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Creative Strategist
Cruz + Cruz Creative Consultants
1995 - Present (27 years)
Responsible for overall business management and creative strategic direction. These responsibilities include creative management from conception through production of publications, marketing, advertising and communications for prestigious firms such as American Express, Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., The Hearst Corporation, Time Inc. and The New York Times to name a few. As creative consultant I conceive and develop communication vehicles to reach and market to internal and external clients worldwide. Responsibilities include establishing and maintaining creative direction of annual reports, worldwide employee communications, branding, award programs, annual meetings and trade shows designs, intranet development, video and multimedia vehicles, employee marketing and employee evaluation collateral packaging. Worked effectively in an international setting with staff and clients from diverse cultural backgrounds, including managing teams remotely to meet client-marketing objectives. (Specific details of each project for each individual client are available upon request).
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Co-founder and Creative Strategist
oXphere International, Inc.
2006 - 2011 (5 years)
Start-up corporation created to research and develop the creation of environmentally friendly, small dissolvable portable containers used to hold water, liquid, medicine or powders.
Directed company operations, overseeing operations across all company departments and divisions. Managed executive staff and coordinated inter-departmental projects and activities.
Managed marketed planning, advertising, public relations, sales promotion, user-centered research/design, social media and merchandising.
Conducted user-centered research and analysis as well as evaluation of the competition.
Identified and set the strategy for reaching foreign markets.
Designed and created brand identity, investor’s presentations and business plan.
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Head Creative Executive of Sports Publishing Group
Times Mirror Magazines (TMM)
1993 - 1995 (2 years)
Responsible for setting the creative strategy, pace and standards in the following areas:
General Creative Management of existing and new Brands
Setting the creative standards for the division and executing against various types of projects
High-level customer contact, customer service and customer satisfaction
Creating, selling, designing, art directing and executing new publications and/or projects that produce the greatest amount of revenue for the company. Accomplishments included the strategic creative planning and management of the following projects:
The FIFA USA 1994 World Cup of Soccer in 9 venues, 52 games (A very successful and profitable venture for the company)
Numerous publications for Major League Baseball including the World Series Official Programs, the All Star Game Official Programs, the New York Mets Souvenir Program, the Red Sox Souvenir Program, among many more
Managed the creative process for the Smithsonian Institute Traveling Exhibition Ocean Planet Souvenir Program
Managed a creative team, providing idea leadership and creative direction for the official 100 Anniversary of the U.S. Golf Association Souvenir Event Programs. Also as member of the TMM Executive Committee and a member of the TMM Professional Development Team, I participated in setting the creative objectives, development and management of the company
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President and Chief Creative Officer
Louis Cruz Creative Group, Inc.
1985 - 1993 (8 years)
Responsibilities included management and strategic planning and vision for large-scale projects for start-ups to fortune 500 corporations such as American Express, The New York Times, Time Inc., American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Nexxus Hair Products, AT&T, among many others.
* Working with corporate directors, managers and staff, lead multi-disciplinary projects as creative consultant and strategist for American Express Corporate Communications. Such projects included conceptual development of products for their internal and external clients. Designed and directed creative teams in the creations of publications, branding and multimedia vehicles for their 80,000 employees and clients worldwide. These included development, conception, execution and distribution worldwide.
* Worked with founder and publisher Douglas Ranalli and staff, on the complete turnkey operation of the creative process for Dorm magazine, a college student targeted publication. The magazine grew to over 1 million in circulation and was acquired by Time Inc., where we continued to design, conceive, execute and distribute to colleges in the U.S., increasing brand awareness and profitability.
* Lead clients such as AT&T, Nissan Motor Corporation, The New York Times, Nexxus Hair Products American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, among others achieved their marketing objectives and enhance their brand identities through strategies, well-designed and consistent executions and templates in print and other cross-media. Sourced, hired and managed all art/creative staff, freelancers, vendors for all projects. Established and managed budgets, and the evaluation, communication and presentation of design recommendations through to high-level management.
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Art and Design Director
OTHER PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 1979-1985
1979 - 1985 (6 years)
* Success Magazine, New York, NY-1984-1985 Art and Design Director. Worked with editor-in-chief Scott DeGarmo on the overall revamping of the Success brand. Created an art department from ground zero, hired creative staff, identified the necessary hardware, software, physical configuration and resources.
* EastWest Network, Inc., New York, NY-1983-1984 Art Director responsible for the overall art direction and redesign of USAIR in-flight publications. Managed art staff, freelance artists, vendors, art and production budgets
* CBS Inc., New York, NY-1979-1983
Associate Art Director and Designer responsible for the design and development of editorial, promotion and advertising of American Photographer magazine. Working with renowned Look magazine art director William Hopkins, world-renowned photographers, editors, and illustrators, designed over 60 award- winning issues.
Working with Publisher and Advertising Director Carol Smith, conceived, art directed, designed and produced innovative advertising campaigns and award winning marketing promotions that embodied the brand's essence in a visually dynamic, functional, memorable and effective manner.
Worked as art director and designer with CBS vice president and creative director of advertising and design, Lou Dorfsman on the brand identity for the American Museum of Natural History Global Expedition.
