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- Kevin Kearns
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Marty Lenger
Director of Communication Services
Company Name: Gordon Food Service
After seven
years experience in Designer/Senior Designer roles, I became Creative Services
Manager for Gordon Food Service in 2002. Gordon Food
Service is North America’s largest family-owned and operated foodservice distributor,
with operations in the US and Canada. The company also operates over 130 GFS
Marketplace retail stores.
After managing the Creative Services department and
acting as Creative Director, I moved into the Director of Communication
Services position in November 2009. My role includes oversight responsibilities
for Creative, Print, Media, Office and Fulfillment Services, and project work
that includes internal communications, external marketing, and corporate event
planning.
What is the best thing about working in-house?
The
collaboration that’s possible with customers when they’re also your
coworkers. Being an in-house team allows us to be part of the big
picture, with in-depth knowledge of our company goals and initiatives.
It also gives us the inside scoop on where red tape exists, helping us
navigate through or around it.
And, while being an in-house
agency is not always an 8-5 job, our schedules are more consistent and
reliable than what many agencies experience.
What types of projects does your department do?
Approximately
40% of our Creative Services work is B-to-B and B-to-C marketing, advertising,
and in-store promotions specifically for our GFS Marketplace retail stores.
Another 30% is B-to-B for the Brands and Marketing departments, both at a
national and divisional level. The final segment of projects consists of
internal communications, promotions, and corporate events.
What keeps you motivated and inspired in your job?
At work: A
department of fun people with a culture that allows for creativity within a
corporate environment, allowing me to use my outdoor voice inside the workplace
And, an ongoing goal to raise the bar of strategic and creative solutions we
create for the business. When we hear specifics of how our projects and
collaboration were successful for the business, it’s caffeine for the soul.
At home:
Finding creative stimulus outside of work has a big impact on my ability to
stay inspired at the office. I enjoy photography, creative writing, playing
guitar, and other activities that keep my right brain working after hours. I
love Picasso’s quote, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain
an artist once he grows up.”
I’ve
recently gone back to school to earn my MBA. It’s great to be a student again!
What do you consider the biggest success of your in-house career?
Being part of a
multi-faceted department that has elevated the level of service and solutions
offered to our company. As a result of our team’s collective contributions,
we’ve brought in marketing and branding projects that were previously
outsourced to agencies.
What are you currently reading, watching and listening to?
Watching: The Office and Lost, and TED Conference Podcasts.
Reading: A pile of magazines ranging from HOW, to Wired, to Business Week. I also keep a few books sitting around including fiction, business, leadership, and silly humor books.
Listening: Lately
I’ve been experimenting with a variety of channels in iTunes radio,
listening to songs and artists I’ve never heard on mainstream radio.
Very yummy.
Kevin Kearns, Creative Director, Duke Medicine; Duke University Medical Center
Becky Livingston, Associate Director of Communications, KPMG LLP
Laurie Brammer , Vice President – Marketing Communications Group, M&I (Marshall & Ilsley Corporation)
Andrew R. Brenits, Manager – National Design, Proposal & Production Services, KPMG, LLP
Barry Sanel , Principal, Barry Sanel Packaging Advisors
Wyeth Corporate Graphics, Glenn Arnowitz – Director, Creative Services, Wyeth
Gail Gonzales, Creative Services Manager, Asset Marketing Systems
Update With Tim Cox, Director of Creative Services , Publix Super Markets
Kristin Seeberger, Director, Marketing Communications, T. Rowe Price
Andre Paquin, Principal, Andre Paquin Associates
Brigette Sullivan, Creative Services Manager, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina
Emily Cohen, , Consultant to Creative Professionals
Mary Birman, Fusion Brands Team Lead/Design Manager, AstraZeneca
Richard Kushnier, Manager, Graphics Lab, Becton Dickinsen
Steve Benfield, Marketing Creative Director, SAS Institute Inc.
Sondra Adams, Senior Supervisor, Graphic Design, Pfizer
Tim Cox, Director of Creative Services, Publix Super Markets, Inc.
Nicole Paksoy, Director of Creative Development, AAA
Doug Richards, Educational Consultant (Multimedia Designer/Developer), Sprint