What motivates me?
Creative. Brand. Opportunity.
Creativity and business goals are not incompatible.
It takes collaboration.
Playing well with others is more than being nice. It’s being inclusive and accepting differing viewpoints. The best creative solution is the endgame, not building a portfolio or ego.
Hi, I am Ken Drab. Thank you for letting me share my story in a more dynamic creative setting than just a resume.
I am a creative brand champion and loyalist. I am driven to bring ideas and identities to life, to ignite a passion that goes beyond the logo – to make it anything but “drab”.
What do I do?
Adapt. Aspire. Lead.
Never stop learning, creating, and mentoring.
Opportunity is everywhere.
Investment in growth fosters a higher level of performance, greater understanding, and dedication to company objectives, and nurtures relentless creativity. Enthusiasm is contagious.
One of the strengths I’ve developed has been the ability to focus on the things I can impact. Prioritizing company and team goals, authentic investment in people, and nurturing relationships have been the cornerstone of how I develop and lead by example.
Here is where my expertise will help you.
I have been fortunate to experience a broad scope of leadership responsibilities
Discipline Focus
- Brand
- Advertising
- Marketing
- Brand
- Advertising
- Marketing
Primarily throughout my career, I have been focused on design, but I’ve leveraged my problem solving skills to provide solutions for various areas of the business.
My obsession with efficiency starts with being highly-proficient with these tools
I have twenty years of experience in the Adobe design suite of applications (even before it was CC – and remember some Quark Xpress too).
Out of necessity, I have become an expert in Microsoft PowerPoint and integrating design into reusable templates that provide functionality for most basic users.
Kind words from colleagues
Ken is a problem solver, a collaborative thinker and a great creative partner. He is a master at taking words and stories and illustrating them through design, and has worked closely with executive leadership to bring their speeches to life through imagery and animation. Ken is a brilliant brand marketer and he and his team have always provided exceptional design services, finding ways to make our content and our ideas sparkle. I could come to Ken with a seed of an idea, and through some brainstorming and creativity, he would help me transform my idea into a full blown creative campaign.
Nicole Pace
VP of Marketing, North America via LinkedIn
I’ve had the pleasure of working with Ken for 13 years. Early in my career, Ken was one of the first people I collaborated with and he was incredibly patient and helpful in sharing information and best practices with me as I was learning processes and systems. As I have grown in my role Ken has continued to be supportive, responsive and has added value to everything we have worked on togethe. As an example, I was preparing for an on-stage presentation a few years back and Ken was working with me on visuals for my deck. Thanks to Ken’s creative vision we were able to match the story I needed to tell with visuals that kept the audience’s attention and highlighted key elements of the message. I would never have come up with anything even half as good myself and I feel so fortunate to have had Ken in my corner. He isn’t just great at what he does, he also cares about the work and the people. Ken’s talent, drive and positive attitude make him an asset to any team!
Meytal Markman
Technical Product Manager, Strategist & Writer via LinkedIn
I have had the pleasure of working with Ken for the last 9 years at Rakuten Advertising. I am fortunate to have been able to learn so much from Ken; he has reformed the way I look at and understand brand standards, enhanced the look and feel of my own internal and external presentations ten-fold and helped me to evangelize the benefits of working cross-functionally and with a global perspective. One of Ken’s greatest strengths, outside of his exceptional band and creative development, is his ability in nurturing a truly creative culture, injected with humor, with his team and with others outside of his organization. Any team, brand or company would be fortunate to have Ken at the helm of their brand.
Aimee Cerny, MBA
Senior Director, Client Services via LinkedIn
Ken Drab is a leader, a forward thinker and a great designer. In the beginning as a colleague at Rakuten he was a great collaborator and supporter. As a manager his support and backing of those under him was exceptional. He can always find a way to support you and to push you to do better and be better. Working with Ken has been a great experience.
Raul Sinclair
Senior Designer, Creative Marketing via LinkedIn
Kind words from my teams
I just wanted to send you a message to thank you for everything you have done for GCT and me. For the first time, our groups finally had a home under you that made sense and a bright future. You truly care about each of us and it really shows. Throughout my career, I have had a variety of bosses but I am being honest when I say you were my favorite. I appreciate the mentorship, sharing your viewpoints, and pushing me in my growth. I always felt very supported by you as did everyone else on the team.
Sarah I
Creative Director/Direct Report
Thank you for:
- Being such a positive force & energy
- Being our voice & fearless leader
- Bringing us all together & creating the GCT family
- Being an amazing mentor, role model & leader
The list could go on for days but sincerely THANK YOU for everything
Nikayla L
Creative Development Manager
I wanted to say thanks. I really appreciate you as our leader and respect your willingness to talk about whatever, whenever. I can’t say that for a lot of directors I’ve worked with. Thanks for letting me use you as a mentor of sorts and as a friend, for pushing me and helping me break out of my role more than I would have without the nudges.
Mike S
Senior Creative Developer
You’re an incredible Creative Director and mentor. Your energy and drive to pave new paths of success for our teams as a whole but also for each of us individually is something I have admired and will work to instill in my own professional life. I am grateful to have met you and had your guidance throughout the past few years.
Meredith L
Senior Creative Developer
I have always admired and appreciated your work, attitude in life, how much you care, and especially how you took AMS under your wing when it was such a mess.
MIchelle G
Digital Media Operations Manager
You have been an awesome mentor, pushed me to expand my creativity, and helped me find confidence in myself when I felt lost in my own head. Not to mention, you have been a hell of a force in driving team unity. I’ve grown so much since joining the team and it has been a pleasure working for and with you.
Erin K
Senior Designer/Direct report, Creative Marketing
I wanted to thank you for all the support. You took a team that had always been ignored for years and brought them up to the big boy table. I made more connections in the 2 years I worked with you than I ever had before. You push me to be a better designer and a better employee.
Nick B
Senior Creative Developer
I wanted to mention all the wonderful things you have done for me and the team last few years. Thank you for supporting me and appreciate everything you have done.
Poonam J
Senior Creative Communications Designer
This page is specifically designed to give you a detailed sense of how I leverage thinking outside the box to attain creative solutions, yet color within the lines to maintain a professional branded presence and achieve goals.
Here is where my experience will help me.
EXPANSIVE EXPERTISE
Internationally, I work intimately with regions all over the globe. As the world has become a borderless marketplace, my experience has broadened to include managing regional creative demands, language design variations and nuances, and culturally diverse designers and teams.
Regional
Responsible for creative and brand development
Language
Language variations and design nuances
Teams
Managed functional teams and designers
MORE THAN JUST A PRETTY FACE
What's next? View my portfolio or see a detailed version of my resume
or you can reach out to me through this handy form below
I look forward to speaking with you soon!