Head of Brand and Creative, U.S. Consumer Cards Marketing – C16 

Citi is more than a global financial services company. It’s an engine for progress. Citi’s mission is to serve as a trusted partner to its clients and communities by responsibly providing financial services that enable growth and economic progress. Citi is a trusted brand with over 200 years of helping to lead the way in the continuously evolving financial services sector. Citi has financial operations in 160 countries, with 200 million clients and has the breadth and depth of a platform for talented individuals to build remarkable careers. 

The U.S. Consumer Cards organization delivers a wide array of payment, lending, and loyalty services to individual consumers, managing significant customer accounts through both proprietary branded cards and long-standing partnerships with industry leaders. To deliver on Citi’s brand promise, the business operates as a truly client-centric organization, driving a high-tech, high-touch experience to capture the full Citi card relationship. 

Job Summary 

Reporting to the Head of Marketing, U.S. Consumer Cards, this role leads a consolidated function responsible for defining and executing the US Consumer Cards brand strategy and creative vision across all marketing communications and marketing customer experiences. This is a critical new role focused on championing creative excellence, managing the US Consumer Cards brand and visual identity, integrating the US Consumer Cards brand and visual identity with Citi’s enterprise brand and visual identity, overseeing internal creative services (Skyline), driving advertising and experiential efforts, and leading the 360 marketing team dedicated to large-scale product launches and refreshes. 

This leader will shape a unified, differentiated brand presence for US Consumer Cards, driving measurable brand awareness, acquisition and engagement metrics through innovative creative and messaging platforms. The ideal candidate will be a visionary leader with deep expertise in brand strategy, integrated marketing, creative direction, and team leadership, capable of inspiring creative professionals and influencing senior stakeholders to deliver exceptional work that resonates with our target audiences and drives profitable growth. 

Responsibilities 

• Define, develop and deliver a breakthrough brand strategy and visual identity for the new US Consumer Cards business. 

• Develop a new brand strategy and visual identity for US Consumer Cards. Enforce the brand strategy, architecture, and identity guidelines across all branded and partner card segments and marketing communications. 

• Serve as the US Consumer Cards Marketing strategic partner and subject matter expert for the Citi brand, ensuring consistent application and alignment with broader Citi guidelines. 

• Lead creative direction, storytelling, and innovative cross-channel marketing campaigns, elevating the brand with distinctive, relevant creative and experiences. 

• Develop consumer-focused, insight-driven briefs, lead integrated agency briefing sessions, and manage agency relationships. Leverage research and analytics insights for brief development and continuous campaign enhancement. 

• Oversee Skyline (consumer marketing internal creative services) operations, fostering a best-in-class creative and content business for profitable growth. 

• Lead the 360 Marketing team for large-scale product launches and refreshes, ensuring compelling and integrated creative solutions delivered across all marketing channels. 

• Manage the advertising and experiential team with a focus on delivering breakthrough marketing creative and experiences that drive awareness, engagement and loyalty with the Citi. 

• Set aggressive north star vision for the organization and mobilize talent and capabilities to deliver with high velocity.  

• Manage and inspire multiple teams of senior creative and marketing professionals, fostering a high-performance, collaborative environment. 

• Provide strategic guidance to internal business partners on marketing materials, messaging, and brand guidelines, ensuring consistency. 

• Develop and manage a creative governance center of excellence to ensure all creative adheres to standards and delivers an exceptional and clear client experience that brings the brand to life for customers and prospects. 

• Be at the forefront of AI and applications across the Brand & Creative organization to drive efficiency in delivery and improve marketing effectiveness. 

• Stay abreast of competitive intelligence to help inform opportunities to create distinction in the market. 

• Collaborate closely with US Consumer Cards Marketing Teams (Acquisitions, Customer Marketing, Paid Media), Product Management, Digital, and other functional partners to align brand and creative strategies with business objectives. 

• Manage legal, compliance, and product review processes for all brand creative, ensuring clarity, transparency, consumer relevance, and adherence to applicable laws and regulations. 

Qualifications 

• 15+ years of progressive experience in brand strategy, integrated marketing, creative leadership, or advertising, including 10+ years of managerial experience, preferably within financial services or innovation-driven industries. 

• Proven success leading brand transformations or high-impact creative campaigns at scale, with a demonstrable history of managing and inspiring high-performing, cross-functional teams and agency partners. 

• Exceptional creative sensibility combined with a data-informed mindset and a strong understanding of measurable brand awareness metrics. 

• Strategic thinker with strong executive presence and the ability to influence senior stakeholders across matrixed and global organizations. 

• Deep expertise in digital marketing, capable of creating breakthrough creative and client experiences across various channels. 

• Outstanding organizational, project management, and communication skills, complemented by high emotional intelligence and strong partnership capabilities. 

• Ambitious self-starter with a strong drive for results, adept at thriving in fast-paced, innovative, and rapidly evolving industries. 

Education 

• Bachelor’s/University degree, Master’s degree preferred.