Accomplished Director with demonstrated ability to deliver mission-critical results with a focus on customer and brand-centric creative design. Talented and results-oriented creative professional with experience leading teams, managing budgets and developing strategies to engage target audiences. Proven track record of developing successful and innovative advertising and marketing campaigns that improve brand visibility and increase revenue. Possesses excellent eye for detail and nuanced understanding of brand voice and messaging.
Overview
30
30
years of professional experience
Work History
Creative Director
Half Price Books
12.2017 - 03.2024
Re-established brand identity that was established in 1972 through all consumer touchpoints, in-store, online, marketing, private brand development & packaging
Elevated in-store customer experience with complete revamp of navigation, brand touchpoints with updated interior design.
Partnered with all department leaders & executive team to develop new strategy and planned execution.
Developed brand/marketing hierarchy to establish brand leadership in segment with read/reuse/recycle through buy/sell program
Incorporated/reinforced green strategy through new recycle packaging, new earth friendly gift cards and ellimination of plastic bag usage and reusable custom tote bags/journals/thermal mugs product lines.
Creative Consulting
BLM Consulting (own Firm)
12.2016 - 01.2018
Optimized user experience for financial firm (7 months) to revamp direct to consumer email campaign through the creation of intuitive interface designs for mobile and web.
Developed new in-store experience by partnering with senior leadership team to understand brand goals for Dickies brand in Fort Worth.
Complete revamp of free-standing prototype store of the future with new custom fixtures, branding, visual elements, lighting, signing, fitting room experience, customer checkout and new store entrance design.
Prototyped new design format to ensure practical application for mall stores in Las Vegas & Houston.
Revamped adjacency's with a focus on customer flow with curated presentations by department to increase AUS and improve key item penetration within categories and departments
Entirely new on brand lifestyle imagery with back-lit LED canvas frames and entire interior signing package
Creative design, source and produce graphic and photographic packages for seasonal, institutional and trend
Creative Director of Brand Marketing/stores
RadioShack International
04.2013 - 01.2017
Joined new leadership team responsible for revitalizing brand to create more relevancy and viability to create new look/feel to brand/stores and reduce overall store count from 5800 to 2400
Elevated brand across all consumer touchpoints to include new store design, inserts/mailers, website, private brand packaging, shopping bags, gift cards.
Developed new interior store design through new store openings in NY, Chicago, LA & FW. Scaled plans to cost effectively implement across all 4600 stores in time for the 2014 SuperBowl, "It's the 80's calling, they want their store back" commercial https://youtu.be/YpkixVDFpcI?si=ocDP_AtqdOCZlW-G
Developed and designed new packaging strategy for private label programs based on a tiered approach with a consistent design philosophy based on consumer insights and eco-friendly packaging.
Created new direct mail and insert program to coincide with new branding, store update and private brand packaging
Creative Director
JCPenney
03.2008 - 04.2013
Elevated creative across all business entities by developing new creative standards by partnering with Senior Leadership team.
Complete revamp of fashion/lifestyle photography to create brand consistency in-store and online.
Elevated all consumer touchpoints in-store with improved navigation, 55% reduction in signing clutter combined with new fashion focused imagery that reinforced brand attributes.
Trend focused updates to each store 12x a year with an annual $56m budget to convert to more permanent displays to reduce waste and elevate in-store experience.
Creative design, source and produce graphic and photographic packages for seasonal, institutional and trend
Key partner in complete re-brand of merchandise, stores and seamless omni-channel experience with new leadership in 2011.
White-out store interiors to create seamless shopping experience with greater ability to adjust adjacency's and department size based on business trends
Led team of 28 creatives to plan/prototype/value engineer new concept 1 year before launch to public.
Complete revamp of brand and marketing going from 240-280 direct mail, inserts, ads, POP and email communications per month down to 1 fashion book per month. Developed everyday pricing strategy with updated sale/clearance venacular
Divisional Vice President of Stores
Saks Incorporated
01.2006 - 03.2008
Develop and communicate visual and merchandising concepts that support corporate direction and drive incremental sales to increase market share
Develop, implement and maintain standards and procedures for visual support for all merchandise categories
Determine priorities and provide clear projections and develop merchandising and adjacency plans to drive incremental sales.
Led leadership team of 6 regions and 36 districts by empowering and delegating responsibility for teams to lead their region/district with a goal of continually improving all consumer touchpoints/visual presentations/adjacency-flow and seasonal sets along with key focus on highlighting trend.
Creative Director
Saks Incorporated
01.1998 - 01.2006
Develop and communicate visual and merchandising concepts to support key strategic initiatives and corporate direction.
Strategic alliance between management team and merchant teams to determine specific visual collateral and fixture needs to support each merchant team.
Design, source, purchase and communicate seasonal and trend programs for all divisions with a focus on creative designs that provide a competitive focus to differentiate from competition.
Collaborate and communicate with Directors of Stores, RVD’s to insure consistent implementation of corporate initiatives.
Plan, maintain and control capital and expense accounts.
Regional Visual Director
Carson Pirie Scott & Co
06.1994 - 01.1998
Direct and participate in the education and implementation of corporately established merchandise presentation standards to include seasonal and trend execution with stores group.
Focus on key visual and merchandise opportunities that will drive business and support corporate merchandise programs.
Identify problems, develop solutions/goals and review opportunities.
Directly accountable for regions overall sales performance to plan.
Led all new store/renovation store projects to include budgeting, schedules and procurement.
Recruit, train, develop visual staff within region
Education
Merchandising/Business
UW-Stout
Menominee, MI
Skills
18 years with results driven retailer in multiple positions that were focused on driving business results through creative brand design and execution
5 years with fortune 500 company driven by growth and re-branding corporate image with focus on executing plan, driving sales results through focus on brand across omni-channels
2 years with iconic electronic retailer with a focus on complete rebranding through new store design, private brand packaging, inserts, commercials, direct mail, social across all channels including com
Concept Development through repositioning brand across all consumer touchpoints to elevate brand position in marketplace and position to increase penetration by 5-10% per year and develop future growth strategies
Additional Information
isual director in charge of stores group to implement key
strategies and initiatives based on corporate direction including
store renovations and opening new stores.
merchandising issues and develop strategic solutions to drive
business and gain market share.
and key merchandising strategies.
relative to seasonal, trend and core competencies required by
corporate.
support new brands or product launches. Traveled seasonally to
market as a partner with GMM’s to market and secure vendor
(visual projects order), Shared Review and naming conventions to
increase staff efficiency by 50% to elevate creative focus for staff.
Project Development
tor responsible for developing key strategic initiatives
relative to seasonal, promotional, trend, private label and
secondary merchandise initiatives along with updating brand
image.
standards as well as purchase visual elements and decor for new
stores and renovations.
décor and fixture packages relative to private brand programs.
jcp stores.
projects per month.
recreate the look of 5200 RadioShack stores both domestically and
internationally with a focus on design within a tight budget.
to define project scope and time-lines.
graphic and photographic and store design programs.
Human Resources
it, train, develop and retain key talent.
and write core accountabilities based on individual market
projections
strategies to insure entire team is focused on agenda.
isual director in charge of stores group to implement key
strategies and initiatives based on corporate direction including
store renovations and opening new stores.
merchandising issues and develop strategic solutions to drive
business and gain market share.
and key merchandising strategies.
relative to seasonal, trend and core competencies required by
corporate.
support new brands or product launches. Traveled seasonally to
market as a partner with GMM’s to market and secure vendor
(visual projects order), Shared Review and naming conventions to
increase staff efficiency by 50% to elevate creative focus for staff.
Project Development
tor responsible for developing key strategic initiatives
relative to seasonal, promotional, trend, private label and
secondary merchandise initiatives along with updating brand
image.
standards as well as purchase visual elements and decor for new
stores and renovations.
décor and fixture packages relative to private brand programs.
jcp stores.
projects per month.
recreate the look of 5200 RadioShack stores both domestically and
internationally with a focus on design within a tight budget.
to define project scope and time-lines.
graphic and photographic and store design programs.
Human Resources
it, train, develop and retain key talent.
and write core accountabilities based on individual market
projections
strategies to insure entire team is focused on agenda.
isual director in charge of stores group to implement key
strategies and initiatives based on corporate direction including
store renovations and opening new stores.
merchandising issues and develop strategic solutions to drive
business and gain market share.
and key merchandising strategies.
relative to seasonal, trend and core competencies required by
corporate.
support new brands or product launches. Traveled seasonally to
market as a partner with GMM’s to market and secure vendor
(visual projects order), Shared Review and naming conventions to
increase staff efficiency by 50% to elevate creative focus for staff.
Project Development
tor responsible for developing key strategic initiatives
relative to seasonal, promotional, trend, private label and
secondary merchandise initiatives along with updating brand
image.
standards as well as purchase visual elements and decor for new
stores and renovations.
décor and fixture packages relative to private brand programs.
jcp stores.
projects per month.
recreate the look of 5200 RadioShack stores both domestically and
internationally with a focus on design within a tight budget.
to define project scope and time-lines.
graphic and photographic and store design programs.
Human Resources
it, train, develop and retain key talent.
and write core accountabilities based on individual market
projections
strategies to insure entire team is focused on agenda.
isual director in charge of stores group to implement key
strategies and initiatives based on corporate direction including
store renovations and opening new stores.
merchandising issues and develop strategic solutions to drive
business and gain market share.
and key merchandising strategies.
relative to seasonal, trend and core competencies required by
corporate.
support new brands or product launches. Traveled seasonally to
market as a partner with GMM’s to market and secure vendor
(visual projects order), Shared Review and naming conventions to
increase staff efficiency by 50% to elevate creative focus for staff.
Project Development
tor responsible for developing key strategic initiatives
relative to seasonal, promotional, trend, private label and
secondary merchandise initiatives along with updating brand
image.
standards as well as purchase visual elements and decor for new
stores and renovations.
décor and fixture packages relative to private brand programs.
jcp stores.
projects per month.
recreate the look of 5200 RadioShack stores both domestically and
internationally with a focus on design within a tight budget.
to define project scope and time-lines.
graphic and photographic and store design programs.
Human Resources
it, train, develop and retain key talent.
and write core accountabilities based on individual market
projections
strategies to insure entire team is focused on agenda.
isual director in charge of stores group to implement key
strategies and initiatives based on corporate direction including
store renovations and opening new stores.
merchandising issues and develop strategic solutions to drive
business and gain market share.
and key merchandising strategies.
relative to seasonal, trend and core competencies required by
corporate.
support new brands or product launches. Traveled seasonally to
market as a partner with GMM’s to market and secure vendor
(visual projects order), Shared Review and naming conventions to
increase staff efficiency by 50% to elevate creative focus for staff.
Project Development
tor responsible for developing key strategic initiatives
relative to seasonal, promotional, trend, private label and
secondary merchandise initiatives along with updating brand
image.
standards as well as purchase visual elements and decor for new
stores and renovations.
décor and fixture packages relative to private brand programs.
jcp stores.
projects per month.
recreate the look of 5200 RadioShack stores both domestically and
internationally with a focus on design within a tight budget.
to define project scope and time-lines.
graphic and photographic and store design programs.
Human Resources
it, train, develop and retain key talent.
and write core accountabilities based on individual market
projections
strategies to insure entire team is focused on agenda.