A rich accounting of an extraordinarily successful track record in design and account management, leadership, creative direction and administration.

1. J. KIRK DAVIS 816-651-1761 kirk@jkirkdavis.com
CREATIVE LEADER / DESIGN STRATEGIST
Brand Building / New Product Innovation
Over 30 years experience in building businesses through creativity in brand regeneration and new product concept
development. Proven ability to seamlessly integrate creative processes into the business planning cycle. Acknowledged by
top management as a design visionary, team player and mentor who provides outstanding leadership with a passion for
creative excellence. Acknowledged for making strategy visible with maximum efficiencies through expertise in:
Emotion Marketing Creative Innovation Leadership
Consumer insights Package Design & Brand Identity Organizational Management
EX P ER IENC E
J. KIRK DAVIS CONSULTING, INC. Kansas City, MO July 2005 to Present
“.... we would not be anywhere near this point witho ut your v isio n and creative mind pushing this forward
into worlds we could never have imagined. Tha nk you!” Nestlé Innovation Marketing Manager
Principal. Retained as creative leader and a “zero-gravity thinker” by corporate innovation teams [Nestlé USA], management
innovation consulting firms [Synectics Inc.] new ventures [Celebrity Association] Expert in producing and integrating idea
generation and rapid concept/prototype development in support of consumer research, new product and brand regeneration
initiatives most recently for TWDC [Disney] and RJReynolds. Acknowledged by Nestle Beverages Strategic Innovation Unit as
its ad hoc “creative agency” offering a “fresh and energetic perspective” to the innovation process. Projects have included: bag
and bar candies’ emotional transformation into gifts and seasonal offerings: category expansion of Trick-or-Treat confections
into Halloween party products [from concept to Target shelves in a record 11 months]; new beverage development including
Jamba Juice RTD ; and strategic product platform expansion.
HALLMARK CARDS Kansas City, MO 2000 to June 2005
“Thank yo u for helping to bring our b usiness pla n to life by communicating a ‘vision’
of a more harmonio us presentation of Hallmark’s gift portfolio at retail.” General Ma nager, Gifts
Manager / Creative Director. Recruited to spearhead a turnaround in creative leadership of the Package Design Studio.
Assumed full responsibility for branding and packaging development supporting Gifts & Celebrations, New Business
Development, Greetings and Stationery business units. Cited by top management for introducing quot;an easy processquot; leading to
quot;great workquot; and for “running the studio like an agency”.
Directed an Internal, mega-brand redesign of Hallmark / Signature / Keepsake brand identities cost-avoiding hundreds of
thousands in outside fee billing... cited by VP Marketing New Business Development for playing an invaluable role in creating
Hallmark Chocolatier brand and packaging identities and for “making it happen… the largest license deal in the history of the
company”... Spearheaded the total makeover of the Keepsake Ornaments brand and packaging identities in a crucial marketing
initiative that revitalized the business... Orchestrated an unprecedented collaboration between Keepsake designers, creative
engineering, marketing and consumer research in record time... Directed design development for high-profile new product
launches such as: Maya Angelou “Life Mosaic”; quot;The American Girl Collection from Hallmarkquot;; Polar Express; Barbie’s 45t;
and T’Ink Interactive Party Accessories that gained immediate licensor approval.

2. J. KIRK DAVIS / EXPERIENCE [cont’d.]
MATTEL, INC. El Segundo, CA 1996-2000
“Thanks for being suc h an impassio ned, tale nted creative soul who brings so m uch to our business.”
General Manager, LSPA
Vice President, Package Design Group. Responsible for infusing a 145-person, $12 MM department with creative excellence,
innovation and on-time, on-budget production of packaging design for over 2,000 sku’s annually... Enabled Mattel to
aggressively enter new markets and product categories by spearheading high-profile new brand /packaging identity projects
including Barbie Software For Girls launched at E-3/‘97 and IntelPlay, the “edutainment” product line introduced at New York
Toy Fair in 1999 by Intel and Mattel.
Introduced budgetary reforms in design administration and streamlined concurrent product development. In the first six months,
aggressively recruited top-talent managers and directors, copywriters, designers, engineers, and administrators. Successfully
identified resource capacity and cost reduction opportunities that supported staffing initiatives during a corporate-wide hiring
freeze.
J. KIRK DAVIS DESIGN Croton-on-Hudson, NY 1993 -1996
Principal Quadrupled fee billing in one year. Personally won prestige accounts such as: Austin, Nichols; Heublein, Elizabeth
Arden; Estee Lauder; K-Mart, Mattel and Sara Lee Corporation through a peerless reputation for creative excellence and project
management efficiency.
THE BENCHMARK GROUP Westport, CT 1990 – 1993
Vice President, Marketing. Responsible for new business and key account management. This included a million-dollar mega-
branding of Hanes/Hanes Her Way that grew the account from a single brand identity project to over a dozen major packaging
programs in six months... Won major new accounts including: Johnson & Johnson; Reckitt & Colman; Godiva Chocolatier; New
York Life Insurance; Seagram's; Du Pont; and Austin, Nichols... Spearheaded the final development and introduction of PEAK, a
qualitative research methodology, which informs final design via consumer insights into purchase dynamics.
PLAYTEX INC. Stamford, CT 1985 – 1990
Director, Corporate Design. Responsible for a $4.4 million, 22-person department supporting Apparel, Family Products,
Jhirmack and Danskin-Pennaco businesses worth over $800 million, generating 500 assignments annually... Reformed design
spending and administrative procedures filling a critical need for corporate leadership in creative management... Contributed
$500,000.00 in cost savings through in-house productivity, eliminating waste and reducing overhead... Created a totally new
Playtex image makeover and identity through re-launch of the entire global product line (9 brands/260 styles/8 countries.)
KRAFT / GENERAL FOODS CORPORATION White Plains, NY 1978 – 1985
Account Design Manag er. Responsible for 23 businesses including new product development in Main Meal and Breakfast
Foods Divisions, with sales exceeding $590 million.
KUD OS
G u e s t S p e a k e r : The Design Management Institute • Institute for International Research • Marcus Evans Summits • Greeting
Card Assocation. C r e a t i v e R e c o g n i t i o n : Clio Awards Nominee • Art Direction Magazine • Graphic Design USA • AIGA
• The Graphis Press • Sunyatta Gallery [One-man show / Photography]. A f f i l i a t i o n s : Charter Member, The Steuben Design
Forum • Board Member, Friends of The Conservatory of Music, UMKC, Kansas City • Marketing Advisor, Kansas City Chorale
and Bach Aria Soloists.
ED UCA TIO N
MS Creative Packaging, Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY / BFA, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN