Laurel Syah

Experience

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  The Boston Phoenix

  Jan 1993 - Jan 1994

  Editorial Graphic Designer

  Designed editorial pages and section covers and creative directed freelance illustrators and photographers.

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  Wesleyan University

  Jan 1994 - Jan 1996

  Graphic Designer

  Designed and oversaw production for all collateral for events at the university's Center for the Arts including designing and programming its first website.

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  Avalanche Solutions

  Jan 1996 - Jan 1998

  Senior Designer

  Designed, art directed, and supervised production for digital design projects at this award-winning digital design agency in the earliest days of NYC's "Silicon Alley," including the first website for Parents magazine, the onscreen interface for NBC Interactive Television, and the Wall Street Journal.

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  Red Sky

  Jan 1998 - Jan 2000

  Design Director

  previously Belk Mignogna Associates, NuforiaCreative direction and art direction for digital projects including the first brand site for Altoids, a microsite for Johnnie Walker’s award-winning Keepwalking campaign, and animated, micro-games for Nickelodeon.

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  National Institute of Design (NID) Ahmedabad

  Jan 1999 - Jan 1999

  Visiting Faculty

  Developed and taught Introduction to Web Design at India’s most prestigious design school.

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  Aabalone[red]

  Jan 2001 - Jan 2002

  Associate Creative Director

  Creative direction, art direction, project management, and marketing strategy for this marketing communications firm specializing in the investment management industry.

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  Ogilvy Action

  Jan 2003 - Jan 2006

  VP, Associate Creative Director

  Creative direction and art direction for advertising, collateral, TV spots, identity systems, and websites for the agency’s flagship client, InterContinental Hotels Group.

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  Digitas North America

  Jan 2006 - Jan 2012

  Creative directed digital media campaigns, interface design, and copy and content development. Accountable for strategic account direction and financials, led high-profile pitches, and served as key manager for 500+ person joint NY/CT office. Clients included Mead Johnson (Enfamil), Aetna, Post, and Kraft.• Established Enfamil as the category leader in mobile with two playful and educational mobile apps, ExpectingBaby and AmazingBaby, a mobile web site, and a text alert program.• Made the Flintstones and Pebbles cereal relevant to today’s kids via a website featuring a virtual Bedrock, a suite of distributed digital games, and an augmented reality mobile app.• Won the pitch and created a prototype of the first digital snack vending machine, the Kraft Diji-touch, and then also re-envisioned it as a retail sampling machine. Show less

  • VP, Creative Director

    Jan 2010 - Jan 2012

  • Associate Creative Director

    Jan 2006 - Jan 2010
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  EBay

  Jan 2013 - Jan 2015

  Visionary creative leader who actively led the branding and creative expression in design, copy, and content of this hidden gem within the eBay Inc. portfolio into a customer-centric, design-led independent agency.• Transformed the branding, positioning and organizational design for eBay Enterprise Marketing Solutions Agency Services into The Shop, the world’s first commerce design agency.• Oversaw agency creative work for new business development and key clients including Alex And Ani, Ahold and Levi Strauss & Co across digital display, social, mobile, content, web, email and in-store.• Led collaborative development of a company-wide proprietary creative strategy framework and training curriculum based on design thinking principles, including conducting 10 workshops touching over 300 participants across North America and EMEA.• Led creative for eBay’s product innovation, Connected Glass, an immersive, touch-screen digital wall. Show less Established creative vision and oversaw execution of commerce-focused digital marketing for some of the world’s leading retailers. Clients included Ahold USA, Levi Strauss & Co, Sony, and Wells Fargo. • Spearheaded an initiative to evolve our approach to creative strategy and our methodology for creative ideation including leading workshops to train cross-disciplinary teams.• Led the branding, design, and attendee experience and co-produced the first eBay East Coast Product & Design Summit featuring John Donahoe, John Maeda, Paula Antonelli and Sebastian Errazuriz. Show less

  • Head of Creative, The Shop at eBay Enterprise

    Jan 2015 - Jan 2015

  • Creative Director, eBay Enterprise

    Jan 2013 - Jan 2015
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  Epsilon

  Jan 2015 - Jan 2018

  VP, Executive Creative Director

  Organizational change agent who applied her experience with consumer brands and leadership of successful creative teams to elevate the strategy, creative concepts, design, copy, and content for the agency's healthcare clients. Clients: Intarcia, BCBS, Novartis, Spectrum Health, Aspen Dental, and Daiichi Sankyo.• Grew existing accounts by winning brand work for BCBS and DSI as well as new business, including $5mm to launch a breakthrough diabetes treatment. • Led teams in ideating and producing creative for product launches, employee engagement programs, CRM campaigns, display and mobile-first web sites for B2C and B2B.• Implemented a more rigorous, structured, and insight-driven creative briefing process.• Optimized team potential by reorganizing department, streamlining resource planning, and recruiting. Show less

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  Syah Creative

  Jan 2018 - Nov 2019

  Creative Consultant

  Combining unique insights, creative ideas, and innovative technology to develop strategies, design experiences, and create content that help brands make more meaningful connections with people.

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  Mount Sinai Health System

  Jan 2018 - Jan 2018

  VP, Executive Creative Director

  Transformed enterprise creative services into a strategic in-house agency in order to foster a customer-centric approach to marketing and, ultimately, a better experience for patients, doctors, employees, and students. Provided the vision, mentorship, and hands-on support to produce insight-led creative for brand strategy and management, campaigns, experiences, and content development across this large, complex, and growing network. Accomplishments include:• Led creative for multiple digital-first campaigns to launch a new Children’s Heart Center, improve enrollment to the Medical and Graduate Schools, drive engagement at the Aspen Ideas Festival, and promote our sponsorship of the 2018 US Open.• Raised the bar on creative work and fostered a culture of collaboration by creating a new creative briefing process that improved strategic direction, inspired innovative thinking, and increased client satisfaction. Solicited input across functions and levels, facilitated feedback sessions, and implemented hands-on training to ensure a successful roll out.• Optimized talent to unlock individual potential and improve output with both structured and informal mentoring, operational enhancements like staff planning, role re-alignment, and recruiting new staff and external partners, and introducing the complimentary functions of project management, user research, and usability testing. Show less

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  Elevance Health

  Dec 2019 - now

  Through every stage of health, Elevance Health is improving the health and well-being of over 118 million people by thinking big, challenging the status quo, and taking bold action. The Innovation Team is helping to lead the reinvention of healthcare by infusing the innovation mindset throughout the enterprise, identifying pressing human and business needs, incubating solutions, and partnering to implement those solutions at scale. My job is to lead a mighty team of creative thinkers and doers to pitch, prototype, produce, and promote the Innovation Team’s breakthrough solutions and the impact they are having on our businesses, our brands, and, most importantly, our customers. Show less

  • Head of Content and Creative, Innovation

    Aug 2021 - now

  • Creative Director, Innovation

    Dec 2019 - Aug 2021
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  Petpura LLC

  Oct 2020 - now

  Co-Founder, CMO, COO

  Together with my husband, an extraordinary pet groomer, launched and operate Petpura LLC, premium mobile pet grooming with a personal touch. Petpura brings safe, caring, and personalized grooming for dogs and cats to the doorstep of busy, discerning pet parents. Based in Connecticut and independently owned and operated, Petpura provides the high-quality, stress-free grooming and customer service that pet parents and their furry family members deserve.