Resume

Summary/Profile
I am an enthusiastic Creative Director and Executive Art Director with the experience, knowledge and skills to manage and guide any creative organization or department. I possess a sophisticated design sense, exceptional organizational and administrative skills, and sensitivity to timelines and cost effectiveness. I have supervised the creative development of a unified corporate image and branding for all products and line extensions, from primary packaging to advertising and collateral materials. I am a passionate image-maker, working with marketing, sales and special events departments to build success for my brands.

Advertising (national and trade)
Packaging (primary and secondary)
Displays (on-counter, wall - promotional and permanent)
Collateral (sell sheets, co-op ads, counter cards, posters, magazine inserts and billing remits)
Promotions (specialty items, gift items, promotional vehicles)
Visual merchandising (in-store, trade show, sales meetings, showroom)
Direct mail (direct response mailers, invitations, post cards)
Administration (happy to get things organized and run a department efficiently)

Current Consultant Experience

• Procter & Gamble Prestige Beauty: Manage and design packaging, instore visual merchandising and promotional materials for the prestige beauty division: Brands include: The Art of Shaving men’s grooming collection, men’s skin care label ZIRH, Lacoste Fragrances, Lifestyle Fragrances and Dolce & Gabbana Fragrances.

Recent Consultant Experience

OH! Ost & Hughes Creative Consultants
New York, NY

Consultant to a wide variety of businesses encompassing advertising, packaging, direct mail, display and promotional materials. Clients include the following:

• Kraft Foods, Inc.: Manage and design packaging for the beverage division: Capri Sun, Kool Aid
and Crystal Light.• DentaClean: Packaging and collateral for various dog treat lines.
• CCA Industries: Various packaging concepts for dietary products.
• Betty Cosmetics: Packaging, advertising and promotional materials for cosmetic products.
• Off-Broadway Theater: Advertising and direct mail for Off-Broadway productions.

Corporate Experience

Communications Director and Program Administrator
THEATER RESOURCES UNLIMITED, (501-3c) New York, NY 2008-2011

Responsible for concept, design and production of communication and marketing materials for non-profit organization that provides educational services which help members to understand and navigate the business of theater. Responsible for administrating various programs at TRU, including but not limited to, the Producer Development Program, Writer/Producer Speed Date and  Producer Boot Camp.    

•Founder member of organization in 1992.
•Instrumental in financial growth and program development of organization.
•Designed original logo and image of organization.

Executive Art Director
DEL LABORATORIES, INC., Uniondale, NY 1998-2007

Brands: Sally Hansen, Elizabeth Arden Salon Nail Care, Naturistics, New York Color, La Cross, Orajel, Pronto, Dermarest and other pharmaceutical products.
Accountable for concept, development, design and production of advertising, packaging, collateral, display, visual merchandising and promotion. Supervised in-house department of 16, photographers, retouchers,
illustrators, freelancers and outside vendors.

• Re-organized department of 16 and implemented new system to help improve department efficiency.
• Launched new product that was the largest promotion in company history and established brand as #1 in national sales category.
• Redesigned and re-launched a teen cosmetic line to great response from retailers.
•Originated a budget cosmetic brand in new category for company.
• Designed new implement brand and foot care brand.

Creative Director
MANA PRODUCTS, INC., Long Island City, NY 1994-1997

Brands: Black Opal, Erno Laszlo, I Natural, Your Name Cosmetics and Interface.
Responsible for concept, development, design and production of packaging, collateral, display, visual merchandising, advertising and promotion. Supervised in-house department, photographers, retouchers, illustrators, freelancer and outside vendors.

• Established and supervised in-house creative department of 6.
• Initiated departmental and organizational systems.
• Traveled overseas to approve production of primary packaging components.
•Implemented vendor sourcing of carton manufacturing, collateral printing and display manufacturing.
• Designed and positioned two entire new brands consisting of cosmetics, skin care and fragrances.

Additional Experience

Senior Art Director
REVLON, INC., New York, NY

Brands: Prestige Fragrances: Halston Fragrances, Hugo Boss Fragrances and Roma By Laura Biagiotti, as well as a range of specialty designer fragrances. The Designer/Fashion Group: Ultima ll and Borghese. Revlon International: Revlon
Oversaw concept, design and production of packaging, collateral, display, visual merchandising and promotion.

•Accountable for the management of two additional brands without additional personnel.
• Redesigned and re-focused existing fragrance brand for larger sales growth.

Previous Consultant Experience

Gary Michael Hughes Design
New York, NY

Consultant to a wide variety of businesses encompassing advertising, packaging, direct mail, display, visual merchandising and promotional materials. Clients include the following

• 3 Custom Color Specialists: Packaging for cosmetic line.
• Archive Films: International advertising campaign. Graphic design award.
• Estee Lauder Inc.: Packaging and display concepts for cosmetic, skin care and fragrance lines.
• Tiffany Fragrances: Packaging, collateral, and display concepts for fragrance line.                  
• Clarins: National advertising and promotional materials for cosmetic and skin care products.
• Advertising Age: Direct mail packages for membership drive and trade advertising campaign.
• Wedgwood USA, Inc.: Visual merchandising and collateral materials, including photography supervision, for fine English china. Redressed corporate and national showrooms for national market to introduce over 30 new products.
• Nine West Group: National advertising campaign from initial design through film release.
• Brooklyn Museum: Total direct mail packages for membership and annual fund drive. Initial work resulted in 157% increase in response rate and was picked by “Who’s Mailing What” as one of the fifty best examples of Direct Mail.
• Central Park Conservatory: Direct mail packages for membership drive.
• A.L.&O. Creative Consultants: Packaging, advertising and promotional materials for clients including: Worldvision Home Video, Polygram Records and Regent Hospital.
• Helena Rubinstein: Packaging and display concepts for cosmetic, skin care and fragrance lines.

Education

Certificate in Advertising Design

The Newark School Of Fine And Industrial Art
Three year program

Community Involvement

The Children's Voice Newsletter (501-3c): Developed logo and format for Children with AIDS Care Program.
Theater Resources Unlimited (501-3c): Co-founder, an organization with a mission to help theater artists andproducers develop necessary business and producing skills.

Computer and Software Skills: Macintosh - proficient in QuarkXpress, Illustrator and Photoshop