Cecilia (Ceci) Zalazar
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About
I’m an entrepreneurial Creative Executive with 20+ years of experience in branding, campaign development, and leading high-performing creative teams for global brands.
Global Perspective: Born in Los Angeles, raised in South America and Europe, I bring a multicultural lens to creative leadership. I launched my first fashion line in college, then earned a bachelor’s in Graphic Design and a postgraduate certificate in Marketing — a foundation that continues to inform my balance of creativity and business strategy.
Career Highlights:
• Led creative for multinationals including Coca-Cola, Unilever, Nabisco, and Warsteiner.
• Played a key role in Miami’s luxury real estate boom, launching projects for St. Regis, Ritz-Carlton Residences, Epic, Viceroy, and Trump Hollywood.
• Directed packaging launches across CPG, wine, and spirits, leveraging deep brand and product insight.
• In fashion, built and led creative teams at Perry Ellis International, Bluestem Brands, and currently as VP of Creative at Soft Surroundings, where I oversee branding across digital, print, photography, and video with a 19-person team.
• Recognized with 5 Addy Awards for award-winning campaigns and results-driven creative excellence.
• Drove $3M in cost savings in under two years by reimagining production processes while enhancing creative quality.
Strengths: Transforming in-house creative departments into agency-level powerhouses, pioneering the adoption of AI in creative workflows, and cultivating teams that deliver both efficiency and innovation.
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
• Brand Strategy & Creative Direction
• Global Campaign Development
• Fashion, Luxury, Beauty & Lifestyle Industries
• In-House Agency Leadership
• Photography & Video Production
• AI Integration & Next-Gen Tech Adoption
• Budget Optimization & Cost Efficiencies
• Packaging & Product Launches (CPG, Wine & Spirits)
• Women in Leadership Advocacy
• Multilingual & Cross-Cultural Brand Insights
• Fluent in English/Spanish with ongoing studies in Italian and French -
Education
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Postgraduate Certficate MarketingUniversidad de Belgrano2000 - 2001
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Bachelors Graphic DesignUniversidad de Belgrano1990 - 1995Honors Diploma
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Experience
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Vice President Creative and Brand MarketingSt. Louis, MONov 2023 - Present (2 years 7 months)Leadership of the Creative Department, a 20+ multi-professional team of designers, copywriters, producers and in-house photo producing + freelance crew.
Digital Ecom creative, print catalogs / mailers, studio and location photo shoots 200 shooting days per year, photo and video art direction and production.
• Department restructure based on in-house talent strengths, strategic hiring, and freelance talent and contract negotiation.
• Brand reset to original DNA and implementation of forward vision strategy
• Lead branding and creative across all channels (digital, print, photography, video)
• Manage and mentor a 19-person in-house team of digital and print designers and copywriters, art directors, photo producers, plus external freelance crews.
• Saved $3M in production costs in under 2 years by reimagining processes, strategic shoot planning and budget monitoring while enhancing creative quality.
• Pioneered the adoption of AI tools for concept development, copywriting, and image generation.
• Elevated the creative department to agency-level standards, delivering creative that drive sales and brand equity. -
VP of Creative/ Executive Creative DirectorBluestem BrandsLakewood, NYSep 2015 - Nov 2023 (8 years 2 months)Leadership of the Creative Department, a 50+ multi-professional team of designers, copywriters, producers and in-house photo studio + crew.
Digital Ecom creative, 180 print catalogs + mailers, 26 location photo shoots / 170 shooting days per year, video art direction and production.
• Transitioned Print to Digital from a 80/20 ratio to 50/50 in two years, rebranding website, HP, LP, PDP, emails and social media
• Rebranding: Developed the brand DNA, Design, Voice, Photography and Video for BLAIR , Scandia Woods, Bedford Fair, Old Pueblo Traders
• Optimized the Creative Department by restructuring the team, introducing agency mindset and a mentoring leadership style.
• Streamlined creative and production processes and implemented a software based digital routing and proofing system
• Increased annual shooting a 40% adding video and ecom photography while generating budget savings of 1M YoY
• Implemented talent castings and portfolio reviews to refresh talent in a dynamic business environment -
Senior Creative DirectorBluestem BrandsLakewood, NYOct 2013 - Sep 2015 (1 year 11 months)Leadership of the Creative Department, a 30+ multi-professional team of designers, copywriters, producers and in-house photo studio + crew.
120 print catalogs + mailers, 20 location photo shoots / 150 shooting days per year
• Rebranding and repositioning of the Bedford Fair and Old Pueblo Traders brands resulting in a 20% increment in sales
• Introduced the use of brainstorming and concept boarding for photo shoots, creative process and industry standards for photography
• Established a mentoring leadership style encouraging higher conceptual creative, self-empowerment, teamwork and accountability -
Chief Creative DirectorPerry Ellis InternationalMiami, FLApr 2012 - Sep 2013 (1 year 5 months)Leadership of the Creative Department, a 25+ multi-professional team of designers, copywriters and in-house photo studio + crew. Budget 8M
• Transformed the in-house department in a creative agency capable of delivering brand growth results and award winning campaigns
• Directed digital and print creative for full portfolio of brands: Luxury and Neo: Perry Ellis, Pierre Cardin, Tricots St. Raphael, Axis, Original Penguin, John Henry, Manhattan, Axist, Savane, Tricots St. Raphael, Mondo di Marco, Swim: Nike, Jantzen, Jag, Womenswear: Rafaella, Golf: Callaway, Grand Slam, PGA Tour, Ben Hogan, Latin: Cubavera, Havanera Co.,Centro, Chispa.
• Optimized the Creative Department by restructuring the team, introducing an agency mindset and a mentoring leadership style
• Won 5 ADDY Awards for 360 campaigns: Jantzen "Swimming in It", Rafaella "It Fits!", Axist “Reasons to Axist”, and PEI Annual Report and the social media campaign for PERY NASDAQ 20th Anniversary and various industry awards (HOW, LACP ,ARC,PR)
• For the very first time, the Creative Department won the 2013 Department of the Year Award at Perry Ellis International -
Creative DirectorPerry Ellis InternationalMiami, FLAug 2007 - Apr 2012 (4 years 8 months)Creative Direction of Luxury, Neo, Golf, Latin Brands and Womenswear. Budget 5M
• Launched Pierre Cardin to the US market: branding, concepting, direction of photo shoot, packaging, collateral, POP.
• Repositioned the Axist label as a modern aspirational brand. Award winning campaign “Reasons to Axist” starring actor Gilles Marini
• Rebranded and relaunched Rafaella sportswear in ecom and retail. Award winning campaign “it fits your lifestyle”
• Rebranded and repositioned the Cubavera brand as an updated / trendy leader in Latin apparel.
• Won the Grand Slam logo contest. Logo which became a Perry Ellis trademark
• Directed creative for brands: Luxury and Neo: Perry Ellis, Pierre Cardin, Tricots St. Raphael, Axis, John Henry, Manhattan, Axist, Savane, Tricots St. Raphael, Swim: Nike, Jantzen, Womenswear: Rafaella, Golf: Callaway, Grand Slam, PGA Tour, Latin: Cubavera, Havanera Co.
• Won the 2011 Outstanding Achievement Award at Perry Ellis International in recognition for high performance & remarkable commitment -
Associate Creative Director & Vice President of PackagingConway+PartnersMiami, FLJan 2006 - Aug 2007 (1 year 7 months)Creative Direction for Luxury Real Estate and Hospitality accounts. Budget 5M
• Branding and creative for luxury accounts such as St. Regis Residences, Ritz Carlton Residences, Trump, Icon, Viceroy and W hotels
• Launched high-end residential and hospitality projects in South Florida and the Caribbean: Trump Hollywood, The Ritz-Carlton Club and Residences South Beach, Epic, Viceroy, St. Regis Residences Puerto Rico and St. Regis Residences Costa Rica.
• Branding projects: American Signature Furniture and Dolce Vita.
Vice President of Packaging Conway+Partners 04/2006- 08/2007- Miami / NYC
Creative Direction and Account Management for CPG multinationals: Unilever, AmBev, Guaraná, Vodka Herb and various wine and spirits. -
Senior Art DirectorPerry Ellis InternationalMiami, FLOct 2004 - Jan 2006 (1 year 3 months)Art direction, branding, packaging and POP for brands: Jantzen, Nike, Original Penguin, Grand Slam, Tricot St. Raphael, Pga Tour
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Senior Art DirectorRabinovici & AssociatesMiami, FL2001 - Oct 2004 (3 years 4 months)Art direction, branding, packaging and POP for Unilever, Kodak, Badia.
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Marketing Design ManagerIsenbeck - SABMiller1999 - Jan 2001 (1 year 7 months)Creative management, branding and art direction for German premium beers Warsteiner and Isenbeck.
TV commercials, advertising campaigns, website, packaging and POP. -
Art DirectorVisual Express1995 - 1999 (4 years)Branding, art direction, packaging and POP for CPG multinationals such as The Coca Cola Co., Unilever, Nabisco
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Awards
2014 Miami ADDY Awards:
GOLD Social Media Campaign for PERY NASDAQ 20th Anniversary
GOLD Collateral for the PEI 2013 Annual Report
SILVER Integrated Campaign for Jantzen "Swimming in It"
SILVER Integrated Campaign for Rafaella "It Fits!"
2013 Miami ADDY Awards:
GOLD Integrated Campaign for Axist "Reasons to Axist"
2013 HOW Design Magazine Merit Award:
Jantzen "swimming in it" campaign featured in the January 2014 issue
2013 Perry Ellis Int'l Annual Report Awards:
VISION Award by the LACP, League of American Communications Professionals
GOLD 27th International ARC Award
PLATINUM PR Award
2013 Department of the Year at Perry Ellis International -
Affiliations
AIGA - Member //
Women’s Global Initiative at Global Mobile - Member //
Global Women's Leadership Summit - Partner -
Industries
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Skills
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Elsewhere on the Web
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On Coroflot@ceciliazalazar, member since 2006
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