SIMON EL HAGE
Houston,TX
Summary
I am a seasoned strategist and brand builder who turns cultural insight into competitive advantage. With over two decades leading brand strategy, account planning, and growth initiatives for Fortune 100 companies, I help brands discover their purpose, express it with clarity, and scale it with impact. At the core of my work is the belief that strategy is story with consequences — and I’ve led that story for brands like Bank of America, Nestlé, Microsoft, Hyundai, and State Farm. Whether defining a brand’s position, building segmentation frameworks, or uncovering unseen emotional territories, I partner with creative, media, and analytics teams to deliver ideas that shift perception and grow business.
Overview
26
26
years of professional experience
Work History
Executive Group Account Director, Head of Strategy
Lopez Negrete Communications
01.2022 - 01.2025
- Rebuilt the agency’s strategic planning discipline. Guided brands across financial services, automotive, and CPG to deepen emotional relevance and brand value.
- Helped evolve Hyundai’s U.S. Hispanic positioning from value to values.
- Partnered with Bank of America on segmentation and life-stage frameworks to regain trust and relevance among Latino consumers.
- Led insight development and audience journeys for United Airlines and Phillips 66.
Chief Strategy Officer
CrossCultural Marketing Group
01.2017 - 01.2021
- Oversaw all strategic planning, research, and positioning efforts for agency clients. Led insight-to-execution process across healthcare, retail, and sports.
- Built brand platforms and communication strategies that generated:
- O $18M in new acquisition for L.A. Care
- O $38M in retained and new business for BCBS Texas
- O $9M in incremental revenue for Crate & Barrel Hispanic pilot stores
- Designed qualitative and ethnographic research tools for modern cultural segments.
SVP, Strategic Planning
Casanova/McCann
01.2012 - 01.2016
- Led a national strategy team across offices in NY, Detroit, and Costa Mesa. Delivered positioning, brand planning, and insight leadership for Nestlé USA, Chevrolet, Microsoft, USPS, and others.
- Created the agency’s first Cultural Decoding framework — now standard across McCann network.
- Co-authored pitch strategies that doubled agency size in three years.
- Led insight work behind USPS’ Total Market campaigns and Nestlé’s category growth strategy.
SVP, Multicultural Strategy & Planning
DRAFTFCB
01.2008 - 01.2010
- Built multicultural insight and brand planning systems to modernize FCB’s go-to-market model.
- Introduced segmentation models to reposition State Farm’s Hispanic marketing.
- Developed strategic planning tools that bridged general market and multicultural planning teams.
Director of Strategy & Marketing
Lopez Negrete Communications
01.1999 - 01.2008
- Pioneered the agency’s strategic planning function and led transformative campaigns.
- Developed Visa USA’s first Hispanic platform.
- Co-led launch of Bank of America’s remittance product based on emotional finance insights.
- Created communication frameworks for Microsoft, Sonic, Starbucks, and Shell.
Education
B.A. - Architecture
B.A. - Communications & Visual Arts
Skills
- Brand Architecture & Positioning
- Consumer & Cultural Insight
- Strategic Brief Development
- Cross-Functional Leadership
- Research Design & Interpretation (Qual & Quant)
- Integrated Campaign Strategy
- Customer Journey Mapping
- Brand Purpose & Narrative Development
- Inclusive Marketing & Modern Multiculturalism
- Interpersonal skills
- Operations management
- Executive support
- Customer-oriented
LNGG
English
Spanish
French
Arabic
ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Adjunct Professor – Strategy & Culture Courses
- DePaul University, University of Houston, Cal State Fullerton
Affiliations
- Board Member Hispanic Marketing Council
Black & White Photography Magazine, First Prize, 2015
First Prize, world-wide competition for B&W Photography, London UK, 2015
Interests
published painter and Published Photographer, Public Speaker
Timeline
Executive Group Account Director, Head of Strategy - Lopez Negrete Communications
01.2022 - 01.2025
Chief Strategy Officer - CrossCultural Marketing Group
01.2017 - 01.2021
SVP, Strategic Planning - Casanova/McCann
01.2012 - 01.2016
SVP, Multicultural Strategy & Planning - DRAFTFCB
01.2008 - 01.2010
Director of Strategy & Marketing - Lopez Negrete Communications
01.1999 - 01.2008
Université Laval - B.A., Communications & Visual Arts
Académie Libanaise des Beaux-Arts - B.A., Architecture
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