Throughout my career, I've been drawn to opportunities where creativity can shape more than a campaign—it can transform how an organization works. I've built creative teams, established UX practices, developed brand governance programs, introduced design systems, and led digital initiatives that connect brand strategy, customer experience, and business goals into a unified vision.
I believe great creative leadership is about more than producing exceptional work. It's about creating the environment where exceptional work can happen consistently. That means building clear processes without stifling creativity, empowering talented people to do their best work, and fostering collaboration across marketing, product, technology, and business teams. When those pieces come together, brands become more consistent, customer experiences become more intuitive, and organizations become stronger.
My leadership style is rooted in curiosity, collaboration, and continuous improvement. I'm equally comfortable shaping long-term strategy, mentoring creative talent, facilitating cross-functional alignment, or rolling up my sleeves to solve complex design challenges. I enjoy helping teams connect the dots between creativity, technology, and data to create experiences that are not only visually compelling but also measurable, accessible, and meaningful.
Whether I'm guiding a brand transformation, leading a UX initiative, or helping an organization evolve its creative capabilities, my goal remains the same: to build brands, teams, and systems that earn trust, create lasting customer relationships, and deliver measurable business impact.
I help organizations build stronger brands by aligning strategy, customer experience, and high-performing creative teams. The best creative leaders don't just create great work—they build the environment where great work thrives.
Resume
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Apr 2020 – Present · Chicago, IL
Lead a multidisciplinary creative team of eight designers, developers, and content creators responsible for advancing Alliant’s brand across all channels. Manage a $1.5M annual creative budget and $200K in agency partnerships while driving efficiency, innovation, and creative excellence.
Reorganized the creative department and implemented Agile methodologies to streamline workflows, enhance collaboration, and accelerate project delivery. Improved overall creative output quality and consistency by establishing brand standards, cross-functional review processes, and stronger alignment between design and content teams—resulting in a 25% increase in on-time delivery and a measurable lift in campaign performance.
Directed the development of omnichannel marketing and co-branded campaigns, including a high-profile partnership with Suze Orman, driving 34% membership growth and contributing to a 70% member NPS. Launched a centralized brand governance portal and introduced brand health metrics, improving brand consistency and stakeholder access to resources.
Fostered a culture of continuous improvement, professional development, and creative innovation, positioning the team as a trusted strategic partner within the organization and significantly elevating the overall quality and impact of Alliant’s brand communications.
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Nov 2019 – Apr 2020 · Northlake, IL (On-site)
Led a cross-functional team of designers and content creators across digital, social, and national broadcast channels. Directed UX design, multivariate testing, and creative development to increase engagement, lead generation, and conversion rates.
Implemented Agile and Design Thinking methodologies that improved creative throughput by 30%, reduced production timelines, and elevated the quality and consistency of brand storytelling. Enhanced collaboration between creative, marketing, and media teams to deliver more cohesive, high-performing campaigns.
Managed and revitalized The Empire Man brand—the company’s on-air television personality. Modernized his image and creative direction, expanded his presence across digital and social channels, and developed messaging that reinforced his credibility as a flooring expert. These efforts strengthened brand recognition and recall, improved customer trust metrics, and increased overall campaign effectiveness.
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Mar – Aug 2019 · Scottsdale, AZ
Partnered with Ideas Collide to lead creative direction and digital strategy for their client, The Kolbe Group, overseeing the complete redesign of Kolbe.com with a focus on UX, accessibility, and performance optimization.
Directed collaboration across UI/UX, design, copywriting, and development teams to deliver a cohesive, user-first digital experience. Established the creative vision, design system, and brand guidelines to align with business goals and elevate brand consistency.
Implemented data-informed design strategies that enhanced site usability, increased engagement, and improved content clarity. Guided project planning, road mapping, and resource allocation to ensure on-time, on-budget delivery while strengthening the overall quality, efficiency, and strategic impact of the creative work.
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Jun 2015 – Nov 2018 · Phoenix, AZ (On-site)
Built and led Best Western’s first dedicated UX and digital experience team, overseeing strategy, design, and functionality across bestwestern.com, mobile apps, and property websites. Served as Product Owner for all digital platforms, guiding cross-functional teams in delivering seamless, high-performing user experiences.
Increased online revenue by $14M through A/B testing, UX optimization, and conversion-driven design improvements. Played a key role in driving $1.2B in annual online bookings by identifying and implementing high-impact usability enhancements.
Founded the Best Western Center of Excellence and Optimization, establishing data-driven A/B testing programs and optimization frameworks that improved site performance, engagement, and conversion rates. Institutionalized a culture of continuous improvement grounded in analytics and experimentation.
Advanced the company’s accessibility strategy, achieving WCAG 2.1 AA and ADA Section 508 compliance across digital platforms. Partnered with C-suite leaders, marketing, and IT to align business goals with user needs, earning industry recognition and awards for UX innovation and accessibility leadership.
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May 2008 – Jun 2015 · Phoenix, AZ (On-site)
Founded and led a full-service creative agency specializing in brand development, omnichannel marketing, and digital experience design across the technology, sports & entertainment, apparel, retail, restaurant, and healthcare sectors.
Owned client acquisition, creative direction, and end-to-end execution for branding, advertising, and digital initiatives. Developed and launched integrated marketing campaigns that increased client visibility, lead generation, and customer engagement.
Created and implemented brand identities and design systems for 30+ companies, including concept-to-launch creative for products in motorsports, first responder, and golf industries. Designed and managed 20+ Joomla CMS websites and directed the development of 10+ client concepts into market-ready products.
Delivered measurable results through strategic storytelling, content development, and visual design that strengthened brand presence and positioned clients for sustained growth across channels.
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Jun 2006 – Nov 2008 · Scottsdale, AZ
Led global creative and digital strategy initiatives for sports, entertainment, and technology ventures. Directed international teams of marketing, technology, and manufacturing partners in developing a massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) concept for NASCAR, including business plan creation, licensing acquisition, and presentation to stakeholders. Contributed to securing $10M in venture capital funding and managed production operations in China to support manufacturing and distribution.
Developed the user interface and experience for an innovative kiosk-based retail platform delivering sports merchandise and memorabilia at NASCAR and PGA events. Designed and launched personal brand websites for NASCAR driver Stephen Leicht, overseeing content calendars, performance analytics, and brand expansion initiatives.
Led end-to-end social media, digital, and email marketing strategies, achieving a 25% increase in open rates and substantial growth in social engagement. Drove integration between digital storytelling, e-commerce, and live event marketing to expand audience reach and strengthen brand relationships across platforms.
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Action Performance Companies · Jan 2001 – Jun 2006 · Greater Phoenix Area
Established and executed the company’s digital strategy and long-term web roadmap, directing a cross-functional team of 10+ in the design, development, and management of e-commerce platforms supporting 15 brands across multiple customer segments. Provided full project lifecycle leadership, defined KPIs, and authored technical requirements for all web initiatives to align digital execution with business growth objectives.
Designed and launched high-performing websites that promoted NASCAR drivers and licensed entertainment properties, expanding sales channels across on-track retail, dealer networks, convenience stores, and mass retailers. These efforts increased the company’s dealer base by 1,000+ and generated over $1M in additional annual online sales through the integration of web-based business systems.
Created innovative, visually driven co-branded NASCAR programs and digital content spanning apparel, die-cast, and memorabilia lines. Developed race-specific paint schemes that contributed to a $400M increase in NASCAR memorabilia sales, reinforcing Action Performance’s position as an industry leader in motorsports merchandising and fan engagement.
Skills & Capabilities
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Building and elevating brands through purposeful storytelling and design.
Expertise: Brand Strategy • Creative Direction • Visual Identity Systems • Campaign Concepting • Content Strategy • Omnichannel Marketing • Brand Governance -
Designing digital experiences that connect creativity with functionality.
Expertise: UX/UI Strategy • Digital Product Ownership • Design Thinking • Journey Mapping • Accessibility (WCAG/ADA) • A/B Testing • Conversion Optimization -
Driving engagement and measurable impact through data-informed creative.
Expertise: Omnichannel Campaigns • Customer Acquisition • Social & Email Marketing • Lifecycle & Retention Programs • Influencer & Partnership Marketing • Brand Health & Analytics -
Empowering teams to produce their best work through clarity, collaboration, and creative rigor.
Expertise: Creative Team Building • Mentorship • Cross-Functional Collaboration • Agile / Scrum / Kanban • Agency & Vendor Management • Executive Communication -
Fluent in the tools and platforms that bridge creativity and execution.
Expertise: Adobe Creative Cloud • Figma • Miro • CMS Platforms (WordPress, Joomla, Sitecore) • Microsoft Office • Analytics & Reporting Tools • HYML and CSS -
Blending creativity, commerce, and culture across global brands and industries.
Expertise: Sports Marketing (NASCAR, NFL, NHL, PGA) • Licensed Product Design • Retail & E-Commerce • Financial Services • Home Improvement • Food & Beverage • Technology • Hospitality • Startups • Medical • Health & Fitness
What People Are Saying
“I had the pleasure to have Scott report to me at Action Performance Companies. His ability to compile and manage a team of copywriters, graphic and web designers to support numerous large-scale projects for an aggressive public company was excellent. His own creative talent was superb, and his ability to grasp projects and provide results was simply incredible. Scott far exceeded my expectations in all areas from print, design, web development, and team management.”
— Lonnie Boutté
“Scott is one of the best product owners I have had the pleasure of working with. He has a clear vision of how to take a product to the next level of UI/UX design and works effectively with all stakeholders on a team. When we made the transition to Agile he took it upon himself to take training and certification classes beyond what the company provided and served as an Agile ambassador on his team. He always has a positive attitude and is not afraid to roll up his sleeves and help the team with whatever is needed.e.”
— Boyan Vassilev
“Scott is the embodiment of everything you want in a creative - sharp, fun, outside-the-box, but able to focus, meet deadlines and understand the economics of the tasks he performs. Indeed, in addition to his great art skills, Scott's appreciation of business needs and business logic are what sets him apart from his peers. Specifically, Scott has an amazing sense of brand and brand consistency. Scott will protect your company's brand with every aspect of his work.”