ABOUT ME
I’m a creative problem-solver with a knack for turning big ideas into campaigns that connect with people. With a career built on crafting impactful, audience-focused work, I love collaborating with teams to bring stories to life across every channel. Whether I’m directing multi-platform campaigns or diving deep into the details to perfect a design, I enjoy the challenge of making brands unforgettable. My superpower? Balancing big-picture strategy with meticulous execution—and having a good time along the way.
Outside of work, I’m probably chasing my love of travel, camera in hand, capturing the world one photo at a time. Cooking is my happy place, especially when it involves mastering a new Indian dish (the spicier, the better). I’m also a theater enthusiast, always up for a night at a show, and a dedicated fan of all things Walloon Lake, Michigan, where I escape to recharge and soak in the beauty. Life’s too short not to mix a little adventure with creativity—it’s what keeps me inspired and energized.
WORK HISTORY
Creative Director, Art Director, Graphic Designer — Freelance
October 2024 – Present
Freelance Creative Director collaborating with various clients, guiding creative teams in bringing strategic ideas to life. Skilled in hands-on design, I create logos, identity systems, presentations, websites, social content, digital ads, and more to elevate brand impact.
Associate Creative Director — MERGE
July 2014 – September 2024
Accounts: Assurance Wireless, Blue Cross Blue Shield, American Express, Boston Scientific, Consumer Reports
Creative lead for Assurance Wireless and Blue Cross Blue Shield. American Express business groups including Travel & Lifestyle Services, Membership Rewards® Programming, Card Member Benefit Marketing, Lifestyle Partnerships, OPEN Business Network, Centurion Membership and more.
Freelance Associate Creative Director — beauty@gotham
April 2014 – July 2014
Accounts: Maybelline, Essie, Lindt
Lead creative and user experience designer for update of the Maybelline website.
Senior Art Director — Rosetta
July 2010 – April 2014
Accounts: Chase, Activia, Crane & Co., OfficeMax, Medco, DirectTV, Fidelity and Forest Pharmaceuticals
Creative lead on the Forest Pharmaceuticals account, and created online, social and mobile projects for Activia, Chase, Crane & Co, OfficeMax, Medco, DIRECTV and Fidelity. I managed designers and writers and partnered with our Account, UX and Technology leads during all stages of our projects including brief development, project scoping, ideation, UX and visual design, development, testing and QA. I also art directed a number of Rosetta’s new business pitches and the company-wide pitch template.
Manager/Designer — JWT
August 2008 – July 2010
Accounts: Bloomberg, Johnson & Johnson, Schick, Cadbury
Lead designer for all new business development efforts. Trained and managed creative teams and freelancers throughout all phases of the work process. Active designer in day-to-day work flow.
Freelance Art Director/Designer — NITRO
February 2008 – August 2008
Accounts: Foot Locker, Dove, Kraft
Freelance art director in the digital group.
Freelance Art Director/Designer — MADISON GROUP | Y&R
February 2004 – August 2008
Freelance art director and designer for special business projects, presentations and templates.
Freelance Marketing/Product Designer — EYEBLASTER
September 2006 – March 2007
Freelance designer on special projects for the Eyeblaster product group and sales kit designer for Eyetracker beta introduction.
WOLF OLINS
Freelance Marketing Design Specialist — Wolf Olins
May 2005 – August 2006
Presentation specialist on marketing and branding campaigns for multinational clients and specialized in brand consultancy presentations for worldwide campaigns.
SKILLS
Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, After Effects, Acrobat, XD, Premiere), Brand Strategy, Content Strategy, Creative Direction, Creative Strategy, Digital Photography, Figma, Multi-media presentation development, Powerpoint, Keynote, Filmmaking, Lifestyle, Post-Production, Sketch, Social, Still Life Photography, Emerging Technology Research and Reporting, Project Management, Content Management, Management of Teams 1-10
Working knowledge of HTML, DHTML and CSS.
Proficient on Mac and PC platform.
EDUCATION
B.A. in History
Vassar College
CONTACT
646.456.4445
sarmckee@gmail.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/samckee/