Mary Carol Sullivan
215-760-9360
www.arachnedesignstudios.com
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
I put the creative pieces together by continually demonstrating strong strategy development and artistic flexibility
for B2C and B2B branding, marketing and integrated communications. I know design and how to design — but
also how to make the design meaningful and profitable. I am a strong player when presenting to and working with
C-level executives, clients, team members and vendors; or when mentoring and training junior staff.
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CREATIVE SKILL SET
Brand Creation, Compliance and Reinvention
Brand Messaging and Consistency
Concept Development
Concept Presentation
Content Marketing
Corporate Branding
Creative Briefs
Creative Writing/Editing
Cross Channel Marketing
Consumer Retail Programs
Graphic Design/Typography
Grocery Programs
Health & Wellness Promotion
Integrated Marketing
Location Scouting
Packaging and POS Design
Photography Art Direction and Styling, Casting
Product Launch
Print Design
Publication Design
Social Media
Strategic Positioning
Sweepstakes and Incentive Programs
Trade Show Creative
Up-selling and Cross-selling
Website Design
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MANAGERIAL SKILL SET
Budgeting and Estimating
Build and Maintain Vendor Relationships
Collaboration with C-level Executives
Concept Presentation
Lead and Engage Brainstorming Sessions
Liaison for Marketing Executives and
Creative Staff
Mentor, Motivate, Train, Lead Teams
Manage Creative Teams
Project Management
Purchasing
Resource and Manage Freelance Talent
Resource Stock Art
Team Management
Staff and Media Relations
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TECHNOLOGY
Adobe Creative Suite (CC: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Acrobat), QuarkXpress, MicroSoft PowerPoint,
MIcroSoft Word, MicroSoft Excel, WordPress
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INDUSTRIES
Consumer Goods; Retail; Manufacturing; Industrial; Technology; Fashion; Health & Wellness; Grocery; Healthcare;
Media
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EDUCATION
Carnegie Mellon University, BFA 1986
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Creative Director/Proprietor, August 1995 to Present
Arachne, Doylestown, PA 18902
Arachne is a solutions studio specializing in the design and development of marketing, branding and
communications programs that are tailored to create profit and/or instigate corporate growth.
Selected Accomplishments:
• Health & Wellness Promotion / Retail Promotion
Developed and designed a profitable grocery dietitian program that was successfully
sold and custom implemented in grocery corporations throughout the Mid-Atlantic
United States region. Programs became quick profit centers for the grocery retailers
and advertisers alike—average sales lift for participating advertised products was
40% to 62% based on the same items being sold at the same sales retail. Advertising
became source of revenue for grocery corporations, which lead to strong funding for the
programs. The Grocery “Health & Wellness” programs (as they became known as) became
the model used through out the grocery industry. Each program engaged a corporate
Registered Dietitian with supporting print, website, in-store signage, circular advertising,
outdoor advertising, radio, television, dietitian appearances, tradeshow events, etc.
Creative Direction, design, production and creative management of programs. (12 years)
• Brand Rejuvenation, Miss America Organization
Working with the Miss America Corporation, pageant officials, recruiters, and board of
directors in Atlantic City, NJ, I gave a voice and expanded the accomplishments
of the National contestants through the annual publication. This lead to a six-year
relationship with the MAO and grassroots campaign to rejuvenate the brand from the local
level up — resulting in notable increases in sponsorship involvement, recruitment, scholarship
funding, volunteerism; and renewed MAO national interest. Creative Direction, design,
production, and marketing including: hiring of photographers, writers, location scouting shoot
and stylists, photography direction, design and production of annual ad supported 128 national
publication; design, advertising coordination, funding and production of state supplement
publications and multiple recruitment materials. (6 years)
• Freelance In-House Creative Director
Established and lead the creative marketing department for a start-up on-line staffing
company. I hired and lead creative staff, recommended equipment and program purchases,
established marketing and vendor relationships. Creative Direction, branding, strategy,
budgeting and design of all initial marketing materials and website needs. (1 year)
Art Director, May 1994 to August 1995
Criterion Communications, King of Prussia, PA 19406
A multi-media advertising agency founded by healthcare giant US HealthCare specializing in new media
communications.
Selected Accomplishment:
• Collaboration with Account Management and Client Relationship Building
As the agency’s only creative with out a traditional advertising agency background or healthcare agency
background, in addition to my Art Director responsibilities, I worked with account representatives and the creative
team to help them to better communicate with each other and the wide variety of non-healthcare accounts. This
not only contributed to sales growth but also changed the “Us” vs “Them” culture that had begun to form with in the
agency.
Creative Director, May 1988 to May 1994
York Luggage Company, Lambertville, NJ 08530
America’s 3rd largest luggage company, after Samsonite and American Tourister; specializing in designer and
licensed brand name luggage and travel accessories.
Selected Accomplishment:
• Brand Compliance and Consumer Goods Promotion
Working with licensed brands (Jordache, Members Only, Bill Blass, Christian Dior, Diane Von
Furstenberg, Perry Ellis, LA Gear, Adolfo) and several types of retailers, I maintained the brand
specification, visual marketing goals, and packaging and catalog needs of each brand while
adhering to YLC marketing and sales goals. I aided in increasing company sales by creating
consumer retail sweepstakes and retailer sales employee incentive programs that were
designed to reinforce the designer brand messages I was also instrumental in rebranding
YLC and created a unified catalog system that allowed for brand uniqueness housed under
York Luggage Company.
RECOMMENDATIONS
When I first worked with Mary Carol Sullivan, I needed a logo for my full service babbitt bearing repair and
rebabbitting shop, Babbittech, Inc. She was able to quickly understand my business and my target audience; and
she designed a clean mark. Along with the logo she wrote my company tagline. It remains current and stands
powerful within the industry.
Because of the previous experience I had with her, I hired Mary Carol when it came time to do the full corporate
branding for my new technology company, FlexOp 360 and the product I had created, FlexOp PRO. Mary Carol
lead me on a valuable journey that taught me to understand more and speak clearly to my target audience; and
discover the core of my company, services and products. During the scope of the project her focus, creativity,
resources, patience, and devotion to the project, resulted in a comprehensive package — the logo, website,
content, imagery, presentations, etc. all home runs.
Through out the over all process she developed valuable sales presentations and personally coached me to shift
my thinking from being the guy who is a “passer of someone else’s ERP information” to the person who has the
“resources and solutions for ERP”. She’ll question templates that don’t fit your goals. She will strongly advise you
from taking an easy path that is not in your best interest. She will consider your budget and give you options. She
becomes part of your team — your success is her win!
I look forward to working with Mary Carol again during our next phase of branding for FlexOp 360.
Rich Vaughn, Founder & Owner FlexOp 360
It has been a pleasure to work with Mary Carol on numerous projects during the past 13 years. From the initial
project of developing visual branding (including an iconic logo) for my then-new company Fuzzy Slippers Marketing
Strategies to serving as the creative director in collaborative "virtual marketing department" roles for our largescale clients, her work has always been creative and impactful. Regardless of whether the project entails creating
a simple logo or developing a complex marketing effort, Mary Carol is able to understand the big picture and put
the pieces together to facilitate the intersection of achieving objectives, managing timing and maintaining budget. I
highly recommend her for any creative or design projects, or to serve as the creative lead on a marketing team.
Lucy Montgomery, Principal, Fuzzy Slippers Marketing Strategies
I have worked with Mary Carol for over ten years. Mary Carol as an integral part of our team, and a great partner.
Mary Carol has intense pride in providing only the best work, and in 10 years of working with her, she has never
ever missed a deadline. If you are looking for an innovative, creative mind, and a person who is results oriented,
Mary Carol Sullivan should be your go to person. Disappointing you is not in Mary Carol's DNA. She consistently
delivers outstanding results, on time, and within budget. Simply the best!
John Reardon, Advantage Sales and Marketing (client)
I hired Mary Carol Sullivan to do a range of projects ranging from individual special event commemoratives to full
brand-image campaign including numerous treatments in multiple media for a successful consumer entertainment
brand. Mary Carol is exceptionally versatile and deeply talented in visual arts with enormous abilities to translate
conceptual direction into vibrant highly successful results. She is skilled across diverse media. She is a consistent
home-run hitter. No job is too large or too small. Her attention to detail is as consistently reliable as her ease with
the major strategies and concepts.
Mary Carol is at home with client exposure and multiple assignments where the stakes are high for the visual
component to be a key success factor. She remains my first-ever go-to design consultant / graphics expert for
high-level work like logo design and related create.
Marty Lafferty, CEO, Distributed Computing Industry Association (DCIA)
I had the distinct pleasure working with Mary Carol when she was with Criterion Communications. She is a highly
creative problem solver and displays excellent client facing talents. Her abilities as both art director and creative
director across all media make her a true strategic partner. She's a team player, and her "can do" attitude make
her a pleasure to work with. She is always going the extra mile for her clients and can satisfy even the most
demanding clients. I would recommend Mary Carol to any organization that is looking for a creative and fresh
approach to significantly improve and create highly impactful marketing materials across all media. She is a PRO.
Marty Mason, Account Executive at Meta Pharmaceutical Services
I have worked with Mary Carol Sullivan in two different companies and would recommend her highly for any
positions involved with advertising, marketing, graphic arts etc. I have worked with her at York Luggage from
August 1988 to May 1994 and with Athalon Sportgear from May 1997 to 2009. Her traits and work habits that
make her a valuable asset to any company:
• The work will be done flawlessly regardless of the time pressure.
• Creates new and exciting ideas that are commercially acceptable.
• Has an excellent taste level.
• She will always see many useful methods to solve a problem.
• She never becomes fixated or "stuck" on just one approach.
• She is able to verbalize ideas or create them graphically. She is very strong at both.
• Works well in a group or independently..
• Amazing with all new technology. She can learn anything new very quickly.
• Mature and always grasps the "big picture"
• Always on the cutting edge.
Andy Nitkin, CEO, Athalon Sportgear
Mary Carol is wonderful to work with. Not only does she provide excellent and timely results, but also is very easy
to work with.
Ali Dorazio, General Mills
I have worked with Mary Carol for ten years on hundreds of projects and have always found her to deliver top
quality creative on time and on budget. She is more of a partner than a service provider; she cares deeply not just
about the work she produces but the impact it will have on my business. If you are looking for someone who will
challenge your established ideas, offer a fresh perspective and provide award winning creative solutions then hire
Mary Carol.
Scott Vicari, Promo Point Marketing
Mary Carol is a highly creative problem solver and displays considerable talents and abilities as both art director
and creative director across all media. She’s great to work with in a team setting, and knows what it takes to
consistently satisfy even the most demanding clients. I have always enjoyed working with Mary Carol, her fresh
approach to design and the high quality standards she represents.
DJ Ferro, Fusion, Executive Producer
It is amazing how Mary Carol brings work to life. Easy to work with, very creative, and does not settle for "just okay
work".
Meredith Mensinger, Renders Markets