Career History

M.I.T. Design Thinking program in progress

M.B.A. BUSINESS & MARKETING

B.F.A DESIGN, BRAND STRATEGY & HUMAN FACTORS

Greater Boston Area [15+]

Pega

AMS CONSULTING: SR. EXPERIENCE DESIGNER

DEC 2019 – PRESENT

Framingham, MA

Human Resources SaaS provider. Led workflow process workshops to expose pain points and improve the overall user experience for sales and field marketing requesting work from the in-house design studio. Reviewed the Martech stack to provide recommendations aimed at maintaining industry-standard best-practice. Led oversight of day-to-day design operations supporting product marketing and sales enablement. Provided mentorship to designers, videographers and art directors. 

Pitch Decks and Demos included:

• American Airlines.

• Quicken - with Voiceover.

• Nike - with voiceover.

Technology Consultant

MAY 2017 – DEC 2019

• WorkHuman

CONSULTANT: CREATIVE DIRECTOR, Product marketing

Framingham, MA

Human Resources SaaS provider. Led workflow process workshops to expose pain points and improve the overall user experience for sales and field marketing requesting work from the in-house design studio. Reviewed the Martech stack to provide recommendations aimed at maintaining industry-standard best-practice. Led oversight of day-to-day design operations supporting product marketing and sales enablement. Provided mentorship to designers, videographers and art directors. 

Pitch Decks and Demos included:

• American Airlines.

• Quicken - with Voiceover.

• Nike - with voiceover.

• EOTSS The Executive Office of Technology & Security Services

Consultant: UX DESIGN OPERATIONS

Boston, MA

Secretariat for the Mass.gov website. Led journey-mapping of the unemployment experience on mass.gov. Participated in user research and design for mass.gov, focused on government and constituent power user groups. Examined three funnel sets of data from mass.gov used to solicit feedback on the transition to the new and improved site. Made recommendations for superset dashboards to ensure actionable insights for the design and content teams. 

• Kissmetrics

Consultant: Product Management

San Francisco Bay Area

After an engagement with an agency partner that didn't yield the expected results, I was asked to help kick-start launch strategy for this leader in the (CEA) Customer Engagement Automation space.

They needed a skilled facilitator to reinvigorate efforts between teams. I stepped in to jump-start conversations, line up the necessary resources and get everyone on the same page, ensuring an on-time launch for Growth Hackers 2017.

Working directly with the CEO to assimilate agency findings to date, I led an accelerated brand sprint, then partnered with sales, marketing, design and engineering teams to get a clear sense of what was and wasn't working.

Then I took a deeper dive and moderated qualitative research by conducting a series of 40 one-on-one Interviews to clearly define how the company's strengths and weaknesses were being perceived in the industry. I used these findings to inform final strategy recommendations, and deliver a plan for next steps. I also provided creative direction and design as needed.

         Key focus:

• Understanding current state user experience and brand perception.

• Getting the team unstuck and moving toward clearly defined next steps.

• Overall project management.

• Creative Direction.

• Brand identity design strategy.

• A/B Banner Ad testing.

Salt Point Fine Foods

entrepreneur: chef & Owner

Apr 2014 – May 2017

Oakland, CA

Launched an artisanal food business providing authentic Bavarian Pretzels to the Craft Brewing Industry, caterers, wineries and private clients. I designed the brand identity and all marketing assets and packaging, as well as a comprehensive marketing program. We differentiated ourselves by "baking the beer right in" to our formula, which in turn enabled us to help the brewery's showcase and promote new launches of their latest beers. 

I tested and produced a shelf stable, vegan formula at Bay Area restaurant quality, in a three tiered pricing structure for restaurants, caterers and the general public. We prided ourselves on sourcing locally produced ingredients, and landed well-known key accounts including Sierra Nevada and Drakes Brewing. We also produced product for trusted tech brands like Google and AirBnB. 

Key achievements: 

• Tripled the business in 2 years.

• First Friday in Oakland.

• The Good Hop Women Brewer’s Celebration.

• PeddleFest.

• Jack London Farmer’s Market.

• Oaktoberfest.

• Drakes SessionFest.

• Invited to the VIP Vendor List for the Treasure Island Music Festival.

• Featured in East Bay Express.

Westfield

Vice President of Marketing

May 2012 – Apr 2014

Los Angeles, CA

I was brought on-board as a gentle change agent and design leader to complete a capability assessment of the in-house Westfield Brand Studio. I presented the leadership team with a plan to transform WBS into an award-winning, revenue generating, agency model and accomplished that goal within 18 months. 

The team was restructured and it's resources reallocated to better serve U.S. Shopping centers nationwide. We supported the on-boarding of The Westfield Digital Labs, as well as the Family, Fashion, Events, Airports and Specialty Leasing divisions. [Team of 30 plus agency partners as needed.]

Key achievements: 

• LAX Tom Bradley International Terminal unveiling.

• Launch of the Westfield APP 2.0

• Publication of Style Magazine with Stacy London.

• Launch of the new Westfield Style fashion Blog & Lookbooks.

• Fashion Du Jour Event with book/accessories launch for Randi Zuckerberg.

• "Pinterest Unplugged" the first real-life, free-standing Pinterest board in the world.

  • Supporting "Pin it to Win" contest driving traffic online.

  • The installation & Social Media campaign garnered over four million impressions.

Lands' End

GROUP CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Jun 2011 – May 2012

Madison, Wisconsin Area

Leading a larger team of Creative Director's I provided over-arching agency structure and trend discipline to a previously fragmented team. Together we elevated the conceptual approach to fashion marketing, revisited some of the components of the Brand Identity, refreshed the packaging and brought a more youthful style to campaign work. [Team of 12]

Key achievements: 

• Contributed to the brand refresh of the corporate identity.

• Created icons for use on garments and in social media.

• Worked closely with Business Outfitters division on brand initiatives including USRowing apparel.

• Responsible for Creative Direction on all packaging design and production.

• Partnered with the Green Bay Packers organization on an exclusive line of holiday merchandise.

Scotts Miracle Gro

GLOBAL CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Jan 2010 – Jun 2011

Columbus, Ohio Area

I was recruited to join the team to help introduce design-thinking to the merchant division across brands and serve as innovation liaison between the product teams and the design group.

As Global Creative Director, in addition to managing the U.S. creative team, I was involved in a variety of initiatives to streamline the global brand equity strategy for the Scotts Company LLC and its subsidiaries worldwide including: Scotts, Miracle-Gro, Round-Up, Ortho, Osmocote, Fertiligene, Substral, Cela-Pro, Naturen and the Whitney Farms Organic line. [Team of 27]
 

          Key achievements: 

• Redesign of Miracle-Gro packaging for UK, EU and China Markets.

• Market entry research and strategy for business development in China and Brazil.

• Launch of Major League Baseball grass seed program.

• Launch of the MiracleGro APP.

• Innovation initiative: Scotts "Snap" lawn seed and fertilizer distribution system design and launch.

• Innovation initiative: MiracleGro small space gardening initiative resulting in Groables seed pods.

         Supply Chain initiatives:

• Managed the integration of the design function into a company-wide SAP/PLM Product Lifecycle infrastructure project.

• Ensuring that the functionality needed to manage the design process, such as (DAM) data asset management systems would work seamlessly through each stage of development: Concept --> Research & Development -->FDA approval --> packaging --> distribution --> promotion both online and on-shelf.

• Provided agile product management of the assigned engineering team.

Brandsavvy.buzz

ConsultING

Jul 2007 – Dec 2010

Virtual

Having grown up with a small family business in Germany, I experienced first hand what traditional retail on a smaller scale can bring to a community and it's quality of life. It instilled in me a strong desire to help protect what might now be described as an artisanal approach to business, in whatever way I could.

Leveraging what I had learned to date in larger corporate settings, I launched an independent brand strategy and key messaging consultancy focused on "teaching small businesses to think bigger." I focused on brand positioning and online expansion. In many ways I served as a guide to help shepherd people through the first steps of getting a small business off the ground, acting as a networking resource, mentor and moral support.
         

Strong focus on:

• The correlation between internal and external brand identity development.

• How brand promises are made and kept in concert with strong internal Brand pride and effective CRM.

• Human factors that affect the definition of a superior brand experience.

WOSU Public Media

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING

Jan 2005 - Jul 2007

Columbus, OH

WOSU is a non-profit (NPR) National Public Radio station embedded in the campus of The Ohio State University.  Programming initiatives include education, radio, rss and podcast feeds, live streaming and television broadcasting. WOSU has also established an Action Network to ensure that Americans continue to have access to local public media for generations to come.

During my graduate school education I had been an ongoing volunteer with them in support of their fundraising initiatives. About mid-way through my M.B.A. program, the company I was working for [Organized Living] filed for Chapter 11 as a result of  wthis in turn led to my joining the team at WOSU.

For any designer it's an exciting opportunity to be able to put a fresh face on an established brand. In light of changes at Organized Living, I was approached by one of the members of the executive team at the station and asked if I would be interested in conducting a comprehensive brand audit? Of course, I said yes. 

Once the Brand Identity project was completed, I served as marketing lead for all online and televised fundraising initiatives, including the auction and membership divisions. I led all events marketing efforts at WOSU Broadcast Studios in partnership with the COSI Museum of Science, and did so successfully despite budget constraints. 

          Key Achievements:

• Led the design of the core Brand Identity system and re-build of the WOSU Website.

• Redesign of WOSU Magazine.

• Brand Identity system for annual fundraising event: "Chefs in the City."

• Collaboration with the sales team to inspire innovative fundraising solutions.

• Ohio State University campaign launching "The Best Damn Band in the Land" Documentary film, which resulted in the highest fundraising night to date in the station's history.

• Introduction of The New York Metropolitain Opera's "Met at the Movies" performances to the community at large.

Organized Living

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Aug 2004 - Jan 2006

Columbus, OH

What began as an exciting opportunity to join a full-scale re-branding project, quickly became a lesson in corporate governance during my graduate school studies. The company originally named "Containers Unlimited" was founded in Kansas in 1985. It hired Beth Pritchard, former CEO of Limited Brands Inc.'s (NYSE:LTD) Bath & Body Works division, to take it national in 2004. But by the summer of 2005, Organized Living Inc. received approval from a federal bankruptcy judge to appoint a joint venture led by SB Capital Group and proceed with Chapter 11 liquidation. They in turn led the divestiture efforts of all 22 Organized Living stores. While my tenure was short-lived, it was the perfect opportunity to sit in on executive level discussions and experience a case study live. [Team of 4]

Key Achievements:

• Spearheaded redesign of the brand identity and brand presence in-store and online.

• Established packaging standards and brand compliance guidelines.

• Translated campaign initiatives into visual merchandising guidelines.

• Responsible for the overall media plan buy.

Target Corporation

Assistant Creative Director

Sep 2002 - Aug 2004

Minneapolis, MN

Served as marketing campaign implementation leader for the Home, Domestics, and Stationery divisions. Provided brand leadership for designer-focused product launches and seasonal programs. Provided organizational change management bringing Home and Domestics divisions into closer alignment in an effort to curb expenses. Six sigma environment. 1,200+ Locations. [Team of 9]

Product/website launches: 

• Michael Graves

• Isaac Mizrahi

• Club Wedd Bridal Registry

• “Happy Inside” Home

• “One Spot” Dollar Store

• “Global Bazaar”

Seasonal initiatives:

• Spring: “It’s Easter for Peepsake”

• Summer: “So Hot, Way Cool”

• Target Holiday

Proud moments:

• Saved the company hundreds of thousands of dollars in labor, material and production costs by revolutionizing packaging guidelines based on Home division brand strategy I introduced.

• Streamlined the on-boarding process for supplier directives from twice a quarter to twice a year.

• Eliminated the need for 100+ plus page supplier instruction manuals per trend run.

ANNUAL REPORT 2016

ANNUAL REPORT 2015

Williams-Sonoma, Inc.

Sr. Product Development Manager

Jul 1995 - Sept 2002

San Francisco, CA

I joined the corporate headquarters on the visual merchandising team at Pottery Barn as a freelance digital illustrator and quickly became the go-to tech support person for the design team. Within 3 months I was hired by the Williams-Sonoma division.

I lobbied for and became the founding member of the in-house packaging design division and went on to provide creative direction and production oversight for the Food and Books divisions. I also worked with the Home division on global manufacturing and quality control of: linens, hand-painted ceramics, glassware and metals.

I was fortunate to have worked with some of the finest artisans in the world including Wedgwood® in England, Paşabahçe in Turkey and even partnered with Chuck Williams on his signature glassware line. [Team of 5]

Williams-Sonoma Inc. 

• Supported the Wiliams-Sonoma.com Bridal Registry launch.

• Launch of Williams-Sonoma specialty cookbook series.

• Launch of Chuck Williams line of glassware to rival Riedel.

• Launch of the now multi-million dollar Holiday Foods Program still in stores today.

• Successfully implemented over $400K in agency cost savings by bringing packaging design in-house.

• Managed packaging design, structural engineering and production quality control for all private label product launches.

• Integrated the approach to seasonal product launches between catalog, retail and online divisions to maximize efficiency.

• Extensive international travel: Asia, France, Indonesia, Italy, Portugal, Turkey, India and UK.

    Pottery Barn and potterybarn.com: 

• Published merchandising directives and budget analysis for new store roll-outs.

• Acted as communication liaison between corporate headquarters and the field of District Managers.

• In-house IT/Design support for Graphics and Visual Merchandising divisions.

• Established supply chain hubs for packaging production in U.S., Turkey and Germany.

• Maintained production standards and quality control in-country and overseas.

• Introduced (DAM) Data Asset Management oversight.

• Contract transitioned to FT as Graphic Standards Mgr.

• Freelance staff illustrator in support of visual merchandising division.

BRIDAL REGISTRY          

Pottery Barn eCatalog

Pottery Barn BloG