James Jones

Director of Creative Services @ Lionel LLC

About

A creative and brand leader with 15+ years of experience building and scaling high-performing creative organizations that drive brand growth, operational efficiency, and measurable business impact.   Over the course of my career, I’ve evolved from a hands-on creative into an enterprise leader responsible for aligning brand strategy with operational execution across complex, multi-division environments. While my title has been Director of Creative Services, the scope of my role has centered on shaping brands, scaling creative operations, and driving measurable impact across marketing, product, and sales.  Currently, I lead an integrated creative organization supporting a global portfolio of brands and licensed properties, delivering assets across omnichannel touchpoints. This scale requires more than creative direction; it demands workflow ideation, and a clear connection between insight, storytelling, and business outcomes. My focus areas include: • Building scalable creative processes that increase speed, consistency, and efficiency • Establishing brand strategy frameworks that unify voice and elevate market presence • Partnering with executive leadership to translate business strategy into meaningful brand experiences • Developing high-performing teams and cultures rooted in accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement   I’m particularly interested in opportunities where brand plays a central role in transformation.  Whether that’s evolving customer experience, modernizing content systems, or redefining how organizations connect with their audiences.  At my core, I believe the role of creative leadership is not just to make things compelling; it’s to make organizations more effective, more aligned, and more engaging in how they connect with the world.

Country

United States

City

Concord

Industry

Consumer Goods

Skill

Culture Change, Driving Results, Creative Development, Style Guides, Collaborative Style, Branding, Attention to Detail, Cross-functional Team Leadership, Trend Analysis, Leadership, Brand Awareness, Digital Marketing, Problem Solving, Storytelling, Brand Strategy, Creative Direction, Brand Development, Product Development, Art Direction, Social Media

Experience

Director of Creative Services

Lionel LLC

2010-10 - Present · 16 yrs

Concord, North Carolina

Lead corporate creative strategy and operations across a multi-division global brand portfolio, aligning brand positioning, product innovation, and go-to-market execution with broader business objectives. • Built and scaled an integrated creative organization supporting marketing, ecommerce, retail, product, and licensing initiatives; delivering 4,000+ assets annually across omnichannel touchpoints • Established and led creative frameworks that improved brand consistency, accelerated production timelines, and enabled more efficient cross-functional collaboration • Serve as a strategic partner to executive leadership, advising on brand stewardship, consumer engagement strategy, and portfolio positioning • Designed and implemented workflow systems and resource models that optimized team capacity, reduced bottlenecks, and improved speed-to-market • Lead, mentor, and develop multidisciplinary internal teams and external partners, fostering a high-performance culture centered on accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement • Drive data-informed creative strategy, leveraging market trends, consumer insights, and performance signals to guide brand evolution and campaign direction • Partner cross-functionally with product, marketing, and sales leaders to translate commercial priorities into scalable, brand-aligned creative solutions • Maintain enterprise-level quality standards ensuring global brand integrity across owned brands and licensed partnerships

Senior Graphic Art Manager

Motorsports Authentics

2006-10 - 2010-10 · 4 yrs 1 mo

Concord, North Carolina

Led creative production and team operations supporting national brand, retail, and sponsorship initiatives in a high-volume, deadline-driven environment. • Directed day-to-day creative workflow and team resourcing to ensure consistent, on-time delivery across multiple concurrent projects • Implemented standardized processes that improved operational efficiency and reduced non-value-added work • Provided creative direction across partner brands and sponsor programs, ensuring visual consistency and alignment with brand standards • Collaborated cross-functionally with marketing and product teams to support campaign execution and promotional initiatives

Senior Product Development Program Manager

The Hamilton Collection

2003-6 - 2006-10 · 3 yrs 5 mos

Metro Jacksonville

Managed end-to-end product development strategy and execution across a portfolio of collectible and licensed programs. • Contributed to the launch of programs generating 30,000+ new customers annually, supporting portfolio growth and customer acquisition • Oversaw product pipelines, lifecycle planning, and cadence tracking aligned with sales and margin targets • Conducted market and trend analysis to identify new product opportunities and licensing partnerships Managed a high-volume portfolio of concurrent initiatives, ensuring quality, efficiency, and on-time delivery

Assistant Product Development Manager

Fourstar Group

2001-7 - 2003-6 · 2 yrs

Milford, Massachusetts

Supported development of branded retail programs for major national accounts. • Coordinated cross-functional collaboration between artists, manufacturers, and merchandising teams • Contributed to development of product lines for retailers including CVS, Walmart, Target, Home Depot, and JCPenney • Managed artwork, quoting, and asset organization to support efficient product development workflows