Matt Lester CV

matthewlester212@gmail.com

917 514 3845

mattlester.com

creative director

Proven creative leader and disruptive thinker responsible for measurable, human engagement and winning work for the world’s most successful brands and companies.

skills:

Creative Leader

From concept to execution, I identify and nurture talent to laser-focus on developing strategically insightful, enduring, innovative ideas that live at every touchpoint along the customer journey.

Branding

I work closely with clients to articulate their mission, purpose and values, utilizing proprietary tools combined with humanizing data analytics to define their North Star. That expression is translated into ownable narratives through verbal and visual design.

Management

I bring deep multi-category experience leading and motivating diverse teams across borders and disciplines – inspiring them to collaborate more productively, to grow personally and to build unbreakable agency/client bonds.

experience:

Matt Lester Creative | Executive Creative Director for Akvinta Vodka, Chubb, CRH, Lord & Taylor, Proactiv, Revlon, U.S. Polo Assn.

June 2017 – present

·       Dramatically evolved Lord & Taylor from a dusty retailer to a favored fashion destination via a head-to-toe multi-media makeover that resulted in increasing comp sales an average of 21%.

·       Increased quantifiable digital engagement for Proactiv by over 280% in a six-month period.

·       Differentiated all-American brand US Polo Assn. apparel from its fiercest competitor – Polo by Ralph Lauren – netting 85% adoption of brand guidelines in 135 countries.

·       Maximize ROI by curating and nurturing a wide pipeline of external resources – writers, art directors, website architects, UX and UI designers, film directors, editors, photographers, social media content developers, production, graphic, animation and printing companies.

·       Produced varied content for CRH, the largest building materials supply company in the world.

Peppercomm | Executive Creative Director for BMW, AVON 39, EY, Meridian Health, Mini, M&T Bank, Nestlé Skin Health, TGIF, Wilbur-Ellis

February 2014 – June 2017

·       Provided creative vision and leadership overseeing the evolution of a PR firm into a full-service marketing/advertising agency while growing department revenue by over 55%.

·       Achieved 40% success rate in new business development across the agency while personally bringing in over $2.5 million in fees.

·       Redefined AVON 39 via a new recruitment campaign and full repositioning of the brand across all touchpoints in the customer journey.

·       Created external and internal EY marketing assets and communications that increased client and employee engagement by as much as 230%.

·       Increased exposure and persuasion of internal communications for Wilbur-Ellis by 175% via robust video content, digital assets and newsletters.

·       Successfully defined the brand positioning and global launch campaign for Nestlé Skin Health SHIELD, designed and built the web experience and recruiting tools.

McCann | Sr. VP Group Creative Director for Coca-Cola, Bacardi, Brooks Brothers, Gillette, Kohl’s, L’Oréal, Martini & Rossi, Nestlé, Tiffany

October 1982 – October 2010

·       Respected creative leader, helming up to two dozen plus team members defining national and global brands through big ideas and high production values.

·       Reinvigorated Kohl’s as a go-to fashion destination with a value proposition that exceeded customers’ expectations in every way, increasing Kohl’s business by 300% over 5 years while introducing Only-at-Kohl’s brands such as Simply Vera Vera Wang, Chaps by Ralph Lauren, LC Lauren Conrad and Dana Buchman.

·       Increased Kohl’s Facebook friends by 2 million fans in just thirty days via a single digital back-to-school campaign that won best Facebook campaign of the year.

·       Gave L’Oréal’s iconic “Because I’m Worth It” campaign new relevance by clarifying and modernizing each brand’s personality, injecting fresh thinking, while refreshing the talent pool by adding Beyoncé, Jessica Alba and Jessica Biel.

·       L’Oréal’s new styling resulted in three consecutive years of record growth and profits, making it the largest cosmetic company in the world and McCann the agency for all brands L’Oréal.

·       Grew Taster’s Choice to nearly 20% of Nestlé North America’s profits via a hugely successful, breakthrough and breakout campaign designed as a continuous series.

·       The Taster’s Choice series joined the permanent collections of The Smithsonian American Art Museum and The Paley Center for Media and is referenced in numerous books on advertising, media, ­­­­communications and culture.

·       Helped Coca-Cola think globally and act locally, resulting in campaigns that became culturally relevant the world over.

awards: ADDY, Art Director’s Club of New York, CA, Cannes Gold Lion, Clio, EFFIE

pro bono: Abod Shelters, Arms With Ethics, Army Cyber Institute, Avon Breast Cancer Crusade, CaringKind, Lunch Box, Naked Angels Theater Company Board of Directors, New York Blood Bank

education: The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Associates Degree in Design, Illustration and Photography