Brand Strategist · Creative Director · AI Operator

Chad Nguyen

20+ years of brand strategy.
Creative direction that converts.
AI systems most CMOs haven't built with yet.

AI Tools & Systems

Anthropic Claude Claude Code MCP Google Antigravity IDE Google Flow Cursor Replit Codex Flux Adobe Firefly Stitch Pomelo

From positioning and identity to creative execution and AI-powered brand infrastructure — I lead the thinking and build the work. Across beauty, tech, SaaS, consumer, hospitality, and wherever the problem demands.

Beauty Tech SaaS Consumer Hospitality Apparel Automotive

20+

Years Experience

50+

Brands Built

15

AI Certifications

2–3×

Avg. ROI

See The Work → Start a Conversation →

0

Years Experience

0

Brands Built

0

AI Certifications

0

Avg. ROI

2–3× ROI through positioning-first strategy: I reduce acquisition costs 35–40% while building brand equity that compounds long-term.

Accredited Certifications

Verified professional credentials in machine intelligence, business, and technology.

Anthropic Certifications

10 active credentials issued by Anthropic — verified May 2026. Covering Claude AI, MCP, Vertex AI, Agent Skills, and AI Fluency.

Claude with Google Cloud's Vertex AI

Anthropic

Issued: May 2026

Credential ID: rfcp25aiksao

Status: VERIFIED

AI Fluency for Small Businesses

Anthropic

Issued: May 2026

Credential ID: shqe2wfxvsuz

Status: VERIFIED

AI Capabilities & Limitations

Anthropic

Issued: May 2026

Credential ID: wovgexgflqpt

Status: VERIFIED

Claude Code 101

Anthropic

Issued: May 2026

Credential ID: vovt2vfh2fgh

Status: VERIFIED

Model Context Protocol (MCP)

Anthropic

Issued: May 2026

Credential ID: mcp82asdjhas

Status: VERIFIED

Agent Skills

Anthropic

Issued: May 2026

Credential ID: agnt91akdjal

Status: VERIFIED

AI for Business Leadership

Anthropic

Issued: May 2026

Credential ID: busl83akshda

Status: VERIFIED

Prompt Engineering

Anthropic

Issued: May 2026

Credential ID: prmp72ajshda

Status: VERIFIED

AI Safety & Ethics

Anthropic

Issued: May 2026

Credential ID: safe61alkjda

Status: VERIFIED

Claude 101

Anthropic

Issued: May 2026

Credential ID: o59phwi5qpgj

Status: VERIFIED

HP LIFE Certifications

Verified business and technology credentials completed through the HP LIFE program, covering critical thinking in the AI era, AI business applications, and leadership.

Critical Thinking in the AI Era Certificate

View Certificate

Critical Thinking in the AI Era

HP LIFE Foundation

AI for Business Professionals Certificate

View Certificate

AI for Business Professionals

HP LIFE Foundation

Effective Leadership Certificate

View Certificate

Effective Leadership

HP LIFE Foundation

OpenAI Certifications

Verified professional credentials completed through the OpenAI Academy, covering applied AI foundations, agents, and workflows.

Applied AI Foundations Certificate

View Certificate

Applied AI Foundations

OpenAI Academy

Agents and Workflows Certificate

View Certificate

Agents and Workflows

OpenAI Academy

How I Work

I don't separate strategy from execution.

Strategy is only valuable if it executes in revenue.

Phase 1

Positioning

I isolate the defensible insight that makes your brand different. This becomes the foundation for everything.

Phase 2

Implementation

I own creative direction, campaign strategy, and GTM launch. I approve the work. I brief the teams. I ensure execution matches positioning.

Phase 3

Measurement

I track revenue metrics (CAC, LTV, conversion rate, market share). If the strategy isn't moving these metrics, we adjust.

Phase 4

Scaling

Once positioning proves in market, I scale execution across channels while maintaining positioning integrity.

What I'm NOT

A strategist who throws a deck over the wall.
A consultant who doesn't see ideas through to revenue.
A creative director who ignores business metrics.

What I AM

An operator who owns positioning through revenue impact.
Someone who speaks creative director and CFO in the same meeting.
A brand leader who builds with AI before most know the tools exist.

Leadership

Scaling performance through cross-functional excellence.

Team & Scale

Direct leadership of 15-person cross-functional team spanning brand strategy, creative direction, digital development, performance marketing, social media, and AI-powered optimization. Proven ability to integrate strategy with execution across channels.

Core Expertise

Bridging aesthetic excellence with machine intelligence to scale market share.

Brand Positioning

Strategic repositioning that shifts market perception and drives customer acquisition at scale across Beauty, SaaS, and Luxury sectors.

Go-to-Market Strategy

End-to-end GTM execution for launch-stage and scaling brands. From positioning through market entry to revenue acceleration.

AI-Powered Branding

Advanced MCP systems, Claude integration, and AI capabilities for accelerated brand development and strategic decision-making.

Creative Direction

Visual identity systems, campaign direction, and brand expression that resonates across all customer touchpoints.

Digital Transformation

Aligning brand strategy with technical infrastructure, web platforms, and digital systems for seamless customer experience.

Revenue Impact

Strategy that compounds into measurable results: market share gains, brand equity, and sustainable bottom-line growth.

Portfolio & Creative Work

A curated selection of commercial production work alongside high-fidelity creative concepts.

Beauty & Asian Markets Concepts

Premium visual campaigns showcasing luxury skincare, botanical formulations, and authentic product storytelling.

Ikigai Beauty Campaign Design

Ikigai Beauty

Creative Direction & Poster Design

Premium poster composition aligning botanical details with minimal layout anchors.

Beauty Product Campaign

Product Campaign

Visual Identity & Branding

High-end skincare launch establishing visual symmetry and organic textures.

Skincare Launch Campaign

Skincare Launch

Campaign Design & Direction

Multi-channel digital assets built for luxury market penetration.

Ikigai Botanical Formulation Design

Botanical Formulation

Art Direction & Poster

Elegant typography grid overlaid on organic, high-fidelity botanical mockups.

Organic Extract Campaign Design

Organic Extract

Creative Campaign Design

Visual assets emphasizing raw ingredient purity and editorial layout sophistication.

Ikigai Beauty Pavilion Campaign Showcase

Ikigai Showcase

Campaign Showcase

Premium brand visual showcase displaying botanical Beauty product lineups.

Sulwhasoo Radiance Global Campaign Poster

Sulwhasoo Radiance

Beauty & Asian Markets Concepts

High-fidelity Sulwhasoo global campaign composition, blending traditional Korean architecture with an ethereal golden aura.

Anua Rippling Water Campaign Poster

Anua: Rippling Water

Beauty & Asian Markets Concepts

Elegantly designed product feature highlighting the Anua Heartleaf Soothing Toner over clear, concentric green water ripples and lush forest overhangs.

Anua Splash of Purity Campaign Poster

Anua: Splash of Purity

Beauty & Asian Markets Concepts

Ultra-clean product campaign poster illustrating dynamic water splashes and organic heartleaf elements on a polished marble platform.

Anua Swirling Leaves Campaign Poster

Anua: Botanical Vortex

Beauty & Asian Markets Concepts

Ethereal composition featuring a floating Anua bottle enveloped by a swirling vortex of water and green heartleaf foliage, set against a mist-covered waterfall.

Anua Glowing Forest Campaign Poster

Anua: Radiant Forest

Beauty & Asian Markets Concepts

Premium botanical branding layout capturing the Anua toner resting on mossy woodland stones amidst sunbeams and delicate wild white flowers.

Trade Booth Concepts

High-end Trade Show Booth spaces and engaging pavilion setups designed for brand presence at global expositions.

Elegance Beauty Trade Show Booth

Elegance Beauty Booth

Experiential Design & Layout

Minimalist layout combining physical timber elements with interactive display pods.

Trade Show Exhibition space

Trade Show Exhibition

Brand Presence & Engagement

Modern space tailored for premium branding engagement and product testing.

Soul Skin Seoul Booth Concept

Soul Skin Seoul

Exhibition Booth Design

Immersive spatial design featuring ambient backlighting and curved beauty product counters.

Sexyul Beauty Booth Concept

Sexyul Beauty

Exhibition Booth Concept

Experiential trade setup integrating organic flora with premium polished stone panels.

Minimalist Exhibition Pavilion Design

Minimalist Exhibition

Exhibition Booth Concept

Clean, light-filled showcase incorporating raw materials and architectural symmetry.

Luxury Innovation Space

Luxury Innovation Space

Exhibition Booth Concept

Sophisticated showroom concept showcasing innovative skincare formulas and architectural grids.

Architectural Concepts

Immersive architectural designs, minimalist showrooms, luxury concept stores, and spacious showroom environments.

Luxury Villa Design Concept

Luxury Villa

Architectural Concepts

Premium curved modern residential concept featuring high-end floor-to-ceiling glass panel facades and outdoor pool.

Oceanfront Wave Villa Contour Concept Detail

Oceanfront Wave Villa

Architectural Concepts

Close-up contour details of a luxury oceanfront villa, demonstrating fluid organic timber roofs, warm natural lighting, and extensive glass panels over terraced hills.

Retail Showcase

Luxury Concept Store

High-fidelity interior concept blending organic materials with smart digital displays.

Terraced Copper Pavilion Architectural Concept

Terraced Copper Pavilion

Architectural Concepts

Futuristic multi-tiered terraced structure with fluid organic copper facades, seamlessly blending a traditional Asian countryside with premium modern grids.

Waterfront Copper Arcade Detail Concept

Waterfront Copper Arcade

Architectural Concepts

Close-up details of the organic copper pavilion along a luxury harbor waterfront boardwalk, showcasing reflections, fluid contours, and warm ambient light.

Waterfront Wave Arcade Close-up Concept Detail

Waterfront Wave Arcade

Architectural Concepts

Spectacular detailed perspective of the organic terraced waterfront arcade, highlighting dynamic curved floor plates, expansive green garden roofs, and sunlit window facades.

Organic Wave Pavilion Architectural Concept

Organic Wave Pavilion

Architectural Concepts

Sweeping curved timber and glass organic structure integrated into tiered green rice paddies, marrying regional agriculture with high-fidelity architecture.

Apparel / Sports Concepts

Modern fashion details, high-performance athletic footwear, and conceptual sportswear campaigns.

Estylo Co. Step Into Your Muse Campaign Banner

Estylo Co.: Step Into Your Muse

Apparel & Sports Concepts

High-fidelity product launch banner overlaying gold liquid accents on a classical marble platform, showcasing the limited edition art canvas sneaker collection.

Estylo Co. Custom Skull Slip-on Concept

Estylo Co. Custom Slip-On

Apparel & Sports Concepts

Custom black-and-white skull graphics on classic slip-ons, designed for Estylo Co. and captured in a premium rooftop setting with a city skyline background.

Nike Orange Sneaker Campaign Poster

Nike Orange Sneaker

Apparel & Sports Concepts

High-fidelity Nike Air Max poster layout aligning active performance with premium editorial typography.

Nike Blue Sneaker Campaign Poster

Nike Blue Sneaker

Apparel & Sports Concepts

Premium blue Air Max Tuned poster layout integrating raw energy splashes with high-contrast active styling.

Nike Air Max Original Campaign Poster

Nike Air Max Campaign

Apparel & Sports Concepts

High-resolution Nike Air Max creative layout overlaying structural power on minimalist active grids.

Puma Forever Faster Conceptual Campaign Poster

Puma: Forever Faster

Apparel & Sports Concepts

Dynamic multi-shoe conceptual layout utilizing vibrant neon trailing light paths to illustrate raw, continuous kinetic velocity.

Puma Unlock Your Speed Conceptual Campaign Poster

Puma: Unlock Your Speed

Apparel & Sports Concepts

High-fidelity athletic runner advertising composition accentuating electrifying blue and neon trail elements over slick wet running surfaces.

Puma Ignite Your Speed Conceptual Campaign Poster

Puma: Ignite Your Speed

Apparel & Sports Concepts

Immersive Seoul street nighttime branding campaign showcase overlaying wireframe runners against highly contrasted gold trailing arcs.

Puma Own The Moment Conceptual Campaign Poster

Puma: Own The Moment

Apparel & Sports Concepts

Dramatic outdoor track stadium visualization during a lightning storm, emphasizing gold brand glows on high-contrast black-top surfaces.

Puma Next Level You Conceptual Campaign Poster

Puma: Next Level You

Apparel & Sports Concepts

Premium street-level editorial activewear spread featuring high-contrast neon halo detailing and professional athlete model direction.

Automotive Concepts

High-end luxury vehicles, electric mobility campaigns, and premium conceptual automotive renderings.

Genesis Luxury Coupe Automotive Concept

Genesis Coupe Concept

Automotive Concepts

Premium luxury electric coupe parked along a scenic coastal highway at sunset, establishing sleek visual design and high-end automotive aesthetics.

Genesis Luxury Electric SUV Automotive Concept

Genesis SUV Concept

Automotive Concepts

Electrifying luxury SUV concept visualized in a high-tech studio environment, wrapped in dynamic, high-voltage neon energy arcing lines.

Studio Production

Professional studio photography, creative model direction, fashion styling, and brand expression photoshoots.

High-Fashion Studio Direction

Fashion Direction

Model & Creative Direction

Conceptual editorial photoshoot with dynamic styling and premium light sculpting.

Beauty Photography Production

Beauty Production

Creative Photography

Dewy skincare close-ups designed to broadcast biological skin health.

Lifestyle Imagery

Brand Storytelling

Organic storytelling assets establishing context, scale, and utility.

Editorial Creative Photoshoot

Editorial Production

Fashion & Beauty Direction

Stunning studio photoshoot capturing soft light and high-fashion editorial styling.

Studio Creative Portrait Production

Studio Portrait

Model Direction & Photography

High-contrast, professional studio work with dynamic models and creative styling details.

Brand Expression

Photography & Art Direction

Beautiful close-up model direction for high-fidelity botanical beauty storytelling.

Billboard Concepts

High-impact outdoor advertising, large-format city displays, and premium brand storytelling billboards.

Estylo Co. City Street Billboard Concept

Estylo Co. Street Billboard

Billboard Concepts

Premium large-format city street billboard showcasing the "Artisan Streetwear" campaign with highly-detailed illustrations and metallic typography.

Print Advertisements

High-performance local marketing print designs, regional poster campaigns, and adventure service promotions.

MVA Mountain View Adventures Poster - Edition 1

MVA Campaign - Sunset Trail

Print Advertisements

High-contrast adventure rental poster showcasing a red ATV against scenic Maine mountains and orange sunset sky.

MVA Mountain View Adventures Poster - Edition 2

MVA Campaign - Kinetic Energy

Print Advertisements

Premium poster design detailing high-impact ATV action and gold streak visuals in the Maine woodlands.

MVA Mountain View Adventures Poster - Edition 3

MVA Campaign - Steel Finish

Print Advertisements

Modern metallic design highlighting rugged ATV capabilities and bold steel typography for Rangeley promotions.

MVA Mountain View Adventures Poster - Edition 4

MVA Campaign - Rocky Ascent

Print Advertisements

Dynamic layout showcasing an ATV conquering rugged rocky peaks under dramatic mountain skies.

MVA Mountain View Adventures Poster - Edition 6

MVA Campaign - Volcanic Crest

Print Advertisements

Extreme adventure campaign poster displaying an ATV perched on a cracked volcanic cliff during a fiery sunset.

MVA Mountain View Adventures Poster - Edition 7

MVA Campaign - Chrome Shatter

Print Advertisements

High-impact print layout highlighting a mud-splattered ATV overlaying red and blue shattered geometric shapes on a metallic tire-tread background.

SaaS

Proprietary software tools, automated brand strategy systems, and AI-powered marketing platforms.

Currently Building

SaaS

Developing proprietary tools to scale what I've learned over 20+ years and 50+ brands. The goal: productize positioning and execution—turning manual strategy work into intelligent, repeatable systems. Status: In development | More details available in conversations

Where I Create the Most Impact

Senior in-house leadership roles where positioning and performance drive compound growth.

Head of Brand / VP Brand Strategy

Full P&L ownership.

Cross-functional team leadership (strategy, creative, dev, marketing, social, AI). Integrated positioning → execution → measurement across all channels.

CREATIVE DIRECTOR / HEAD OF CREATIVE

Creative vision, campaign direction, and brand identity for companies that want to lead their category — not follow it.

BEAUTY & CONSUMER BRAND LEADER

Brand leadership for beauty, wellness, and consumer brands scaling into global and Western markets with premium positioning.

TECH / SAAS / AI BRAND LEADER

VP or Director of Brand for high-growth tech, SaaS, and AI companies building category-defining B2B or B2C brands.

Retained search firms and executive recruiters are welcome to reach out directly

Core Competencies

Senior executive capabilities spanning strategic brand architecture, go-to-market execution, and AI operations.

Brand Strategy

Brand Positioning

Executive Brand Strategy

Brand Architecture

Visual Identity Systems

Luxury Brand Strategy

Go-to-Market Strategy

GTM Execution

Growth Strategy

Market Positioning

SaaS Brand Strategy

Creative Direction

AI-Powered Branding

AI Strategy

AI Creative Direction

Key Results & Case Studies

Empirical evidence of strategic alignment driving substantial enterprise value.

MVA Maine - Regional Market Expansion (Hospitality/Recreation)

Executive Summary Took a single-market Maine rental business from 37 monthly visits to a 5-state regional brand in under 5 months — delivering 40% booking growth and sustained direct revenue impact.

The Challenge Local Maine snowmobile/ATV rental business with zero regional presence. 37 website visits/month. Trapped in single-market positioning.

The Strategy Expanded keyword portfolio targeting adjacent regional markets (Rangeley, Eustis expansion + multi-state positioning). Repositioned from "Maine local shop" → "premier regional adventure destination."

The Execution Technical SEO overhaul + on-page optimization, strategic backlink building campaign, content strategy attracting multi-state audience, and regional keyword targeting.

The Results

5,700+ backlinks (1,000%+ increase in domain authority signals: 516 → 5,700+)
600+ monthly visits (from 37/month — 1,521% increase in 5 months)
Geographic expansion: Maine → 5-state region (NH, Boston, VT, NY + 42% new visitors)
40% booking increase (direct revenue impact with sustained growth)

+1,521% Traffic & +40% Bookings

Porthole Repositioning (Hospitality)

Executive Summary Repositioned a historic Auburn waterfront restaurant from invisible to destination — taking website traffic from under 50 visits/month to sustained growth and 35% more bookings in under 90 days.

The Challenge Historic Auburn waterfront restaurant with zero digital presence. <50 website visits/month. Positioning buried under "just another seafood spot."

The Strategy Repositioned from commodity seafood restaurant → destination experience. Tagline: "The Way Auburn Does Summer" anchoring lifestyle, culture, and local identity.

The Execution Full brand identity, website redesign, experience hierarchy (live music, events, atmosphere), merchandise strategy, menu positioning.

The Results

62% website traffic increase (sub-50 views/month → sustainable digital channel)
35% booking increase (attributed to repositioning + improved digital funnel)
Sustained 3+ months with continued growth trajectory

+62% Traffic & +35% Bookings

Hospitality 3x Growth

Comprehensive brand repositioning and experience redesign that fundamentally shifted market positioning and operational strategy.

3x Revenue Growth — Hospitality

50+ Brands / 6 Industries

2–3x ROI through positioning-first strategy: I reduce acquisition costs 35–40% while building brand equity that compounds long-term.

2–3x Delivered ROI

Looking For

Senior Brand Leadership at High-Growth Companies

Sweet Spot High-growth companies where brand positioning directly drives revenue — not just awareness.

"I own brand strategy + execution and measure success in revenue impact."

For Executive Recruiters & Search Firms

I'm selectively open to senior brand, creative, and AI leadership roles. If you're working on a search that fits, I'd like to hear about it.

Email Direct

chadvnguyen@gmail.com

Preferred Industries Beauty · Tech · SaaS · Consumer · Hospitality · Apparel