STEPHEN B.

McGARR
sm8d5e2a@westpost.net
938 Sedgewick Court Westfield, NJ 07090
(home) 908.789.3381 (mobile) 908.418.7705
Creative Collaborative Consumer--Focused
MARKETING PROFESSIONAL ART DIRECTOR
Branding Communications Events
Growth-driving marketing professional with 12 years of success in wide range of
consumer marketing activities including communications, advertising, branding, r
etail
events, direct mail, and collateral development. Skilled in building consumer lo
yalty
by conceptualizing powerful messages and designs. Talented in leading creative t
eams
to deliver revenue-generating campaigns for both traditional and digital platfor
ms.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
TOMMY HILFIGER
New York, NY 2006Present
Communications Manager
Strengthen brand cohesiveness across 6 Wholesale Divisions by designing and depl
oying
corporate communications on brand usage. Collaborate with SVPs of Sales and othe
r
departments to reinforce shared understanding of brand standards. Directed rotat
ing
staff of interns each season.
* Co-implemented Visual Retailing 3-D program to produce renderings of in-store
displays, resulting in improved directives.
* Leveraged company intranet to effectively reach 70 employees in the field to e
nsure
proper use of Tommy Hilfiger standards and brand.
* Promoted brand consistency by photographing, styling, and producing images of
all
Tommy Hilfiger products used in brand publications.
* Fueled brand recognition among consumers through on-site visits to stores and
working with all 6 Tommy Hilfiger Wholesale Divisions.
POLO JEANS CO.
New York, NY 20042006
Assistant Marketing Manager
Delivered multiple marketing activities to boost sales. Directed co-op advertisi
ng
for company to meet retailer and Ralph Lauren corporate requirements. Produced i
n-
store events to promote product line. Managed $1M budget.
* Rapidly learned and implemented Visual Retailing program within 1 month, rampi
ng up
productivity of merchandising designing.
* Communicated clear vision for marketing activities to sales and creative
departments and senior management, ensuring brand integrity and up-to-date conte
nt.
MAC COSMETICS
New York, NY 20002003
Manager, Retail Events
Assistant Manager, Retail Events
Promoted within 9 months to lead entire Retail Events Department. Planned and
executed big-budget events for large retailer accounts including Henri Bendel, M
acy
s, Nordstrom, and Bloomingdales. Managed $3M budget. Selected and managed vendor
s to
meet quality standards. Oversaw video and photo documentation of events.
* Consistently delivered profits for client and company by producing innovative
customer-attracting events.
* Resolved $1.5M overspend on $3M budget, reducing costs for multiple events wit
hout
sacrificing productivity or results.
* Produced 8 major launches annually for 475 doors, directing production of enti
re
portfolio of event collateral including shirts, chairs, CDs, promotional materia
ls,
event sets, and costumes.
* Reduced costs without reducing impact on consumer by overhauling new direct ma
il
campaign.

SWATCH GROUP (US) INC.

New York, NY 19982000
Coordinator, Visual Display
Contributed to rapid growth of company by designing and implementing visually
pleasing displays for all corporate stores including flagship location. Develope
d
concepts for in-store events, oversaw production and logistics of display elemen
ts,
and administered event budgets. Managed creative staff of 2.
* Succeeded in absorbing growth in corporate stores from 12 to 30, producing qua
lity
displays for all stores without corresponding growth in staff.
* Met all monthly changeover deadlines through organizational skills including u
se of
critical path timelines.

EDUCATION & CREDENTIALS

1993 Liberal Arts, WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY West Chester, PA
VETERAN - US ARMY 1988-1992
COMPUTER SKILLS
Proficient on both PC and MAC