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 EXPERIENCE

J. KIRK DAVIS CONSULTING, INC. Kansas City, MO July 2005 to Present

“.... we would not be anywhere near this point without your vision and creative mind pushing this forward into worlds we could never have imagined. Thank 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 you for helping to bring our business plan to life by communicating a ‘vis ion’

of a more harmonious presentation of Hallmark’s gift portfolio at retail .” General Manager, 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 "an easy process" leading to "great work" 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”; "The American Girl Collection from Hallmark"; Polar Express; Barbie’s 45t; and T’Ink Interactive Party Accessories that gained immediate licensor approval.

J. KIRK DAVIS / EXPERIENCE [cont’d.]

MATTEL, INC. El Segundo, CA 1996-2000

“Thanks for being such an impassioned, talented creative soul who brings so much 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. KUDOS 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. EDUCATION MS Creative Packaging, Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY / BFA, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN