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Global Creative Director
Boat Rocker
Jul 2019 - Present (5 years 2 months)
Global brand creative director and team leader for multiple television series ranging from Orphan Black Echoes to Dino Ranch. Managed and mentored internal design team by coaching through challenges, budget of $400K, and external domestic and international agencies. Set up a brand creative team from scratch with a hands-on attitude and giving and receiving feedback. Advised senior management and licensees on brand vision and how to set up best practices. Partnered with multiple production teams to improve branding in shows to monetize off air opportunities. Collaborated with toy, games, digital, packaging, marketing managers, publishing, and animation studio on development of 100K creative assets annually for multiple lines of business.
• Coordinated planning for full range of global creative assets, executing on time and on budget and getting to market quickly, enabling consumers to see newest brand positions and make additional purchases.
• Managed design budget, enabling control of assets per dollar, ensuring guides would generate 10 x cost. Contacted global partners to obtain accurate earnings to better right-size style guides, ensuring proportional, mindful, and rationalized budgets. These guides helped keep a consistent look globally.
• Partnered with marketing teams, directing pitch decks, assets for new content and multiple lines of business, and targeted retail programs for Wal-Mart, Amazon, and Target; partnership enabled reorders from retailers on targeted programs at Target and a Dino Ranch home webpage on Amazon.
• Developed and designed multiple trade show booths and displays for PR events like the International Licensing show, Brand Licensing Europe, Mipcom, and the Cannes film festival.
• Created key art and Logo development in advance of trade shows, better representing future brand positioning. Worked with production on look of new characters, ensuring effectiveness for toys and other consumer products.
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Senior Manager Global Brand Design
Mattel, Inc.
New York, NY
Nov 2015 - Feb 2019 (3 years 3 months)
• Global brand design team leader for Thomas and Friends, a division of Fisher Price - Mattel, Inc.
• Coordinated the planning, and created the production of globally used style guides, brand positioning and trade show design, while coordinating with content/production team and animation studio on the development of new assets.
• Managed internal design team of 3, a budget of $350,000, and numerous external domestic and international agencies.
• Partnered with marketing teams directing pitch decks, assets for new content and multiple lines of business, and targeted retail programs for Wal-Mart, Amazon, and Target.
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Senior Manager Consumer Products
Mattel, Inc.
New York, NY
Aug 2013 - Nov 2015 (2 years 3 months)
• Built and lead design teams in NYC and LA for hard-line and soft-line product development for Thomas & Friends across all categories in North America.
• Art directed licensed Mattel preschool brands including Fisher Price, Bob the Builder, Mike the Knight, and Barney.
• Strengthened and cultivated the relationships of more than 150 Mattel licensees, creating and executing exciting art and graphic materials (i.e., P&G, Lionel Trains, Bentex.)
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Owner / Creative Director
Freelance Designer
New York, NY
Jul 2008 - Aug 2013 (5 years 1 month)
• Brand development and product design for companies including Disney, Marvel, Lucasfilm, Dreamworks, Crayola, Sanrio, Nintendo, Activision, New York Yankees, Cardinal Games, and MZ Berger.
• Primary contact to licensor’s every week to help expedite approvals and improve relationship.
• Communicated with factories daily to keep the production process moving forward and designs within budget.
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Art Director
Nickelodeon
New York, NY
Jun 1999 - Jul 2008 (9 years 1 month)
• Led a team of 12 that efficiently managed brand and product development cycle for more than 100,000 SKUs a year for both in-house and licensee products.
• Oversight of company’s flagship properties including SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer, South Park, and others.
• Art Directed Mattel/Fisher Price’s complete Nickelodeon toy line with hundreds of SKUs.
• Served as creative liaison between Nickelodeon and Paramount Studios, Colgate, P&G, Green Giant, KFC, Burger King, Frankford Candy, and Nintendo.
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Assistant Art Director / Director of Pre-press Department
Searles Graphics
Patchogue, NY
Feb 1996 - Jun 1999 (3 years 4 months)
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Creative Service and Promotions Designer
Six Flags Theme Parks
New York, NY
Mar 1995 - Nov 1995 (8 months)
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Senior Designer
VIP Advertising
Hauppauge, NY
Nov 1993 - Feb 1995 (1 year 3 months)