COMMERCIAL BRIDGE
BETWEEN ASIA PACIFIC
AND CHINA TO THE
WORLD

About Us

Cigar Specialist International possesses over 100 years combined FMCG
and tobacco industry experience building brands globally. Our focus is
profitably growing brands into and out of the Asia Pacific and China.

CSI offices in Asia Pacific, Europe and the USA position us well to provide
in-person and agile account management. Our commercialization,
media and consulting expertise provide an integrated solution for
brands entering new markets or growing existing markets.

2021 marks the 25th Anniversary for CSI.

COMPANY MILESTONES

MARKETS

Mission

Become a fully integrated premier global
commercialization and media group servicing companies
interested in profitably growing their brands in new and
existing markets in to and out of Asia Pacific /China.

Values

TRANSPARENCY

TRUST

RESPECT

INTEGRITY

MULTI-CULTURAL

BRAND BUILDING

Philosophy

Potentiate and profitably grow brands while ensuring brand indentity and positioning are protected.

We work with companies to build long-term equity and business.
We begin with an in-dept understanding of the brand, consumer insights, market-specific processes, competitve analysis and sales and distribution channels.

Our goal is to build a 3 to 5-year integrated marketing and commercialization plan to achieve the brand owner’s business objectives and executing the plan with our multi-channel, multi-culture and multi-market infrastructure.

CSI Leadership

Jose de Castro

Partner – CEO

Over 20 years commercializing leadership brands in highly regulated business environments. Brand Leader at Philip Morris USA, International Sales and Marketing Director, Altria International Sales, VP of Marketing, General Cigar Company. Has been working with Asia Pacific and China for 12 years.
He was instrumental in registering EP Cigar Company officially in China and taking CSI from China based company to a Global Group.
He has successfully started-up and sold FMCG companies in Foods, Sales & Distribution and Business Consulting. Having worked in 71 countries, Jose knows how to grow brands globally. BA Biology Brown University, MSc Agriculture Engineering Rutgers University, MBA University of Texas at Austin.
Jose lives between the US and Spain.

Fay

Partner – Head of China Market

Fay has been in the FMCG business for 10 years.
Fay took a media and communications company to an integrated commercialization business. Specializing in tobacco, luxury good and private label development. Fay leads CS operations and logistic offices in Shanghai.
Fay is the key contact for China National Tobacco Company’s cigar manufacturers. Fay was key in developing our online and social media infrastructure allowing us to directly connect and sell to our loyal database.
Fay resides in Shanghai.

Sissy

Partner – CEO – China Specialist Magazine

Sissy leads Cigar Specialist Magazine a benchmark lifestyle magazine focusing on the cigar consumer and luxury lifestyle. Sissy has received numerous awards for creativity and editorial content. Sissy truly understands the Chinese consumer. By creating the CS Chinese Consumer panel CS works with our brand partners to provide insights es and executable marketing strategies. Sissy is recognized is a reference in the cigar culture develop in China.
Sissy lives in Shanghai