Oversee 30+ design projects annually; lead team to ensuring brand identity and message consistency across channels; communicate design strategies and expectations with cross-functional teams; design collateral, including RFPs, presentations, white papers, developing icons, and photography; contribute to confidential and highly sensitive projects for meetings with board members and investors.

Spearheaded creation of company’s first-ever presentation/design department; rebranded and launched agency’s visual identity; analyzed survey to identify design pain points; identified inconsistencies and issues in template designs; created new visual identity to ensure consistency across departments and compatibility across software programs.

Introduced new visual identity agency-wide across all collateral, including presentation decks, icons, white paper templates, photography, social media templates, and brand guidelines.

Captured 300% increase in output with new deck templates by eliminating design incompatibilities across software programs, which
reduced editing time for end users while improving visual quality of decks.

Complete 20 RFPs annually; work closely with sales team on RFPs/ RFIs/pitches; prepare and attend pitch presentations, implementing ad-hoc changes.

Contributed to securement of a Global design business in 2023, which expanded relationship with agency’s largest client; worked with team of three to sprint design options for an updated deck for client’s international presentations; refined designer’s art to align with their brand identity, which ultimately won client’s business.

Redesigned The Retail Media Report Card, an industry thought-leadership piece created to enhance understanding of retail media networks; consolidated design from two PowerPoint documents, reducing time to implement changes by 70% (from 100 hours to 30 hours) while saving agency $17K in manhours annually (280 hours).

Enhanced team learning, collaboration, and morale by serving on MarsU program committee, responsible for hosting bi-monthly professional learning sessions led by creative team members, with 96% of surveyed participants learning useful skills.

Facilitated implementation of company’s first-ever project management tool (Asana) in marketing design department; software’s project visibility improved productivity by 10% while enhancing communication and reducing confusion. 

Improved internal communication, organization, productivity, and consistency across agency by designing and launching new intranet site in two weeks; built out and uploaded designs for three intranet pages; designed and executed back-end build; organized brand assets on server.

Absorbed entire workload of former four-person team while maintaining 80% of team’s productivity levels.

Remain abreast of design trends, technology, and brand marketing to secure agency’s competitive offerings.

Work closely with direct reports to understand and help cultivate individual career’s goals; conduct bi-annual performance reviews; coach and mentor designers to help refine individual work and ensure client satisfaction.

Developed, managed, and grew Grant Thornton’s award-winning global visual identity through strategic design.

Increased traffic to career pages 46% and reduced bounce rate 34% by spearheading creative direction of new employer brand; led US and Bangalore teams to create new visual system based on parent brand; leveraged brand research to craft energetic and diverse visuals targeted at Gen Z; social media recruitment campaign represented 18% of all posts and drove 45% of all impressions and engagements; campaign video generated 3K views; launch earned Marcom Gold award 2020.

Developed employer brand recruitment campaign targeted to students at historically Black colleges; campaign expected to exceed goal by 57%; received 314 applicants (50 accepted); utilized Discord social media platform to connect students with GT employees and offer career consultation; campaign earned a Gold Muse Award in 2021.

Saved Grant Thornton International $80K by redesigning brand architecture in-house, which improved visual consistency; researched best practices and successful brand guidelines to establish cohesive internal and external brand strategy; developed guidelines around sub-brands and created templates for various brand logos; maintain oversight of new visual identity projects and facilitate compliance calls.

Improved visual consistency by redesigning brand architecture; researched best practices and successful brand guidelines to establish cohesive internal and external brand strategy; developed guidelines around sub-brands and created templates for various brand logos; maintain oversight of new visual identity projects and facilitate compliance calls.

Partnered with outside agency and communications department to art-direct award-winning 2019 annual report; produced photoshoot featuring staff onsite at Chicago office; collaborated with print vendor to press-check printed copy; report earned Platinum Ava Digital Award, Platinum dotCOMM Award, and Gold Hermes Creative Award.Collaborate with cross-departmental teams, including employer brand, communications, digital, social, in-house designers, and overall brand team.

Art-directed 2020 annual report emphasizing diversity, inclusion, and resiliency; produced photoshoot, created shot list, and selected diverse team members to serve as models; utilized in-house photographer to reduce need for stock photographs and outside photographer.

Improved efficiency 68% and facilitated brand consistency for 9K employees by implementing branded Microsoft Ribbon tool connected
to digital asset management system, enabling all US employees instant
access to templates.

Manage team in Bangalore responsible for digital asset management system; lead team to facilitate visual identity projects and digitize guidelines. 

Ensured brand consistency across multifaceted internal golf championship campaign; partnered with campaign team, agency of record, and sponsorship team to create look and feel for hospitality events, chalets, ads, booklets, and social media posts.

Facilitated TV shoot for Grant Thornton’s national advertising campaign.

Collaborate with cross-departmental teams, including employer brand, communications, digital, social, in-house designers, and overall brand team.

Mentor team members on performance, goals, and professional growth targets.

Developed digital and physical presentations for new business, including Grub Hub, American Airlines, Land O’ Lakes, Ziplock, Tropicana, Blue Apron, Kerry Gold, and The Chicago Bears; created experiential new business pitches, including books, immersive room installations with custom wallpapers, multimedia decks, interactive PDFs, and large-format boards.

Acted as interim lead of presentation department; established tone and pace for new business pitches; hired and trained junior designer; facilitated hiring process for new lead position; delegated projects and oversaw freelancers.

Collaborated with creative director on Bayer and SC Johnson’s Holiday Family campaigns; contributed to full line of product shots reflecting
updated packaging; worked closely with photographers and retoucher
to refine images.

Branded all aspects of internal campaigns and agency events, including logos, invitations, menus, and posters.

Rebranded company’s onboarding materials, utilizing cinemagraphs and bold type to modernize visuals.

Contributed to every facet of presentation design in partnership with art director and creative director.

Created successful brand workout of Mountain Dew; designed boards showcasing company history, brand research, and demographics, organizing client’s informational visuals to help set tone for future campaigns.

Conceptualized materials for branded workouts, including posters, books, and leave-behinds for clients such as Mountain Dew, Mars, and CVS.

Leveraged brand guidelines to design presentations and deliverables; conceptualized new look and feel for prospective and existing clients.

Developed comprehensive layouts for clients such as Gillette, Starbucks, Exxon, Bank of America, Mars, and Visa.

Conceptualized and designed successful internal poster campaign as part of BBDO training materials.

Served as creative lead on presentation for Gillette executive team at Cannes.  

Creative leadership, Adobe suite, Microsoft office, visual identity, brand management, strategic design, art direction, creative direction, brand guidelines, project management, presentation design, digital asset management, campaign design / production, annual report design, brand research, international team leadership, mentorship, photoshoots, software implementation, process improvement

The Modern Manager Program

IPG MB Leader Academy

Creative Leadership Program

IPG MB Leader Academy 

Agile Marketing Certified 

2020

ANA Professional Training, Chicago, IL
Continuing education 2018-2021

How to Write an Inspired Creative Brief
Brand Activations That Drive Results

Chicago Portfolio Schoo, Chicago IL

Continuing education, summer 2016

Bradley university, Peoria, IL

Slane College of Communication & Fine Arts
Bachelor of Science Fine Arts, May 2010
Double Major: Graphic Design, Drawing
Study Abroad, London, January 2009

Invited to speak at Visual Voices
Lecture Series

Bradley University, 2026, 2014

Excellence in Drawing 

Slane College of Communications & Fine Arts, 2007

Part founder of Logan Square Volunteers for Systematic Change

2020-2022

Big Brothers big sisters 

2018-2022