Hello! My name is Marc L Stephens and I’m a creative/design leader with over 20 years of experience building brands. I have a expertise in developing creative strategies and turning them into big ideas and brand experiences that produce results. I'm passionate about building, inspiring and mentoring multi-disciplinary teams.
Currently, I’m serving as Senior Creative Director at Edelman Financial Engines, providing leadership to an in-house team of designers, writers, video team, content creators, production designers, etc. I lead all brand building, campaigns, and content initiatives for EFE, providing a strategic approach to the work and creative direction on all activations. We’re creating a more human-centric brand that connects prospects with experiences and content that makes financial planning concepts more accessible and easy to understand.
Before EFE, I served as VP Executive Creative Director for the in-house agency at Life Time Fitness. I built teams, provided the vision and thought leadership for a new brand strategy, implemented brand guidelines, helped launch several new digital experiences, oversaw all creative campaigns and developed a family of talented creatives. Together, we elevated the Life Time brand to the next level.
Before my in-house roles, I was a Digital Creative Director in the agency world in Minneapolis. I worked at Carmichael Lynch, Fallon and Colle McVoy and had the opportunity to work on several iconic brands including Cadillac, H&R Block, Target, Subaru, Land O’Lakes, Porsche and Harley-Davidson (yes, I learned how to ride a motorcycle).
But I’m not originally from Minnesota. After studying advertising at the University of Florida (Go Gators), I studied design at the Creative Circus in Atlanta and then got my start as a designer at Pentagram in Austin, Texas (and became obsessed with tex-mex).
My work has been recognized by Graphis, Communication Arts, Effie Awards, FWA (Favourite Website Awards), Webby Awards, AIGA, Minnesota Ad Fed, Austin Ad Fed, Father of the Year (18 years in a row).
