Led creative operations, product development, and account management across 11 countries — managing project budgets from $12K to $1.4M and annual client accounts up to $1.8M for 80+ national household-name clients across FMCG, entertainment, NFP, and government sectors.

The situation
One of the largest product, packaging and merchandise agencies in the Asia-Pacific region needed senior creative and commercial leadership across a complex, multi-country client portfolio. The business served major clients across FMCG, retail, hospitality, entertainment, government, and not-for-profit sectors across 11 countries. Project budgets ranged from $12,000 to $1.4 million. Annual client accounts reached $1.8 million.

My role
As Design and Creative Director — with direct reports, budget ownership, and supplier authority — I was responsible for creative operations, product development, account management, commercial delivery, and international supply chain governance across the full portfolio.

What I did
I directed branded merchandise and promotional product programs for over 80 national household-name clients. I managed specialist annual campaigns for major Australian charities — multi-product POS programs planned, developed, and distributed nationally across major retail chains. I oversaw premium packaging programs for major film, music, and media clients — covering DVD, CD, beverage, and gift-with-purchase formats.

I attended annual trade fairs and factory inspections in Hong Kong and China — qualifying suppliers, auditing production facilities, identifying product trends, and scoping new supply chain partners. I led client consultation, workshop facilitation, and strategic account planning at senior level, translating client briefs into commercial proposals and managing delivery from concept through to market.

I also worked to improve internal processes — standardising documentation, streamlining sampling workflows, and reducing the time it took to get from client confirmation to production start.

What it delivered
Project confirmation time reduced by 45% through process and documentation improvements. Managed concurrent programs across 11 countries with direct budget accountability from $12K to $1.4M per project. Managed multiple client accounts up to $1.8M each annually. Built and maintained supplier networks across the Asia-Pacific — consistently delivering complex, multi-product programs on time and within commercial parameters.