Head of Brand, Creative & Design
Strategy and leadership that reverse loss, grow business, support pivots and engage audiences through award-winning creative and design
HIGHLIGHTS
📌 PIVOT
I led a strategy critical to the business pivot of a mobile-first content marketing startup –stemming the loss of 6 figures annually that grew the agency into a success with a robust stable of clients.
📌 REVITALIZATION
Co-led trade brand redesign that cemented publication’s reputation as a influential authority (and restored profitability).
📌 SAVINGS & EFFICIENCY
Reduced creative organization spend 40% through deep-dive analysis, gaining institutional buy-in for new vendors and negotiating win-win, wide-ranging contracts, and introducing multiple operational efficiencies that maximized productivity.
I lead creative strategy and high-performance Brand, Creative and Design teams.
THE RESULTS?
Award-winning products, experiences and graphics and critical acclaim that reverse loss, support strategic business pivots, grow business and engage audiences.
Driving strategy based on consumer insights, industry trends, MBA graduate work and years of informed intuition, business leadership can count on me to:
➜ Bridge the creative-business divide as a trusted business partner.
➜ Weigh in on strategic business decisions.
➜ Contribute to winning pitches.
LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE
2022–present
Quad | Creative Director | New York
Led brand evolution including reposition and introduction of a design system for the first time in the organization’s history. Revitalized Quad brand and built a large in-house creative services team to serve across the enterprise, within the marketing department. Built, launched and lead New York City office.
2014–2021
Ad Age | Crain Communications Inc | Creative Director | New York
Co-led trade brand turnaround that reversed 6-figure annual revenue losses, received wide acclaim and awards. Revitalized publication’s reputation and brand from out-of-touch into an influential authority in advertising and marketing communications with $4.1M in profits.
As a servant-leader, built loyal, centralized and high-performance Creative Services team spanning Digital, Brand, Event, Video, Illustration and Photo creative that produce omni-channel solutions for clients, business teams and newsroom journalists.
Championed strategy that transformed environment from siloed (10 disparate professionals across 6 reporting lines and 4 budget ledgers) to agile, unified, collaborative and communicative.
Elevated team from order takers to strategic communications partners and maintain a seat at the table throughout leadership decision-making and business pitches.
Oversee $1.5M budget and partner with business leadership to determine annual funding levels to various creative cost centers.
2014–present
Pratt Institute | Assistant Adjunct Professor | New York
Develop and facilitate typography, cross-platform design, art direction, creative strategy and brand identity system courses to undergraduate students.
2012–2014
Nomad Editions, LLC | Creative Director | New York
Drove strategy critical to successful business pivot of this mobile-first publishing startup. Transformed organization that burned 7 figures annually into a million-dollar content marketing agency with a robust stable of clients. Co-led agency P&L with Founder/EVP/Client Lead.
Built and grew creative to team of 19 by recruiting with a diversity & inclusion lens that included creative and digital freelancers, designers, writers, editors, photo producers and product managers.
Directed transition from magazine publisher to UX-focused custom mobile content development for wide-ranging industry clients including Shire Pharmaceuticals, James Beard Foundation, Nestlé Waters, A-B InBev and Jaguar Land Rover.
Contributed to pitches that won multi-year, multi-million dollar “land and expand” deals and attracted investors.
2011–2012
Teachers College, Columbia University | Creative Director | New York
Saved 40% on a $480K spend as University’s first in-house Creative Director. Engaged with C-Suite leadership on high-profile projects.
Reduced spend by ensuring transparency, performing deep-dive analysis, gaining institutional buy-in for vendor changes and negotiating win-win wide-ranging contracts (valued at $1M+) and introducing multiple operational efficiencies.
Generated incremental revenue by spearheading integrated marketing and content campaigns while directing brand, copy writing, video, live event design, editorial production, photography and print design for high-visibility projects.
2010–2014
Freelance Art & Design Director | New York
Concepted story designs from inception, led art direction and visual teams for music and lifestyle publications. Clients included Rolling Stone, Life & Style, InTouch, Closer, Elmore, The New York Observer, The High Line Hotel, and more.
Rolling Stone: Led end-to-end prototype creation and market testing process for magazine’s first major redesign in 3 years in partnership with Creative Director. Directed design development and archival re-print for book-a-zines and created a completely unique and new design system for “The 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs” book-a-zine.
Life & Style, InTouch & Closer: Set page design direction in fast-paced celebrity news environment for all Bauer Celebrity Group titles. Consulted on design strategy, creative development and market testing for the U.S. launch of Closer.
Elmore: Directed design and visual production for bimonthly music industry insider magazine. Led successful redesign and helped launch experimental digital products including a rich tablet magazine app and improved website. Oversaw content production activities of a global team across the U.S. & Tokyo, Japan.
2008–2011
DISCOVER | Kalmbach Publishing Co. | Art Director | New York
Maintained audience and sustained sales targets in the wake of industry-wide, recession-era circulation collapse. Propelled visual innovation and led 4-member design and photo creative team.
Developed brand collateral and print/web editorial design strategy grounded in UX trends, consumer insights and supply chain data.
Directed implementation of systems that automated workflow for digital content and cross-platform publishing.
2005–2008
Us Weekly | Wenner Media | Freelance Designer | New York
Sharpened talent for fast-paced decision making and ability to remain flexible throughout creative process to meet tight deadlines.
Liaised with Production, Editorial and Art teams in NY, LA and London–ensuring consistency while shepherding layout from design to production for this celebrity weekly with a 1.8M circulation.
ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE
EYES-OPEN Agency for Design | Freelance Designer | Berlin, Germany
Cultivated new business pitch skills and landed key account after 3 unsuccessful agency attempts. Developed multilingual event collateral for the UN’s high-profile G8 Summit and a prestigious NGO.
Hammock Inc. | Technology Support & Web Design | Nashville
Led custom media publisher’s migration from QuarkXPress to InDesign. Created award-winning digital branding materials, corporate websites and trade digital media for a broad client roster.
AWARD ACCOLADES
5X Society of Publication Designers Awards
4X Jesse H. Neal Awards
3X Folio: Ozzie Awards for Editorial Design
3X Apex Awards for Publication Excellence
2X Type Director’s Club Communications Design Awards
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP & CREATIVE SUPPORT
City Limits | Board of Trustees
Investigative news org dedicated to informing and empowering citizens to create a more just New York.
CBYX Alumni Association | Board of Directors
501(c)3 created to unite and connect the alumni (15,000 strong) of this exchange.
ArtW Global | Board of Directors
Nonprofit committed to promoting women working across creative disciplines.
Women We Create | Co-founder
Luxury travel for cultural connoisseurs. Proceeds benefit Art W Global nonprofit.
Pratt Institute Lecturer
Contributing Author to Ad Age, Star Wars Modern and various other blogs, streaming shows and magazines.
EDUCATION
Executive MBA, Creative Leadership | 2017–2021
Berlin School of Creative Leadership, Steinbeis School of Management and Innovation (thesis in progress)
Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals Fellowship Recipient | 2006–2007
U.S. Department of State
BFA, Communications Design (Graphic Design) | 2002–2006
Pratt Institute (minor in Art History)