CHRISTOPHER MOTIL
vice president / creative director

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Chris attended Kent State University and The Ohio School of Broadcast Technique where he received a degree in communications in 1987. He moved to New York City shortly thereafter, upon his hiring by Burson-Marstellar, one of the top-ranked public relations firms in the world. He gained valuable graphic design experience working for Top Fortune 500 clients throughout his tenure.

Chris moved into educational book publishing in 1992 when MacMillan-McGraw Hill was seeking a director for their Autography Department. Five years later, he sought employment with the world’s largest children’s book publisher, Scholastic, Inc. Hired to manage the Book Fair/Book Club division, Chris directed a team of talented artists as they grew revenue to 25% of the company’s yearly $1.4B portfolio.

More recent experience in direct marketing has enabled Chris to forge a solid creative background across multiple industries.

Joining the ummhumm | creative studio team as Vice President and Creative Director in 2008, Chris has helped grow the company client portfolio in both the print and digital channels. He has worked on campaigns that have ranged from healthcare to hospitality to automotive to telecommunications.

Chris is a classically trained pianist and has spent most of his life playing guitar. While in New York City, he was involved in 8 bands ranging from blues to rock to country, recording albums and touring along the East Coast throughout the 1990s.

“The need to create is innate in all of us. Practically every act we do is either creating or destroying. I get inspired from everything. Seeing a movie, hearing a great band, watching my dogs chase and play with each other – they are all connected. I try to bring all of my experiences to the table with the desire to create compelling, long-lasting creative design.”