Creative direction at the intersection of business, brand, and technology.
Creative leader translating business ambition into distinctive, high-impact brand platforms.
15+ years of creative leadership.
I’m an award-winning Creative Director with 15+ years of international experience leading integrated creative across Canada, the U.S., and the UK – spanning global agencies, in-house teams, and professional services environments.
With a foundation in design and digital, I partner closely with senior stakeholders to turn business challenges into distinctive brand and campaign platforms. From concept to execution, I lead cross-functional teams across digital, social, experiential, and traditional media – aligning strategy, design craft, and storytelling to drive measurable growth.
More recently, I’ve focused on how AI and emerging technologies can strengthen creative systems, accelerate workflows, and unlock competitive advantage for brands operating in fast-moving markets.
What I do
Brand Platforms & Campaign Systems
Building scalable brand platforms that translate strategy into integrated, multi-channel creative ecosystems.
Digital & Emerging Technology
Integrating social, performance, and AI-enabled workflows to create adaptive, future-ready creative systems.
Experience & Design Craft
Bringing a foundation in design, art direction, UX, and interactive storytelling to ensure ideas are not only bold – but beautifully executed and built to perform.
Creative Leadership
Leading multidisciplinary teams with clarity and rigor – aligning stakeholders, refining processes, and elevating craft across every touchpoint.
Clients
Automotive – eBay Motors, General Motors (Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac, Buick), Audi, Chrysler (Jeep), CAA
CPG –Nestlé (Kit Kat, Milky Bar, Häagen-Dazs, Aero, Smarties), Coca-Cola (Coke Red, Coke Zero, Live Positively), Kraft (Ritz, Triscuit), McCormick (Billy Bee), Unilever (Dove, Axe, TRESemmé, Tazo, Shea Moisture, OLLY)
Beverage – Nespresso, Corby (JP Wisers, Polar Ice Vodka)
Telecommunications – Telco Global, Onetel
Financial – RBC, American Express, Aviva
Entertainment – Xbox, eOne Films, Sky TV, BBC
Cosmetics – Revlon
Technology – Apple, Microsoft, Samsung
Retail – Staples Canada, Indigo, Walmart (ASDA), SportChek, Cadillac Fairview
Government – Canada Post
Pharmaceutical – Johnson & Johnson
Hospitality / Service – Four Seasons Hotels, Center Parcs
Professional Services – Deloitte Canada
Awards & Recognition
MODATHON (SEASON 1)
Webby's, 2023 - Branded Entertainment Series – Nominee (Top 5), Social Media Campaign – Honoree (Top 10)
Shorty Awards, 2023 - Automotive – Grand Prize, Single Platform: YouTube – Silver
District Addy Awards, 2023 - Social Media Campaign – Gold, Cross-platform Branded Content Campaign – Silver
One Show, 2023 - Branded Entertainment: Long Form Episodic – Shortlist, Social Media Over 15s – Shortlist
Campaign US, 2023 - Branded Entertainment Series – Finalist
AICP Next, 2023 - Influencer – Shortlist
AICP Post, 2023 - Automotive – Shortlist
BETWEEN 2 RIDES (SEASON 1)
Shorty Awards, 2023 - Automotive – Silver, Single Platform: YouTube – Gold, Overall YouTube Presence – Finalist
One Show, 2023 - Social Media Over 15s – Shortlist
AICP, 2023 - Next Influencer – Shortlist
AICP, 2023 - Post Automotive – Shortlist
YouTube, 2023 - Best Brand as Creator
LA Addy, 2023 - Bronze
BETWEEN 2 RIDES (SEASON 2)
Shorty Awards, 2024 - Youtube – Winner, Automotive - Gold Honor, Branded Series – Silver Honor
AICP, 2024 - Branded Content – Awards Finalist
MISCELLANEOUS
The Drum Awards 2020 - Content - Chair Award - Shea Moisture ‘This One’s for the People’
The Drum Awards 2020 - Social Media - Best Social Event (Highly Commended) - Shea Moisture ‘This One’s for the People’
W3 Award 2014 - Silver - Indigo Mobile
Webby Awards Honoree 2014 - Indigo Mobile
Webby Awards Honoree 2014 - Vu Mobile
International W3 Award 2012 - Silver - Coca-Cola ‘Live Positively’
Kraft Canada 2012 - Best in class use of Facebook
GRAMIA 2009 - Nomination - Jordans Cereals ‘The Big Buzz’
Testimonials
Maryann Bell,
Executive Creative Director, eBay
“Stephen blends a deep expertise in brand systems with the ability to ideate and lead teams in concept-driven campaigns, videos, and content. He has a rare ability to think big picture but also roll up his sleeves to work on the details of a campaign.
Best of all, he’s a genuinely good person – he’s collaborative, thoughtful, shows up for others, and builds strong working relationships. He’s a pleasure to work with. I highly recommend Stephen to any organization looking for a great leader to amplify their creative”.
Stuart Harricks,
Executive Creative Director, Deloitte Australia
“Stephen, you’ve been a legendary partner. Great working with you”.
Evelyn Szeto,
Head of Agency, Deloitte Canada
“Stephen was an invaluable leader within Deloitte Canada’s in-house agency, providing stability and direction during a period of transition. His deep experience as a Creative Director ensured our 20+ creative team stayed focused, productive, and inspired. Through strategic thinking, he developed a clear creative roadmap, restructured the team for efficiency, and championed AI-driven innovation to streamline workflows—all while delivering high-quality, integrated campaigns.
Beyond creative, he played a critical role in shaping the Go-To-Market process, improving speed-to-market and campaign effectiveness. His leadership in refining roles, recruiting top talent, and advocating for key resources strengthened Deloitte’s in-house agency for long-term success”.
Umar Ghumman,
Strategy & UX Director, Wunderman Thompson
“Stephen is gem. Smart, detail oriented, thoughtful and someone who 'actually' cares about the final product. You would think with his experience and time in the industry he would have become complacent, but no, he brought his passion to work everyday single day and into the wee hours of the night. Would love to work with him again!”
Kevin Krossing,
Head of Digital, Deloitte Canada
“Stephen is a creative leader who blends comms strategy, creative thinking, and technology to deliver high-value, effective campaigns. At Deloitte Canada, he streamlined creative workflows with Gen AI, strengthened cross-team collaboration, and refined the Go-To-Market process to help drive quicker, more impactful campaigns—ultimately leaving the creative team stronger, more agile, and better equipped for the future”.
Marco Tomada,
VP Operations, BIMM
“Stephen is a seasoned Creative Director with the ability to elevate his team's design beyond expectation. A well respected and proven designer, Stephen is a definite asset to a leading design organization, with the ability to drive any top notch design team”.
Ryan Wolman,
Creative Director, Henderson Bas Kohn
“Stephen is a life saver, the guy on the team that is guaranteed to deliver quality work every time. Mature, smart, and talented. Also his posh accent guarantees successful sale of creative to any client”.
Beyond the Brief
Alongside my commercial work, I stay creatively sharp by making things – releasing electronic music as Super Electric, with 250k+ global streams across international record labels, and writing and developing an original film project using Gen AI tools. This work keeps me close to craft, emerging technology, and modern storytelling.