Natasha Jen

PARTNER, PENTAGRAM, NEW YORK NY

This month, Natasha Jen joins Pentagram as the famous firm’s newest partner. Born in Taipei, Jen studied graphic design at the School of Visual Arts while interning at Eric Baker Design Associates and Pentagram, and graduated in 2002. She has worked at Base Design as a senior designer on fashion and brand identity projects, at 2x4, as an art director leading large-scale branding, exhibition, environmental and editorial projects, and at Stone Yamashita Partners as creative director. In July 2010, Jen established her own studio, Njenworks. Her clients have included Nike, Harvard Art Museums, Guggenheim Museum/ Foundation, OMA, REX, Wexner Center for the Arts, Kate Spade, Target, Puma, Kiki de Monparnasse, SoHo/Tribeca Grand Hotels, AIGA, MIT Architecture, Vitra, NYU Kids at Langone, the Slought Foundation, Tess Giberson, AIA, Chanel, Nuit Blanche New York, and Prism. Jen’s work has been notable for crossing media genres, drawing on references from a diverse range of cultural, historical, aesthetic, and technological sources.

Peter Knapp

GLOBAL CREATIVE DIRECTOR,
LANDOR ASSOCIATES, SAN FRANCISCO CA/LONDON UK

Peter Knapp has been promoted to the role of Global Creative Officer at Landor Associates. The position is a new one for the firm and will rotate annually, with someone different taking the reins each year. Having spent nearly 20 years at the Landor firm, Knapp will continue to be based in the London office — performing his duties as Executive Creative Director of Europe, the Middle East, and Africa — while also taking on the new responsibilities. As Landor’s first Global Creative Officer, Knapp is focused on enriching and elevating the capabilities of designers and creative leaders, while working to develop career paths within and across the firm’s global network. This includes improving the approach to sourcing and hiring creative talent, optimizing creativity for external recognition and awards, and seeking to “drive a new era of creativity through Landor.” As a rotational role, Landor’s global leadership team will reevaluate the firm’s creative priorities and areas of growth to identify the appropriate Global Creative Officer each year.

Luissandro Del Gobbo + Giovanni Settesoldi

SENIOR VP/CREATIVE DIRECTORS, ENERGY BBDO, CHICAGO IL

Energy BBDO adds Luissandro Del Gobbo (pictured left) and Giovanni Settesoldi (pictured right), both of whom will serve as SVP, Creative Directors. In their roles, Settesoldi and Del Gobbo oversee the development of integrated creative ideas across the agency’s portfolio of clients. “Giovanni and Luissandro have an impressive history of smart and creative work that’s earned more than 60 national and international awards,” said Dan Fietsam, Chief Creative Officer at Energy BBDO. “This team’s diverse experience will help Energy BBDO bring the work to life in the most effective, integrated and connected ways to benefit our clients’ business.” Among Giovanni and Luissandro’s accolades are five Cannes Lions for their work on SHS Teen Clothing, Febreze, and Buttero boots, as well as recognition from London International Advertising Awards, the CLIOs, Communication Arts and Eurobest. Both have been listed at the top of the Lürzers Archive International Creative Ranking for the last five years. The team joins Energy BBDO after spending four years at Grey Paris as Creative Directors, following stints at JWT Paris and BBDO Milan. Energy BBDO is a unit of BBDO Worldwide, It functions as “a highly creative and nimble boutique with all the benefits of a vast agency network.” Clients include Wrigley, Bayer, Frito-Lay, S.C. Johnson, Chicago White Sox and Art Institute of Chicago.

Jeff Tara

PRINCIPAL, BRANDVUE DESIGN, ROCHESTER NY

Jeff Tara has launched brand development firm, BrandVue Design. The impetus for the startup: cutbacks at Kodak which, in turn, forced his decade-long employer, Forward Design, to reduce staff. Under the heading of “How Design Saved Me,” Tara tells GDUSA how such an event can have positive impact: “On the bright side, when one door closes, another opens, and I chose to take my learnings in brand development and apply them to my own dream of starting my own business... In two weeks time, I learned new web software (Adobe Muse) and launched my own website (brandvuedesign.com). With over 10 years of experience developing local, national and international brands, I knew I had something to offer. Sending out resumes helped land some freelance work in the area, and I had checks coming in shortly after. My next step is to promote myself to the brands I’ve always wanted to work with, and brands in Rochester and surrounding areas are at the top of my list. So [seemingly bad news] presented me with an opportunity to chase the dreams I’ve always had, and I’m making them a reality now ... I’m now proud to say “I’m a design business owner.” Tara says he hopes his story “may inspire other professionals in our field who are looking for a job or beginning their own business.

Dave Damman

CCO, CARMICHAEL LYNCH, MINNEAPOLIS MN

Carmichael Lynch ups Executive Creative Director Dave Damman to Chief Creative Officer. Damman, who reports to CEO Mike Lescarbeau, oversees creative for all Carmichael Lynch clients, including Subaru of America, Jack Link’s Beef Jerky and Newell Rubbermaid. His promotion comes with the launch of a new brand identity for the venerated agency, including website, logo and reimagined work space in the agency’s downtown Minneapolis headquarters. Comments Lescarbeau: “He has a strong point of view, a holistic approach, and — above all — a commitment to world-class creative. I’m thrilled to announce this deserving promotion and confident Carmichael Lynch will continue to thrive under his creative leadership.” Damman began in advertising over 20 years ago at Saatchi & Saatchi in New York, where he served as an Art Director. Following Art Directing roles at Dallas’ Tracey-Locke and Minneapolis’ INITIO, Damman moved to Carmichael Lynch for the first time in 1996. During that two-year stint, Damman worked on brands such as Harley-Davidson and Brown Foreman beverages. In 1998, he moved to Fallon, where he was Group Creative Director on brands including Lee Jeans, Timberland and International Trucks. After founding his own agency, Damman Pearce, Damman returned to Carmichael Lynch last spring.

Gretchen Schisla, whose Schisla Design has successfully defined brands for its clients over the past 10 years, celebrates the tenth anniversary with its own rebrand. The new name — Enrich — results from an increased focus by her clients on health and wellness based-products and services that “enrich and enhance the lives of others and the community.” St. Louis MO-based Schisla has won numerous design awards, and been involved with the AIGA and design education during a 30 year career. Clients have included food and health and wellness firms such as Univar Food Ingredients, Amerinet, Cancer Support Community, Noboleis Vineyards, SimplyThick, and Express Scripts. David Zarovny joins Elements, the Branford CT design and marketing communications firm, as a Graphic Designer. He recently completed the graphic design program at Central Connecticut State University, and earned a student scholarship from Connecticut’s AIGA for integrity and originality. Zarovny handles a daily mix of design and web projects for a range of clients including Connecticut Stone, Yale School of Engineering, Quorn, Monroe Staffing and Elgin Watches. Amy Graver, President and Creative Director, says: “This is a very exciting time for Elements. The addition of David [and new Account Manager Tracy Forbes} provides an opportunity to continue to meet and exceed our clients’ diverse needs and expand our offerings as a firm.” Three new additions have been announced at Wallace Church, the branding identity and package design firm. Kathy Soranno is Creative Director. She brings over 20 years experience in consumer products, packaged goods and brand identity development. Before joining Wallace Church, she owned Bamboo, an award-winning design firm in Minneapolis. Mike Scelza is the new Production Director. He has a BA in Package Design from FIT and more than a dozen years of production experience. He leads the Design Implementation Department. And Scott Streicher is the new Director of Strategy. He has 15 years of branding experience, once owned his own brand innovation company, and focuses on critical problem solving, design planning and consumer-centric experiences. FORGE Worldwide, a Boston MA firm, adds James Brooks as Interactive Art Director. In this position, Brooks is working on a variety of clients including Dragon, Cisco and Virgin Health Miles. Previously, Brooks was a Senior Designer at Digitas in Boston. Substance 151, a strategic brand communications firm, has invited Nathalie Cone to join its creative team. She is a graduate of Maryland Institute College of Art, and is crossing media in the role of Print/Web Designer. The Baltimore MD based firm has particular expertise working with clients in the built environment, technology, professional services, and the environment. Patrick Redmond of St. Paul, MN-based Patrick Redmond Design, has launched the “Independent Master Class with Designer and Artist Patrick Redmond, M.A.”. The first student in the inaugural class received awards in the 2011-2012 Minnesota Scholastic Art Awards, a regional competition of the national Scholastic Art Awards. Redmond notes that he himself had received the “Strathmore Award for Graphic Design” from the Scholastic Art Awards in 1967 while still in high school. Redmond, a designer and teacher for 46 years, recently received a Silver Key Teaching Award for excellence in visual arts education at the 2012 Minnesota Scholastic Art Awards (MSAA) ceremony.