PROFESSIONAL PROFILE
Bilingual art director with 15+ years of experience with on-set art direction, corporate branding, creative strategy and graphic design.
Experienced in both agency and client-side roles, with the ability to balance quality design with retail business and marketing needs.
Successfully directed and managed creative teams to encourage high-quality, authentic, story-driven content to get the most out of great storytelling.
EXPERIENCE
Transcontinental Media 2014 – present
Canada’s leading provider of media and marketing activation solutions
ART DIRECTOR /// DESIGN DEPT.
•In charge of the creation and implementation of concept design and execution to align with marketing strategies.
•Maintain brand’s visual identity and standards.
•Art direct photography and layouts.
•Develop creative presentations for prospective or existing clients.
Key Achievements
• Creative concept development and design for all business channels, in
print and on-line, including digest catalogs and special projects.
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Sears Canada 2012 – 2013
A national clothing, furniture and appliance retailer
CREATIVE MANAGER /// BRAND MARKETING DEPT.
Brand ambassador; managing the creative execution and development
of brand direction. Collaborated with agency partners to manage the
creative and production process to deliver brand vision and seasonal
themes that retained consistency across all platforms.
Mandates included implementing brand standard guidelines,
interpreting business and marketing strategies to generate ideas aligned
with brand direction, facilitating creative meetings and feedback
touch points, providing creative solutions to streamline client needs,
conceptualizing and developing page flow and layout, presenting
seasonal campaign to groups of 30+, on-set art direction, layout
approvals and managing quality and color of final output
Key Achievements
• Reviewed and assessed creative design for all business channels, in
print and on-line, including special catalogs and digest projects to
ensure brand compliance. This entailed reviewing and co-approving
creative seasonal campaigns, corporate brand guidelines, printed
in-store signage, direct mail campaigns, on-line ads, on set direction,
model selection, design and managing the quality of the outputs. A
national consumer survey proved a shift and elevation in consumer
brand perception resulting in increased profits and client acquisition
and retention
• Directed and approved photo shoots with ongoing special projects,
stylists, photographers and art directors on-set
• Cut down agency partner fees by creating processes to better influence
upfront page design direction and image selection
• Helped increase sales by 50% by implementing style guides to
address communication issues between client and agency, creating a
company-wide consistent look and feel
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Fuel advertising Freelance – 2014 | 2006 – 2012
A creative development and production agency
ART DIRECTOR /// DESIGN DEPT.
Collaborated with creative teams as Art Director to deliver quality
promotional retail digests, from initial concept to set planning, to
on-set photo shoots and final design with a consistent track record
of delivering results to exceed clients’ expectations
Key Achievements
• Partnered with client to address strategic and creative project
development; frequently making recommendations to improve
expected outcome while adhering to the seasonal brand concepts
• Interpreted and communicated creative requirements to on-set teams
to elevate photography standards; leading to frequent 0% re-shoot rate
• Collaborated with CD, AE and on-set teams to plan and align
upcoming photo shoots; from props to set displays, lighting and look
and feel, consistently ensuring seamless shoot days
• Led and facilitated software technical training sessions for the design
department, resulting in increased team productivity and a process
for file management
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Dezing Inc. 2000 – present
A corporate branding agency
CREATIVE DIRECTOR /// PRINCIPAL
Founded, incorporated and led a graphic design studio focused on small,
emerging businesses looking to enter the market with a professional and
innovative brand identity
Key Achievements
• Hired, trained, coached and managed a team of five design staff members, who delivered print and online creative and professional design solutions, enhancing client corporate identity, marketing collateral and on-line website presence
• Raised company profits by 15% every year by developing partnerships with local and international businesses as a selling tool to compliment the company’s vision and create exposure and acquire new accounts
• Developed positive working relationships with external vendors, suppliers, photographers and designers to encourage business growth, resulting in a motivated and focused team committed to delivering on time and within budget
Technical skills
Adobe CS
Microsoft office
Capture pro
Education
Ryerson Publishing program 2014
Magazine design
York University, Faculty of Fine Arts 1992 – 1996
Bachelor of Fine Arts, Honours in graphic design
Landmark Education 2001 – 2010
Leadership program in the community
WLCU
Creative consultant to Board of Directors
James Cooper Mansion
Director Of Communications, Board Of Directors
Luminato Arts Committee
Member committee
OLOL Youth Group
Youth events planner
About Face International
Constituency committee member/Camp counsellor/seminar leader/life coach
REFERENCES
John Rocco
VP, brand marketing
Sears Canada
[email protected]416.708.1324
Jean Speirs
Creative Director
Fuel Advertising
[email protected]416.515.3835
Jennifer Manebo
Associate Creative Director
Pi Media/St-Joseph Content
[email protected]416.248.5500 x503