Creative Director - Brand Strategy & Operations

RON BLASZ

Creative Director Brand Strategy & Creative Operations

********@*****.*** • 214-***-**** • Parker, TX • linkedin.com/in/ronblasz • rblasz.myportfolio.com PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

Award-caliber Creative Director with 20+ years leading brand strategy, creative operations, and omnichannel campaigns for a $300M+ global portfolio at Texas Instruments. Proven track record of building and scaling high- performance creative teams, integrating AI-powered workflows that boost productivity by 30%, and delivering campaigns that drive measurable business outcomes. Expert at transforming complex technology narratives into compelling consumer stories across digital, retail, packaging, and product ecosystems — spanning 10+ international markets.

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Drove 95% client satisfaction rate by spearheading global brand campaigns and product storytelling across omnichannel touchpoints.

• Achieved 30% productivity gain by pioneering AI tool integration (ChatGPT, Adobe Firefly, Play.HT, Grammarly) into the end-to-end creative process.

• Reduced concept-to-production timelines by 20% through AI-enabled workflows and process modernization.

• Cut asset retrieval time by 40% by instituting a Canto DAM system, enabling self-service access for 5+ global retail partners.

• Accelerated project delivery by 20% while maintaining design excellence by optimizing team workflows and introducing layered leadership structures.

• Improved packaging and creative development efficiency by 25% globally through research-driven processes including A/B testing and audience surveys.

• Led multi-channel campaign launches up to $5M, consistently meeting business objectives, budget targets, and go-to-market timelines.

• Reduced production cycle times by 20–30% as Branding & Communications Manager through workflow re- engineering across a 30–50+ initiative annual cadence.

• Raised $11,000+ through a United Way auction and achieved 55% auto-pay enrollment — the highest in the Education Technology business unit.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Creative Director

Texas Instruments — Education Technology Division Parker, TX 2015 – Present

• Champion brand and creative strategy for a $300M+ education technology portfolio, translating complex product positioning into integrated campaigns across digital, retail, packaging, and product ecosystems.

• Direct a multidisciplinary in-house team of 10+ including art directors, copywriters, designers, 3D artists, and video editors — fostering a culture of innovation, mentorship, and operational excellence.

• Established scalable design systems, brand standards, and style guides deployed across 10 international markets.

• Pioneered AI-enabled creative operations (ChatGPT, Firefly, Play.HT, Grammarly, Photoshop AI) — increasing team productivity 30% and compressing timelines by 20%.

• Instituted a Canto DAM system, cutting asset retrieval time by 40% and enabling self-service access for 5+ global retail partners.

• Introduced A/B testing and consumer research processes into creative development, improving packaging efficiency by 25% globally.

• Oversaw photo and video productions with budgets from $10K–$200K, delivering assets that amplified brand storytelling and retail engagement.

• Balanced strategic oversight with hands-on execution in a player-coach capacity, personally leading high- profile product launches and brand campaigns.

Branding & Communications Manager

Texas Instruments — Education Technology Division Dallas, TX 2008 – 2015

• Defined and executed global brand and integrated communications strategy for K–12 and higher education product portfolios worldwide.

• Owned end-to-end communications planning, aligning 30–50+ annual initiatives to business objectives, product launch calendars, and integrated marketing priorities.

• Managed multi-million-dollar annual communications budgets including forecasting, vendor negotiation, and cost control.

• Directed creative development across advertising, digital, retail POS, packaging, and multimedia — ensuring message consistency and audience relevance.

• Implemented workflow and process improvements that reduced production cycle times by 20–30%, improving scalability across a high-volume output environment.

• Served as primary liaison with Corporate Communications, ensuring enterprise brand alignment while evolving a distinct Education Technology brand identity.

• Partnered cross-functionally with Product Line Management, Retail Marketing, Finance, and HR to support global go-to-market initiatives.

Art Director

Texas Instruments Dallas, TX / Freising, Germany 2000 – 2008

• Led concept development and design for Educational & Productivity Solutions including TI calculators, education devices, laptops, and toys across global student and educator markets.

• Directed multi-market creative programs spanning 12 European countries and Latin America, producing materials in 15+ languages with cultural relevance and brand consistency.

• Served as key liaison between European and U.S. design and marketing teams, aligning global brand identity to local market needs.

• Oversaw photo and video productions; managed vendor and production partner relationships; supervised on-site press checks in Germany to uphold premium quality standards. CORE COMPETENCIES & SKILLS

Brand & Creative Leadership: Brand Strategy, Creative Direction, Art Direction, Campaign Concepting, Brand Systems & Visual Standards, Copywriting, Executive Creative Leadership, Photography, Social Media Creative Operations: Creative Operations & Budgeting, AI-Enabled Workflows, Performance-Informed Design, Research-Driven Design, Agency & Vendor Leadership, DAM Systems (Canto) Digital & Omnichannel: Retail & Marketing Experience Integration, Product & Brand Storytelling, Omnichannel Campaign Management, Packaging Design, Digital Content Strategy Team & Stakeholder Leadership: Cross-Functional Collaboration, Team Development, Player-Coach Leadership, Senior Stakeholder Influence, Vision-to-Execution Alignment Tools & Technology: Adobe Creative Suite, Adobe Firefly, ChatGPT, Play.HT, Grammarly, Canto DAM, A/B Testing Platforms

EDUCATION

Graduate Certificate in Marketing

SMU Cox School of Business Dallas, TX 2001–2002 Bachelor of Fine Arts — Graphic Design

SUNY Fredonia Fredonia, NY 1993–1995

Associate of Fine Arts

Niagara County Community College Lockport, NY 1991–1993 COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP

• Led the Education Technology business unit's United Way campaign — raising $11,000+ through a business unit auction and achieving 55% auto-pay enrollment.

• Organized fundraisers, auctions, and volunteer events while personally contributing 40+ volunteer hours and mobilizing colleagues to participate in service opportunities.

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