STRAIGHTLINE - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Principal, European Strategy / London
David is the most senior strategy and engagement lead in Straightline's London office. Working client-side as well as agency-side for several of the U.K.'s foremost brand consultancies has informed David's eighteen years of experience with a fuller perspective on how to define and express brand essence in a way that reaches and relates to all audiences.
Versed in strategic positioning, naming, architecture, brand management systems, and employee engagement, David also offers an in-depth understanding of the roles of digital, social and mobile channels in developing agile, integrated brands. Having lived and worked in Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Zurich and the U.K., David has helped organizations in finance, telecoms, healthcare, automotive, technology, retail and media - including Adecco, HSBC, Hutchison Whampoa, SportingBet, Suzuki, Telenor, Interactive Investor, BBC, Dunlop, Smith & Nephew, and British Telecom.
David has a B.Sc. (with honors) in Computer Science from the University of Manchester.
A specialist in fiscal matters for firms in the branding, creative arts and video worlds, David has over thirty years of business accounting and tax experience.
Job Titles:
- Principal, North American Strategy / New York
Bringing more than 25 years of experience, Denis leads Straightline's strategy practice in North America, providing counsel within the C-suite and to senior executives around the issues of growth, brand, and culture.
Denis has served dozens of clients in a wide range of fields including technology, healthcare, financial services, industrial, professional services, and nonprofit sectors, and his commentary has appeared in various outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, CNN, Harvard Business School, CNBC, The New York Times, and others.
In 2017, he was named as an Academy Member by the Marketing Hall of Fame committee, part of the American Marketing Association.
He holds an MBA from Columbia University and a BS from Fordham University.
Job Titles:
- Principal, North American Strategy / New York
Mark has creatively addressed major brand, marketing, communications, and innovation challenges for many of the world's leading global companies, including Gillette, American Express, Johnson & Johnson, Samsung, LexisNexis, and Colgate-Palmolive.
Prior to joining Straightline, Mark led Decisioncy, a consultancy focused on delivering pragmatic brand and marketing solutions designed to influence subconscious decision making. His work included brand strategy, customer insights, product development, experiential branding, and marketing communications across a myriad of categories ranging from consumer and business services to complex medical devices.
In addition to his consulting experience, Mark held senior strategic planning positions at leading advertising agencies, including Saatchi & Saatchi, Ogilvy, and Bates USA. He is a volunteer with the Taproot Foundation, helping nonprofit organizations identify and address their brand, marketing, and fundraising issues.
Mark is a graduate of Cornell University with a B.S. degree in Biostatistics.
Job Titles:
- Creative Director / London
Martin is one of the world's most awarded creative designers. He worked at renowned agency The
Partners before setting up Lawless, a studio in the heart of London's Soho, led by the belief that
Job Titles:
- Chairman and CEO / New York and London
A respected industry thought leader and trusted advisor to C-level executives worldwide, Michael has been strengthening brands and businesses for over twenty-five years.
He launched Straightline in 1996 and has taken a leading role in all client relationships, including Walgreens, Pfizer, Wyndham, Bausch + Lomb, Xerox, HCA, T-Mobile, Chrysler, Madison Square Garden, TE Connectivity, and Thomson Reuters. Previously founder of CGI, the global corporate communications and investor relations giant, his clients included British Airways, Chase Manhattan Bank, and Pfizer.
Michael holds a BA from Columbia University.