Destreza is an AI-native marketing consultancy based in Shoreditch, London, founded in 2026 by AI marketing pioneer Andy Parton.
Why the firm exists
Our philosophy is simple: AI can be a powerful force for brands when used with precision and judgement.
Many brands know they need to use AI, but are unsure where to apply it or how to judge the work it produces. Without that judgement, greater speed can simply scale mediocrity.
Andy founded Destreza to help brands and founders make better use of AI, from the strategic choices that shape a brand to the way the work gets done.
Diagnostics, campaigns and AI marketing transformation. Andy leads each engagement and is accountable for the result; in Focus, a matrix network of specialist AI agents, built in-house, does the work of a full marketing team.
Explore the consultancyA practical way to build a distinctive brand with your AI assistants. The Playbook for AI Brand Building™ guides the work; founders make the decisions that shape their brand.
Explore the PlaybookAI marketing pioneer
Andy has worked with AI in marketing since 2019, when he led the launch of What’s Your Whisky at Diageo.
It was an AI-powered whisky selector, launched three years before ChatGPT, that has since reached more than a million consumers worldwide. From there, he has applied AI across the brand-building lifecycle: insight, strategy, creative development, activation and evaluation.
That work sits within sixteen-plus years building brands including Guinness, Johnnie Walker and Vuse across more than sixty markets, more than seven of those years in senior leadership. The methodology behind Destreza and the Playbook draws on that experience and his continuing professional education at Oxford, Cambridge and MIT.
In 2026, he left his role as Global Head of Content at BAT, working across Vuse, Velo and glo, to found Destreza. His mission is to help more brands and founders use AI with the judgement it takes to build something distinctive — and avoid the brand graveyard.
The name
destreza des-TREH-tha Spanish · noun · skill
In Spanish, destreza means skill. We chose it for a particular idea of what skill is: the judgement to use a tool well.
The name draws on La Verdadera Destreza — “the true skill” — a Spanish tradition of swordsmanship developed in the sixteenth century, built on strategy and precision rather than power.
Two people could hold the same sword and achieve very different results. The steel was the same. The judgement was not. That is the principle behind how Destreza works with AI.
Experience behind the method
Over sixteen years’ experience building iconic global brands across commercial, customer, consumer & digital marketing roles.
MIT — AI: Implications for Business Strategy (2026)
University of Oxford — Digital Marketing, Saïd Business School (2020)
University of Cambridge — Business Sustainability, CISL (2022)
University of Sheffield — BA Business & Spanish (2012)
Professional recommendations
Three direct perspectives on Andy’s strategy, operating judgement and leadership — published on LinkedIn.
“Andy has a natural ability to navigate complex, multi-market challenges with a level of strategic depth that elevates the teams around him. Whether shaping go-to-market direction, aligning cross-functional stakeholders, or identifying opportunities for growth and innovation, he brings sharp thinking and a strong bias toward action.”
Global Head of Category & Product Development · BAT
“Andy knows how to navigate complex organisations, structural changes and ever-changing business dynamics. He operates with confidence amidst the grey to make informed decisions and give direction (creatively, strategically, operationally) where none apparently exists.
It takes art and science to push a project to completion while maintaining creative standards and commercial pragmatism. Andy doesn’t play it safe. The obvious is never the answer. He is able to lead from the front by providing a contagious strategic vision that a cross-agency team needs, to move towards a shared goal and ambition.”
Global Client Lead, Head of Brand · WPP
“Andy’s leadership style is a rare balance of strategic thinking and genuine care… Andy is an exceptional leader who truly empowers people, builds confidence, and helps others grow in ways that are both strategic and deeply human.”
Global Brand Marketer · BAT
Press & coverage
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///////Bring this thinking to your brand
Every engagement begins with a thirty-minute call: where you are, what you’re working on and the right way in.
Let’s talk