Robert Hayk
Robert Hayk, CEO & Co-Founder of G&B Importers and Bulgariana LLC, was born in Armenia and raised in Soviet Russia. Having always dreamed of living in the United States, he immigrated in 1997. attended Georgetown University to study Government & Finance and then spent 15 years in the world of banking and investments, laying out the foundation for pursuing his true passion of owning his own business.
It was in the 90s, during his time working for the US Embassy in Bulgaria, that Robert developed his love and appreciation for Bulgaria, its agricultural industry, and wine in particular. There, the seed for Bulgariana and G&B Importers was planted, as Robert began contemplating the possibility of creating a company that could take advantage of the fertile soils of Bulgaria and the untapped potential of its wine industry and 6000-year history.
G&B Importers is pioneering Bulgaria as a wine region in the U.S. market by teaming up with its sister company and production arm in Bulgaria, Bulgariana LLC, to create a portfolio of brands that can connect with consumers to tell the story of this up-and-coming wine region. As the largest importer of Bulgarian wine to the U.S., G&B’s brands and private/control label partnerships are sold through prominent national chains, like Total Wine & More, Albertsons, Ahold Delhaize, and Costco. Meanwhile, Bulgariana aims to develop global markets, working with importers in Europe, Scandinavia and Asia.
Robert Hayk is a featured speaker at SommCon San Diego