I’m Chris Williams, a Creative Director with 15+ years of experience leading cross-functional teams across SaaS, finance, and technology. I drive strategy and execution across storytelling, brand positioning, and integrated marketing, partnering with executives to align on vision and outcomes. I design scalable brand systems, AI-powered workflows, and high-impact campaigns that elevate market perception, operational efficiency, and commercial results. I mentor creative leaders and global teams, and I’ve helped clients win awards and unlock growth through brand-led transformations.…

Chris Williams

I’m Chris Williams, a Creative Director with 15+ years of experience leading cross-functional teams across SaaS, finance, and technology. I drive strategy and execution across storytelling, brand positioning, and integrated marketing, partnering with executives to align on vision and outcomes. I design scalable brand systems, AI-powered workflows, and high-impact campaigns that elevate market perception, operational efficiency, and commercial results. I mentor creative leaders and global teams, and I’ve helped clients win awards and unlock growth through brand-led transformations.…

Available to hire

I’m Chris Williams, a Creative Director with 15+ years of experience leading cross-functional teams across SaaS, finance, and technology. I drive strategy and execution across storytelling, brand positioning, and integrated marketing, partnering with executives to align on vision and outcomes.

I design scalable brand systems, AI-powered workflows, and high-impact campaigns that elevate market perception, operational efficiency, and commercial results. I mentor creative leaders and global teams, and I’ve helped clients win awards and unlock growth through brand-led transformations.

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Skills

Experience Level

Language

English
Fluent

Work Experience

Creative Director at SmallGiants Agency
April 1, 2020 - Present
Built and scaled a cross-disciplinary global creative team, transforming the agency into a full-service provider delivering go-to-market campaigns and digital storytelling across industries. Fostered professional growth across creative, engineering and account management teams to promote development, cross-disciplinary collaboration and consistent delivery of high-impact, scalable brand and campaign executions. Designed and executed integrated brand strategies, repositioning companies, accelerating growth trajectories, and contributing directly to a landmark client acquisition valued at 20× investment. Secured multimillion-dollar investment for clients by aligning creative direction with executive vision, stakeholder priorities, and long-term strategic business objectives. Directed enterprise-level website redesigns and digital transformations, optimizing user journeys, content management systems, and site performance to deliver measurable improvements in engagement, conversion, and r
Creative Director at IHS Markit
April 1, 2020 - September 15, 2025
Directed post-merger brand integration of Markit and IHS, creating a unified global identity recognized across markets and industries. Mentored and managed 12+ designers worldwide across brand, print, digital, video and event design to build team cohesion, improve workflows, and elevate creative standards across business lines. Provided creative direction for flagship global events including CERAWeek, World Petrochemical Conference and global Customer Conferences, enhancing brand visibility and audience engagement. Established streamlined workflows and scalable design systems, reducing turnaround times and enabling delivery of cross-regional campaigns through clearer briefing and feedback loops. Translated complex data into human-centered creative, making our products stand out against competitors’ product-centric messaging, boosting adoption and stakeholder confidence. Worked with senior executive leadership to define and agree priorities across product groups and align creative ass
Creative Director at Markit
June 1, 2016 - September 15, 2025
Spearheaded post-IPO brand recognition and elevated the company profile through consistent cross-channel brand application, strengthening market visibility and corporate positioning. Managed a team of three designers along with external contractors to deliver high-volume and cohesive creative execution across digital, print, video and global customer events design. Led UX/UI and digital platform design for financial services products, standardizing experiences to enhance usability, engagement, and portfolio-wide consistency. Directed creative for global conferences, product launches and key announcements to boost visibility and customer engagement, including a post-IPO video for the NASDAQ Times Square screen.
Head of Design at Markit
September 1, 2013 - September 15, 2025
Led the development and implementation of the firm's visual identity, managing the brand from early-stage growth through to IPO in 2014. Directed the implementation of technical solutions with internal and external partners to enable the autonomous creation of consistent sales and marketing materials across regional teams. Created and distributed a central product design style guide to facilitate consistent design and execution across financial products. Directed design strategy for 13 acquisitions and 3 joint ventures, ensuring seamless brand integration across acquired companies.
Head of Design at McGregor-Boyall
December 1, 2007 - September 15, 2025
Led design direction and visual identity for a London-based agency, overseeing brand and marketing materials and collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver cohesive campaigns.
Senior Designer at Simmons & Simmons
September 1, 2005 - September 15, 2025
Developed design assets for global communications and client materials, contributing to cohesive brand presentation.
Production Designer at PA News
July 1, 2004 - September 15, 2025
Produced print and digital layouts for news media, delivering polished visual content.
Creative Director at SmallGiants Agency
April 1, 2020 - Present
Built and scaled a cross-disciplinary global creative team, transforming the agency into a full-service provider delivering go-to-market campaigns and digital storytelling across industries. Fostered professional growth across creative, engineering and account management teams to promote development, cross-disciplinary collaboration and consistent delivery of high-impact, scalable brand and campaign executions. Designed and executed integrated brand strategies, repositioning companies, accelerating growth trajectories, and contributing directly to a landmark client acquisition valued at 20x investment. Directed website designs and digital transformations, optimizing user journeys, content management systems, and site performance to deliver measurable improvements in engagement, conversion, and retention. Oversaw the publication of an industry-recognized AI research index, providing actionable insights to inform marketing strategies and accelerate client adoption of emerging technologie
Creative Director at IHS Markit
April 1, 2020 - October 8, 2025
Directed post-merger brand integration of Markit and IHS, creating a unified global identity across markets and industries. Mentored and managed 12+ designers worldwide across brand, print, digital, video and event design to build team cohesion, improve workflows, and elevate creative standards across business lines. Provided creative direction for global events including CERAWeek, World Petrochemical Conference and global Customer Conferences, enhancing brand visibility and audience engagement. Established workflows and design systems, reducing turnaround times and enabling delivery of cross-regional campaigns through clearer briefing and feedback loops. Translated complex data into human-centered creative, making our products stand out against competitors’ product-centric messaging, boosting adoption and stakeholder confidence. Worked with senior executive leadership to define and agree priorities across product groups and align creativeaccordingly.
Creative Director at Markit
June 1, 2016 - October 8, 2025
Spearheaded post-IPO brand recognition and elevated the company profile through consistent cross-channel brand application, strengthening market visibility and corporate positioning. Managed a team of designers along with external contractors to deliver high-volume and cohesive creative execution across digital, print, video and global customer events design. Led UX/UI and digital platform design for financial services products, standardizing experiences to enhance usability, engagement, and portfolio-wide consistency. Directed creative for conferences, product launches and key announcements to boost visibility and customer engagement, including a post-IPO video for the NASDAQ Times Square screen.
Head of Design at Markit
September 1, 2013 - October 8, 2025
Led the development and implementation of the firm’s visual identity, managing the brand from early-stage growth through to IPO in 2014. Directed the implementation of technical solutions with internal and external partners to enable the autonomous creation of consistent sales and marketing materials across regional teams. Created and distributed a central product design style guide to facilitate consistent design and execution across financial products. Directed design strategy for 13 acquisitions and 3 joint ventures, ensuring seamless brand integration across acquired companies.
Head of Design at McGregor-Boyall
December 1, 2007 - October 8, 2025
Led design for a London-based firm, overseeing cross-channel creative delivery and team mentorship to maintain high-quality outputs.
Senior Designer at Simmons & Simmons
September 1, 2005 - October 8, 2025
Produced cross-channel design for corporate and legal services, collaborating with teams to deliver thoughtful branding, print and digital materials.
Production Designer at PA News
July 1, 2004 - October 8, 2025
Responsible for production design and visual storytelling for news media across London teams.
Creative Director at IHS Markit
June 1, 2016 - April 1, 2020
Created and evolved global brand systems across digital, motion and environmental surfaces following the Markit + IHS merger. Developed responsive web modules, visual narratives and interactive assets aligned to product stories and high-fidelity UI. Crafted scalable identity components, iconography and visual guidelines used across markets. Produced integrated campaigns, launch visuals and product storytelling assets; collaborated with product teams to align micro-interactions, data visuals and UI frameworks. Created motion frameworks and on-screen visuals for conferences and high-visibility launches. Implemented testing and iterative refinement of brand assets using stakeholder feedback and performance insights.
Brand Systems Designer at Markit
September 1, 2013 - June 1, 2016
Developed multi-surface brand components, typography systems and templates for global identity. Designed high-fidelity web layouts, product interfaces, infographic systems and data visuals. Built early frameworks for scalable design systems and cross-regional growth. Conducted rapid prototyping to evaluate concepts across platforms, aligning visual direction with stakeholders.
Brand Designer & Identity Lead at Markit London
December 1, 2007 - September 1, 2013
Developed core identity language, color systems, iconography and brand components. Created templates, guidelines and asset structures for consistency across global teams. Contributed to product UI clarity by designing label systems and data visuals. Established early creative systems and asset management for digital, print and events.
Designer at McGregor-Boyall
September 1, 2005 - December 1, 2007
Created brand visuals and print/digital assets for clients; contributed to multi-channel campaigns and identity development.
Designer at Simmons & Simmons
July 1, 2004 - September 1, 2005
Designed branding, print and digital assets for professional services clients; supported campaign visuals.
Production Designer at PA News
November 1, 2002 - July 1, 2004
Produced layout visuals, infographics and print/digital assets for a news agency; collaborated with editors and designers.
Creative Director at Markit
September 1, 2013 - June 1, 2016
Spearheaded post-IPO brand recognition and elevated the company profile through consistent cross-channel brand application, strengthening market visibility and corporate positioning. Managed a team of designers and external contractors to deliver high-volume and cohesive creative across digital, print, video and global customer events. Led UX/UI and digital platform design for financial services products, standardizing experiences to enhance usability and engagement. Directed creative for global conferences, product launches and key announcements, including a post-IPO video for NASDAQ Times Square, boosting customer engagement.
Head of Design at Markit London
December 1, 2007 - September 1, 2013
Led the development and implementation of the firm’s visual identity from early-stage growth through IPO; established scalable design systems and a central product design style guide to ensure consistent materials across regions. Directed design strategy for 13 acquisitions and 3 joint ventures, ensuring seamless brand integration and coherent marketing across portfolios.
Head of Design at McGregor-Boyall
September 1, 2005 - December 1, 2007
Directed creative design strategy for the agency, mentoring designers and external partners to deliver cohesive, cross-channel campaigns across digital, print, and events.
Senior Designer at Simmons & Simmons
July 1, 2004 - September 1, 2005
Contributed to branding and print/digital design, delivering high-quality materials and supporting cross-functional projects.
Head of Design at Markit
December 1, 2007 - September 1, 2013
Led development and implementation of the global visual identity, scaling the brand from early-stage growth through IPO readiness. Directed brand integration for 13 acquisitions and 3 joint ventures, ensuring seamless alignment across entities. Implemented systems enabling autonomous creation of consistent sales and marketing materials and distributed a centralized product design style guide.

Education

Bachelor of Arts with Honors, Communication Design at Portsmouth University, Hampshire, UK
January 11, 2030 - September 15, 2025
BTEC Foundation Diploma, Art and Design at Epping Forest College, London, UK
January 11, 2030 - September 15, 2025
Bachelor of Arts with Honors, Communication Design at Portsmouth University
January 11, 2030 - October 8, 2025
BTEC Foundation Diploma, Art and Design at Epping Forest College
January 11, 2030 - October 8, 2025
Bachelor of Arts with Honors, Communication Design at Portsmouth University, Hampshire, UK
January 11, 2030 - December 9, 2025
BTEC Foundation Diploma Art and Design at Epping Forest College, London, UK
January 11, 2030 - December 9, 2025
Bachelor of Arts with Honors, Communication Design at Portsmouth University, Hampshire, UK
January 11, 2030 - January 27, 2026
BTEC Foundation Diploma, Art and Design at Epping Forest College, London, UK
January 11, 2030 - January 27, 2026
Bachelor of Arts with Honors in Graphic Design at Portsmouth University, Hampshire, UK
January 11, 2030 - March 2, 2026
BTEC Foundation Diploma in Art and Design at Epping Forest College, London, UK
January 11, 2030 - March 2, 2026

Qualifications

Add your qualifications or awards here.

Industry Experience

Software & Internet, Financial Services, Media & Entertainment, Professional Services, Other, Computers & Electronics, Energy & Utilities, Government, Healthcare

Skills

Experience Level