Helena Zdravkovic-Zonta

I’m a multi-lingual, intercultural researcher, educator, writer, analyst, advisor and consultant, as well as manager and entrepreneur, with a rich and diverse experience of studying, living and working in many different countries, cultures, contexts and fields. My work experience in communication, in diverse but inter-connected areas, extends to more than 20 years. 

Having started off as a sports writer, then fixer for a big international newspaper, and later a contributor for National Geographic, I gained valuable experience in journalism and media writing. 

On the other hand, working in the PR industry gave me a unique insight into how to attract the attention of the media, write communication, public affairs and CSR strategies and texts, international project proposals, tenders, grants, as well as manage teams, projects and clients.  

Through my studies, from the bachelor’s to the Ph.D. level, I’ve perfected the art of academic writing, together with related and essential skills, i.e. research, documentation, analysis, grant and project proposal writing.

As part and parcel of the academic experience, my teaching tenure has enabled me to teach a variety of communication courses, including essay writing, creative writing, writing for the media and business writing, and also to help students become better writers themselves, to think and analyze.  

In my work for the United Nations, as advisor and political affairs officer, the bread-and-butter of my job was analysis and reporting, synthesizing information and advising, as was managing very diverse teams, dealing with many different and difficult situations, and implementing negotiation and mediation strategies on a daily basis. 

Drawing from such rich and unique communication experiences, I moved into the field of communication consulting, working with local and international clients on a variety of projects that required market research, developing and implementing branding and communication strategies, managing social media campaigns and output, managing client acquisition and retention, writing all communication material, copy-writing, editing, team management and training. A particular area of expertise in recent years has been copy-writing and branding for luxury hotels and real-estate around the world. 

In addition to communication consulting, and arising from it, I’m also an entrepreneur, with a thriving Italian wine business, where exciting product descriptions and marketing are essential, as well as a modern, industrial event space, where I perfect daily event management, business development and marketing skills.