TL;DR: Transforming brand concepts into magnetic visual narratives
thanks to creative magic, unyielding passion,and a caffeine-fueled spark.
thanks to creative magic, unyielding passion,and a caffeine-fueled spark.
With 12+ years of designing, directing, and transforming stories into visual narratives and identities, I confidently deliver impactful value to my clients.
My fine arts-based graphic design training led me to a marketing career that spiraled into evolving brands—and I couldn’t love it more.
Managing people and processes truly brings me joy and I strongly believe that mentorship and coaching are essential to building the best teams.
major accomplishments/skills
lead visual identity as manager and designer through multiple rebrands
project manage multidisciplinary teams and $1M+ initiatives
activate and educate 2000+ humans on brand at all stages of development and evolution
my standard login items
Powerpoint | InDesign | Illustrator | Photoshop | Ceros | Canva | Jira | Smartsheet
where i thrive
visual brand strategy | visual identity | marketing + communications | crafting experiences | project management | corporate + employer brand | visual storytelling | design thinking | expression education | bringing brand language to life
West Monroe
visual brand manager
march 2022–present | remote, denver, colorado
Grow: Creative Direction
Leverage agency expertise and lead multidisciplinary, internal teams to develop and evolve West Monroe’s Visual identity
Partner with Corporate Brand, Strategy, and Corporate Communications to ensure seamless alignment between business strategy, brand expression, and brand activation
Lead firm-facing design teams and visual identity, serving as SME for the firm and team lead for designers and marketers
Engage: Brand Activation
Build, maintain, and enhance brand guidelines for internal and external audiences by identifying and implementing a Brand Platform
Manage and deploy resources to enable 2000+ brand ambassadors by creating self-service sites for ordering gear and print collateral, leading template development for Microsoft, video, and Ceros programs, and service firmwide communications to effectively share updates
Lead Exquisite Design curriculum and training, evolving what was a 2-hour virtual course into repeatable, on-demand digital “classes” meant to be revisited as the employee continues their journey with West Monroe
Lead: People and Process Management
Implement Marketing’s first-ever, successful Project Management tool (Jira) through collaboration with Technology practice leaders, maximizing West Monroe’s preferred program and utilizing Tech Learning best practices to document procedures
Managed up to 6 designers to execute firm-, market-, and client-facing design deliverables, assessing work for quality and brand alignment
Mentor individuals across West Monroe—from Marketing to Strategy to Technology to Consulting—to develop the next generation of leaders
West Monroe
senior specialist, visual design
november 2018–march 2022 | chicago, illinois
Deliver, develop, strengthen
Manage, define, and lead Visual Brand for the firm—developing and evolving West Monroe’s Visual identity, leading Design team operations, building brand guidelines and libraries of assets and templates to make the brand standards shine, and working in multidisciplinary teams to delivery highest possible quality deliverables
Build, maintain, and monitor Design request intake across the firm for 5 designers, utilizing Jira and Smartsheet for daily tasks and long-term project management of nearly 500 requests/month
Create exquisitely designed and written business development materials, proposals, client deliverables, event presentations, firm-wide initiative assets, and market-facing collateral to support 1,800 employees across the firm and their stakeholders
Own design vendor relationships, from printers, gear and merchandise dealers, to digital content and file management platform providers—planning for Design team budgets and managing daily/weekly invoicing
Annually, teach 10+ 4 hour courses to West Monroe employees, covering storytelling the West Monroe way, using powerpoint as a tool, visual storytelling, and how to use templates and tools to take your presentation to the next level
KPMG
associate designer
march 2018–november 2018 | chicago, illinois
Create, collaborate, dream big
Collaborate directly with leadership and marketing—collateral varies from internal to national visibility, as well as one-page documents to multi-day events
Embody the mentality of a “brand ambassador” by leading and educating customers/team members about the brand and promoting an environment where design compliance is valued and respected
Execute Chicago-based, major event design, including the Partner Dinner, Holiday Party, and KFFL Fundraisers—working directly with the Chicago Partner’s team of event specialists to deliver event communications and environmental designs
Manage ten or more projects on a regular basis by utilizing teams in other regions, consulting subject matter experts, and leading discussions with creative thinking
Direct, coordinate, and record video and photo shoots for firm Partners as part of an overall creative vision for presentations
Hillard Heintze
senior graphic designer
september 2016–march 2018 | chicago, illinois
Hone, manage, teach
Specialize in strategic relationship support, presentation development, and corporate identity by creating high-quality collateral, proposal material, and client deliverables
Lead all presentation intake, tracking, design, and delivery with an intense focus on client-specific branding that speaks to the standards of Hillard Heintze—delivering a message that is unique to each audience
Develop advanced presentation capabilities in the area of Learning Management Systems for online training, 508 compliance, and SCORM format under the appropriate platform
Provide Wordpress/Salesforce support and digital media design for evolving website needs
RR DONNELLEY
graphic designer I + II
august 2012–september 2016 | chicago, illinois
Learn, learn, learn
Respect and challenge client brand guidelines by developing creative, accurate presentation and marketing material for the Response Marketing Services Department to propose new work to clients, develop business, or generate revenue
Optimize products and formats that follow postal regulations and guidelines for direct mail and magazine services to most efficiently support the needs of clients while optimizing RR Donnelley print capabilities
Collaborate with creative team members and offer support to evenly distribute work, meet tight deadlines, and foster a “never-say-can’t” mentality
University of Dayton
bachelor of fine arts in visual communication design
august 2008–june 2012 | dayton, ohio
major: visual communication design
minors: ceramics and photography
honors: cum laude
activities: student union receptionist, chi omega sorority, panhellenic council
Avid crocheter and knitter—dare I say, crafter
Loving mother to Glenn, the West Highland Terrier
Home-owner-fixer-upper, on a mission to paint one wall in every room a different color
Classic Denver transplant who loves skiing, hiking, camping, biking, and I-70
If not 1 pot of coffee deep before 9 AM, find me—something is wrong
