Julio Alvarez

Lecturer at Willem de Kooning Academy @ Willem de Kooning Academy Rotterdam

About

I help brands, teams and creative professionals define who they are and what they stand for, building narratives they can own and tell with confidence. After 15 years as a Creative Director for brands like adidas, Philips and IKEA, I became fascinated by something deeper: story beyond a tool for selling, the way we make sense of who we are and how we connect. That conviction drives everything I do: from narrative consulting and brand facilitation to mentoring creative professionals and teaching at Willem de Kooning Academy. If you're trying to find the story only you can tell, I'd love to talk.

Country

Netherlands

City

Amsterdam

Industry

Marketing & Advertising

Skill

Professional Mentoring, Youth Mentoring, Coaching & Mentoring, Storytelling, Team Facilitation, Program Facilitation, Meeting Facilitation, Narrative, Business Coaching, Transmedia Storytelling, Brand Storytelling, Managing Creative Teams, Content Strategy, Brand Strategy, Director level, Creative Pitching, Presentation Skills, Interpersonal Skills, Leadership, Creative Conception

Experience

Lecturer at Willem de Kooning Academy

Willem de Kooning Academy Rotterdam

2025-9 - Present · 1 yr 1 mo

The Netherlands

Creative writing lecturer and mentor of the 'Advertising & Beyond' students.

Independent Storytelling Consultant & Creative Director

julioalvarez.com

2024-1 - Present · 2 yrs 9 mos

Amsterdam

MENTORSHIP & FACILITATION FOR: - Teams, creative professionals and students (SPARKS, WdKA) NARRATIVE & CREATIVE CONSULTANCY FOR: - Brands (LEGO, Adidas, IKEA, TomTom & others) - Startups and cultural institutions (Dribo, unDavos, WdKA)

Creative Consultant

the LEGO Group

2025-7 - 2026-1 · 7 mos

Developed the creative framework for LEGO Adults Relevance 2026 (a global campaign redefining brand engagement with adult audiences) as well as support creative development across different Formula 1 partnership initiatives.

Brand Consultancy & Creative Direction

TomTom

2024-4 - 2025-4 · 1 yr 1 mo

Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands

Spearheaded the launch of a new brand platform that anchored global B2B campaigns throughout the year. Collaborated with key stakeholders to develop and present strategic initiatives to the CMO and board. Directed cross-functional teams spanning strategy, creative, and production while serving as creative consultant to establish the brand's strategic positioning and visual identity.

Creative Partner

Cloudfactory

2021-5 - 2023-10 · 2 yrs 6 mos

Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands

Global Creative Director for Philips

Ogilvy Amsterdam

2020-6 - 2021-5 · 1 yr

Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands

$TBWA\NEBOKO$

Global Creative Director for Adidas

TBWA\NEBOKO

2018-3 - 2020-3 · 2 yrs 1 mo

Amsterdam Area, Netherlands

Creative Lead

Dentsu Creative Amsterdam

2015-9 - 2018-2 · 2 yrs 6 mos

Ámsterdam y alrededores, Países Bajos

Senior Creative

Sid Lee

2015-2 - 2015-9 · 8 mos

Ámsterdam y alrededores, Países Bajos

Senior Creative

Wunderman Thompson Netherlands

2014-6 - 2015-2 · 9 mos

Ámsterdam y alrededores, Países Bajos

Education

Hyper Island

2025-2 - 2025-4 · 3 mos

THNK School of Leadership

2025-2 - 2025-6 · 5 mos

THNK School of Leadership

Business Administration and Management, General

2022-9 - 2023-2 · 6 mos

THNK teaches leaders how to develop innovative solutions to the world’s greatest societal challenges. In September 2022, I embarked on this journey together with twenty other curious, diverse and purpose-driven leaders, hungry to define our mission and leave a positive impact on society. As a group and as individuals, we gathered new skills that have provided us the knowledge to navigate a world of increasing complexity and face humanity's most urgent challenges.