Core Mar 2019 - Present Core is Ireland's largest marketing communications company with over 300 people working across all the key areas of marketing communications including data, research, media and - since 2019 - creative.Creative DirectorI was appointed to the position of Creative Director to help Core (at the time Ireland’s largest media agency) to establish its reputation as a creative agency. • Within 3 months, I helped win Core’s 1st ‘above the line’… Show more Core Mar 2019 - Present Core is Ireland's largest marketing communications company with over 300 people working across all the key areas of marketing communications including data, research, media and - since 2019 - creative.Creative DirectorI was appointed to the position of Creative Director to help Core (at the time Ireland’s largest media agency) to establish its reputation as a creative agency. • Within 3 months, I helped win Core’s 1st ‘above the line’ creative clients including: Trócaire, Irish League of Credit Unions, Heineken, The National Lottery & Failte Ireland.• I pioneered a silo-busting ‘OneCore’ approach for many clients - including Trócaire, The Irish League of Credit Unions and The National Lottery - bringing together multi-disciplinary teams from strategy, data, research, media and creative to maximise effectiveness.• Led teams with a variety of skills and abilities providing inspiration, support and mentorship.• With the IPA’s announcement of ‘The Crisis in Advertising Effectiveness’ in 2019, I also initiated a ‘School of Effectiveness’ programme to give creatives the theoretical and practical skills they needed to create work and build their portfolios based on the principles of effectiveness. I then helped develop programmes to train wider agency staff and clients in devising and implementing campaigns maximised for effectiveness. Show less

OgilvyFounded by advertising legend David Ogilvy, Ogilvy is a global advertising, marketing, and public relations agency with 126 offices in 88 countries. It is owned by WPP.Head of Creative StrategyHaving sold my shares in Chemistry (including some back to Ogilvy) I was re-hired by Ogilvy and successfully transitioned from Creative Director to Head of Creative Strategy. As such I helped lead a number of multi-disciplinary teams across many key accounts including Walgreens Boots… Show more OgilvyFounded by advertising legend David Ogilvy, Ogilvy is a global advertising, marketing, and public relations agency with 126 offices in 88 countries. It is owned by WPP.Head of Creative StrategyHaving sold my shares in Chemistry (including some back to Ogilvy) I was re-hired by Ogilvy and successfully transitioned from Creative Director to Head of Creative Strategy. As such I helped lead a number of multi-disciplinary teams across many key accounts including Walgreens Boots Alliance, Focus Ireland, The Ford Motor Company & Trócaire. In particular I:• Led a team that helped devised an Irish communications strategy for Boots Ireland, which recognised the cultural differences between the UK and ROI and brought to life the brand’s ‘Feel Good’ mission across a number of business categories.• Devised the strategy that leveraged the ‘Feel Good’ positioning with some really powerful creative work that grounded the brand’s partnership with The Irish Cancer Society in its beauty credentials.• Worked with all levels of staff from shop floor to C-suite within Walgreens Boots Alliance as part of a multi-disciplinary UK/ROI team on the development of a completely new positioning for the Boots brand in Ireland and UK• Devised a successful new communications strategy for the homeless charity Focus Ireland to help them talk about their work beyond the stereotypical images of street homelessness.• Identified the need for and then developed a new future orientated market positioning for the Ford Motor Company in Ireland to maximise sales in uncertain trading conditions.• Helped develop a new strategic communications platform for overseas development agency Trócaire. I also helped design a new visual identity, as well as being lead creative on a wide variety of communications including three major TV commercials. Show less

Chemistry Widely recognised as Ireland’s most creative agency, Chemistry was founded by Mike Garner and Ray Sheerin in 1999 with Ogilvy taking a minority shareholding. Chemistry was highly successful both from a business as well as from a creative point of view. After 18 years, Mike sold his shareholding in the company in 2017 to explore other opportunities. Founder, Co-Owner & Creative DirectorI founded Chemistry with Ray Sheerin in 1999 and for 18 years I provided… Show more Chemistry Widely recognised as Ireland’s most creative agency, Chemistry was founded by Mike Garner and Ray Sheerin in 1999 with Ogilvy taking a minority shareholding. Chemistry was highly successful both from a business as well as from a creative point of view. After 18 years, Mike sold his shareholding in the company in 2017 to explore other opportunities. Founder, Co-Owner & Creative DirectorI founded Chemistry with Ray Sheerin in 1999 and for 18 years I provided continuous creative leadership for the organisation that soon became recognised as Irelands most creative advertising agency.• Established an unrivalled reputation for creativity and effectiveness. Attracting the best clients in the market as well as the best staff. • Became the first agency in Ireland to win a coveted Cannes Lion, as well as picking up awards at the One Show, D&AD and winning more ICAD awards than any other agency at the time. • I also won a number of ADFX awards for strategies that I had helped develop• I provided support and mentorship for creative staff at all levels, and, in particular, the agency became famous as one of the best training grounds for young creative talent. • I worked across a number of areas to break down the traditional, siloed approach to creativity, so common traditionally in other advertising agencies • I devised a new way of briefing; dividing briefs into ‘literal or ‘lateral’ depending on the type of thinking, and therefore the amount of creativity or craft that was required in each case.• I published a number of thought leadership pieces about the application of creativity in business. Including ’Here be dragons: towards a new definition of creativity’ that was published in WARC and was the winner of a coveted WPP Atticus award which ‘recognise original thinking in marketing communications on the issues shaping its business, industry and society’. Show less

OgilvyOne Worldwide In 1999, OgilvyOne Worldwide, was the digital marketing and consulting arm of Ogilvy & Mather, with more than 5,000 employees in 68 offices around the world. Founded as Ogilvy & Mather Direct in 1972 the agency went on to become one of the biggest direct marketing agency brands in the world. In 1997, at the forefront of the digital revolution, the agency rebranded as Ogilvyone Worldwide, in order to reflect the diversity of the business that now included Consulting and… Show more OgilvyOne Worldwide In 1999, OgilvyOne Worldwide, was the digital marketing and consulting arm of Ogilvy & Mather, with more than 5,000 employees in 68 offices around the world. Founded as Ogilvy & Mather Direct in 1972 the agency went on to become one of the biggest direct marketing agency brands in the world. In 1997, at the forefront of the digital revolution, the agency rebranded as Ogilvyone Worldwide, in order to reflect the diversity of the business that now included Consulting and Analytics. Founder and Creative Director In 1993, with my colleague Ray Sheerin we approached the Ogilvy group with a view to setting up Ogilvy and Mather Direct in Ireland. Bringing a large number of clients with us from Saatchi & Saatchi we were able to set up as a going concern from the outset. As Creative Director I was responsible for establishing and running what was to become a multi-disciplinary agency with a unique approach to integrated communications and an enviable creative reputation.• Under my creative leadership, the agency became one of the first genuinely integrated, 360-degree advertising companies in the market - with a reputation for creating both powerful brand advertising as well as highly effective direct response communications.• I ensured that we played a major role in the international reputation of the network by regularly winning many Echo awards - the international awards used as measure of business success by the network.• I also ensured that the agency built a strong local creative reputation regularly winning many ICAD awards. • Worked closely with other offices in other markets to share insights and learnings especially on shared accounts like American Express and IBM.• Learning accelerated by meeting once a year for a week with creative directors from other Ogilvy and Mather Direct offices including leading industry figures like Rory Sutherland and Steve Harrison Show less

Saatchi & Saatchi EquatorSaatchi & Saatchi was founded in London in 1970 by brothers Maurice and Charles Saatchi, and soon became famous for producing ground-breaking creative work. In order to expand into professional marketing services beyond mainstream radio or television advertising, Equator was established to extend Saatchi & Saatchi’s bold creative approach into below-the-line advertising.Creative DirectorOfficially, Equator was Saatchi & Saatchi’s 'below the line' agency.… Show more Saatchi & Saatchi EquatorSaatchi & Saatchi was founded in London in 1970 by brothers Maurice and Charles Saatchi, and soon became famous for producing ground-breaking creative work. In order to expand into professional marketing services beyond mainstream radio or television advertising, Equator was established to extend Saatchi & Saatchi’s bold creative approach into below-the-line advertising.Creative DirectorOfficially, Equator was Saatchi & Saatchi’s 'below the line' agency. However, with little in the way of business from the advertising agency and no business of its own, the company was no longer viable and Managing Director, Ray Sheerin and I were given the brief to rebuild the company - more or less from scratch - in whatever way we saw fit.• Radically refashioned the agency proposition, transformed an ailing activation agency into a successful integrated communications agency• Presenting Equator as an integrated offering we won new business on the basis of a variety of disciplines including: database optimisation, CRM, corporate identity, packaging design, brand advertising, direct mail and direct response. • Within the space of a year the agency was in profit, with a healthy client list, • Enhanced creative reputation with awards at ICAD for advertising, direct mail and packaging design. Show less