CREATIVE DIRECTOR. BRAND & CONTENT STRATEGIST.

I am a brand storyteller. A creative director who understands the importance of a brand narrative and the many ways it can be expressed and reinforced. With a strong background in digital user experience, the nuances of large brand portfolios and the energy of event strategy, I come prepared to refine or share your story with a focus on the need for channel flexibility and a penchant for personalization to build experiences that deliver results.

DIRECTOR, DIGITAL MARKETING & PAID SOCIAL

Freelance | HIMSS EMEA | 2022 – Present

Define strategy, develop and manage digital campaigns, including paid social, for the Middle East, European and Global communities. HIMSS is a global advisor, thought leader and member-based society committed to reforming the global health ecosystem through the power of information and technology.

CREATIVE DIRECTOR: EVENTS

Freelance | 2020 – Present

Working with some of the top events companies in the category, deliver virtual, in-person and hybrid event creative largely in the pharmaceutical arena. Many clients are focused on ultra-rare drugs where storytelling plays an important role in capturing an audience and defining their importance.

• Clients include Horizon Therapeutics, Regeneron, Merck, Agfa Radiology, Thermo Fisher Scientific and others

• Events include launches, national sales meetings and national meetings both digital and in person

CREATIVE DIRECTOR: BRAND & DIGITAL CONTENT

Transformco/Sears Holdings Co.| Chicago, IL | 2012 – 2020

 Beginning on the user experience team, my responsibilities at Sears/Kmart grew over time. By the end, I had two major focuses: empowering the online and mobile content team and helping to develop both the brand and quarterly marketing strategy for Sears. Subsidiary brands touched included Craftsman, Kenmore and DieHard.

• Developed quarterly campaign strategy for Sears against business unit and brand objectives, and oversaw creative across all touchpoints

• Developed member journeys and programs designed to build brand loyalty

• Led the online content team of 13 who delivered content to drive close to $5 billion in annual online sales across Sears and Kmart

• Oversaw all digital content for our online and mobile properties including promotions, user experience, content marketing, SEO optimization & product descriptions

• Recognized with the Rock Star Award in 2017.
  
  

WEB PRODUCER: THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW

Harpo, Inc. | Chicago, IL | 2010 – 2011

Working primarily in the Relationships and Oprah’s Book Club categories for the last year and a half of The Oprah Winfrey show, I produced, edited and wrote articles, quizzes and newsletters to support both programming from the show and advertiser dollars.

• Drove traffic to build advertisers and fulfill sponsorships through original content, especially in the Oprah’s Book Club & Relationships categories

• Digital newsletter CTOR averaged between 15-22% with subscriber list upwards of 4 million

• Wrote several original pieces that are still online now at OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network,

WRITER, COPYWRITER & AUTHOR

Freelance | Chicago, IL | 1999 – 2010

All of this started when I became a jack-of-all-trades writer for the St. Louis Public School’s Law & Citizenship Education Unit. I was simply thrilled to be employed as a writer, but it led to opportunities I never imagined. Over the course of my freelance writing career, here are a few of the highlights.

• Clients included J. Walter Thompson, Jaguar/Land Rover USA, General Electric, Underwriters Laboratories, Volvo, Hyatt International and many others.

• Wrote “How to Be Lovely: The Audrey Hepburn Way of Life,” which was published in 17 countries and 13 languages

• Won a Silver Medal at the 2003 New York Film Festival for our brand video with Underwriters Laboratories.

• Wrote “Getting Along Famously: A Celebration of Friendship” which explored celebrity friendships

• Served two years as the Community Liaison for Northshore School District 112, where one of the nation’s first Dual Language Immersion programs was adopted.

• Wrote a documentary entitled “When Women Lead the Way” that celebrated eight nonprofit organizations as they reached milestone birthdays. It aired on NBC and was adapted as a classroom curriculum.

• Worked on the model Mentor St Louis Program, where adults and kids were paired up for grades K-5. The program was visited by Hillary Clinton.

• Wrote a textbook entitled “Citizenship through Sports and Law” for the State of Missouri, published by West Publishing and implemented in 8th grade classrooms across the state