Her expertise in organization and design enables her to effectively manage client communications, coordinate schedules, and prepare marketing materials that reflect the company’s innovative spirit. Her role also includes drafting contracts and creating tailored proposals for specific brands, ensuring precision and creativity in every detail. Passionate about organization and strategic growth, Sophie is dedicated to driving the company’s success and fostering meaningful partnerships.
Matt Kischer
CONSUMER INSIGHTS, STRATEGY, & RESEARCH DIRECTORMatthew is a seasoned Global Insights leader with over 15 years in cultural insights, brand strategy, and consumer research. As Sr. Director of Global Insights at VICE Media Group for 7 years, he led team development and advanced thought leadership, strategy, and measurement. Matthew has a proven track record across travel, CPG, sports, retail, tech, luxury, and automotive sectors. He’s an expert in research design, cultural analysis, and brand positioning, holding a master’s from Emerson and a Bachelor’s from Butler, along with certifications in machine learning and design thinking.
Shannon Hall
CREATIVE DIRECTORWith over 25 years of experience as a Creative Director, Shannon specializes in combining creative inspiration with data and strategy in order to build integrated, aspirational campaigns across all media channels. From concepting full scale brand identities, updating and refreshing existing DNA, or maintaining and advancing a brand as it grows, Shannon is a hands-on creative lead who can also assemble and direct the best possible teams to make meaningful connections between brands and their clients.
Madison Hubbard
Madison is a highly experienced art director working for brands such as Nespresso, Hershey, Bluemercury, Westmore Beauty, Vessel Health, Serrala, and many more. She specializes in brand development, art direction, graphic design, AI, UI/UX, digital illustration, and packaging design. Her background in fine arts, painting, and illustration gives her commercial work a creative twist. Artistically driven, Madison approaches design with balance, structure, and fine art influences. Her goal is to bring brand's ideas to life with vision and precision. She has lead teams of designers and worked on many large campaigns for both retail and digital.
ART DIRECTOR
Walter Marcinowski
STRATEGIC ADVISORWalt is an accomplished leader with over 30 years of experience in the luxury goods sector, specializing in marketing, product ideation, development, and brand management. He has held key positions at renowned companies, driving growth and innovation for high-profile brands such as Voss Bottled Water, Seagram’s Vodka, and Havana Club. A results-oriented general manager, Walt has received Global Awards for his exceptional work in new product development and launch, showcasing his ability to deliver impactful results. Known for revitalizing tired brands, he creates new life and increases shareholder value through strategic initiatives and cohesive team building. Walt's strong creative communication skills, combined with his unique blend of humor and decisiveness, empower him to thrive in both independent and structured environments. He possesses a robust background in electronic commerce and social media, alongside in-depth expertise in promotional marketing, making him a versatile asset in today's dynamic marketplace.
Deborah Siegel
AGENTDeborah is accomplished in business development with strong experience in many facets of marketing, management, strategy, branding and licensing. Throughout her career she’s successfully developed companies, expanded teams and been instrumental in guiding and advancing the careers of celebrities and artists. Having lived, traveled and worked worldwide for prominent companies like Sony Music France, MGA Entertainment and William Morris, as well as artists such as Lenny Kravitz, Deborah has deep experience in advising, negotiating, and securing major deals.