I don’t just direct creative. I build the conditions for it.

After 20 years leading creative teams across agencies, industries, and brand scales, I’ve learned something that most creative directors figure out too late: the work is only as good as the environment that produces it. Strategy matters. Craft matters. But the culture, the trust, and the growth paths you build around your team — those are what separate good work from consistently great work.

My approach draws from two frameworks I’ve leaned into throughout my career. The first is the Connector Manager model — rather than hoarding expertise at the top, I connect people to the resources, relationships, and stretch opportunities they need to grow beyond what I could teach them alone. The second is what I think of as a coach’s mindset: I don’t build dependent teams; I build capable ones. My job is to put people in positions to succeed, give them ownership, and get out of their way. The proof is in the players who’ve grown into creative leaders themselves — some of whom have followed me across agencies because the environment we built together was worth following.

On the business side, I operate as a creative and strategic partner — not just a creative service. I’ve helped agencies grow revenue, win clients, and retain them by building creative and UX practices that deliver real outcomes. That means being in the pitch room, in the strategy session, and in the client relationship from day one.

The work I’m proudest of sits at the intersection of brand clarity, human experience, and commercial impact. I’ve had the privilege of doing that work for brands like Hershey’s, MasterCard, Diageo, Yamaha, and Cuisinart — and for agencies trusted with some of the most complex, high-stakes brand challenges in the country.

If you’re looking for a creative leader who can shape vision, grow talent, win business, and build the kind of culture people stay for — let’s talk.