CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

  • BRAND BUILDING: Catapulted 6 CPG brands to #1 (Wonderful Company)
    • LEADERSHIP: Steered global accounts with 20 multi-disciplinary creatives from 6 countries (Ogilvy)
    • CONSCIOUS CREATIVITY: Effie for reigniting Belgium’s image following a terrorist attack (Ogilvy)
    • OPERATIONAL ACUITY: Reduced revision requests 50% for fractured Enterprise client, month 2 (Doremus)

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

HEAD OF BRANDING AND ADVERTISING
Head and Heart Communications, Los Angeles
2018 - Current

Work directly with global clients, building teams that expand and contract to deliver business-shaping solutions for all 5 stages of business life cycles. Projects vary wildly from naming, creative strategy, go-to-market branding, TOV, content creation & production. CLIENTS: PIN DROP RUM, SURE SHOT, AMERICAN BUREAU SHIPPING (ABS), A4 SPORTSWEAR, SLEEP DOMI, SMARSH

Key Accomplishments:

  • Collaborated with spirits icon Edgar Bronfman, Jr., executing a comprehensive pre-launch brand strategy for Pin Drop Rum including visual identity, word design and social presence. Results = 22% compound annual growth rate in YR1. 

  • Crystallized name, creative strategy, visual identity, word design and brand film in 8-weeks-to-launch sprint for American Bureau of Shipping's (ABS) new OT cybersecurity company. Results = Positioned brand as a viable player during its unveiling at RSA Conference, SF.

  • Partnered with the owner of a mature pet food brand, leading a successful copy audit and TOV update. Results = Leveraged CPG expertise, expanding scope to include a comprehensive brand refresh with package redesigns and ecomm site.

GROUP EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Doremus + Co (Omnicom’s B2B Specialist Agency)
2022 - 2023

Reporting into President, hired as a client-facing executive to save the frayed $10M T-Mobile for Business account by establishing client trust, streamlining processes and elevating creative output. 

Key Accomplishments: 

  • Guided a remote, cross-functional team of 15 across 3 time zones with a proactive vs reactive approach, decreasing "swirl" and increasing team morale and creative output. Result = Reduced reworks by 50% within 2 months. 

  • Managed a multi-city team of divisive client stakeholders responsible for a complex matrix of business segments and industry verticals. Results = Secured a direct line to Director, Brand Marketing within 3 months.

  • Accelerated two-way client conversations by proactively articulating the brand's personality and establishing TOV standards. Results = Unified agency partners, presenting guidelines for a more cohesive and impactful brand presence.

EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR 2016 – 2018
CREATIVE DIRECTOR, FREELANCE 2016 (2 months)
Ogilvy & Social.Lab, Brussels

Reporting into CEO, initially hired contract to support Nespresso Global as a native-English CD. Within 2 months, secured C-Suite and client-facing ECD position to steer creative vision, win new business and implement operational improvements. CLIENTS: NESPRESSO GLOBAL (SOCIAL), PHILIPS BEAUTY, COUNTRY OF BELGIUM, IKEA, FORD, COKE, FANTA, VANS

Key Accomplishments: 

  • Creatively helmed an industry-disrupting agency model that merged Ogilvy’s strategic depth with Social.Lab's agile, social-first approach and a multi-disciplinary team of 20+ creatives from 6 countries. Results = Delivered innovative global campaigns that drove business-transformative results.

  • Pitched and awarded Belgium's prestigious crisis-response marketing account as a non-native. Campaign received the King's endorsement. Results = Achieved an Effie in Leisure & Lifestyle for reigniting Belgium’s image following multiple country-crippling bombings.

  • Developed a comprehensive Social Content Playbook for Nespresso Global, defining strategic principles and best practices. Results = Ensured the creation of cohesive, engaging, optimized content across global markets.

  • Spearheaded global social branding efforts that legitimized Philips Beauty in the women’s grooming category. Results = #BeautyExplorers campaign reached 30+ markets and exceeded brand recognition goals by an average of 38%.

GROUP CREATIVE DIRECTOR 2010 – 2015
ASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR 2009 - 2010
SENIOR COPYWRITER 2008 - 2009
The Wonderful Company

Recruited from traditional agency world to reignite the creative vision and elevate the creative output of The Wonderful Agency (formerly Fire Station Agency), aiming to establish an industry-respected creative shop and attract traditional agency talent.

Key Accomplishments: 

  • Established trust with company owners by creating The Wonderful Company's inaugural TV efforts for its Wonderful Pistachios brand. Results = Creative inspired a $15M media investment that drove 50% company growth in 2009.

  • Secured owner confidence in business-transforming creative, leading to increased media spend from $0 (TV) to $122M (TMS) in 7 years. Results = Catapulted Wonderful to America's fastest-growing CPG company and the #1  growth leader in produce. 

  • Transformed commodities into iconic brands by driving integrated marketing campaigns that revolutionized the industry. Results = Established #1 position and market leadership for 6 brands: Wonderful Pistachios (fastest-growing snack), Halos (most-loved healthy snack), POM Wonderful (super-premium juice), FIJI Water (premium imported water), JUSTIN Wine (California Cab sales), and TELEFLORA (global floral delivery).

  • Ignited a new era of in-house agency creative excellence, positioning The Wonderful Agency as the industry benchmark for full-service, in-house agencies. Results = Inspired brands to emulate Wonderful’s then-innovative in-house model.

EDUCATION

Bachelor of Arts, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Advertising, Concentration on Copywriting, Portfolio Center for Art & Design, Atlanta, GA
Mindfulness Meditation and 300-Hr Yoga Teacher Training and Certification, NY and NL