Norm Alger
5.0
(16)
Studied at The Art Institutes
Works at freelance
Successful clients at
Not currently taking new clients
About Norm
Creative Reinvention Coach for Senior Leaders Helping experienced professionals reposition, relaunch, and rise. I’ve spent 25+ years rising from designer to Global Creative Director, leading cross-disciplinary teams across strategy, digital, video, and brand. I’ve hired, mentored, promoted, and repositioned dozens of creatives — including guiding entry-level talent into leadership roles in under three years. I’ve also navigated career uncertainty firsthand. What I help with: • Repositioning “overqualified” backgrounds • Resume and LinkedIn reframing for senior roles • Transitioning from full-time to fractional consulting • Breaking into Creative Director / VP-level positions • Restoring clarity and confidence during career disruption My leadership foundation began early — as a first-string athlete and Army Squad Leader — where discipline, accountability, and resilience were non-negotiable. Those principles still guide how I coach today. This is not motivational coaching. This is strategic positioning from someone who has: • Sat in the hiring chair • Led global teams • Navigated corporate politics • Built and launched agencies • Reinvented mid-career If you’re asking, “What’s next for me?” — let’s answer it with structure and intention. Book a 30-minute clarity session.
Why do I coach?
I work with senior creative professionals navigating layoffs, stalled growth, or reinvention — helping them reposition their experience for leadership, consulting, or new markets.
Work Experience
Business Agent
freelance
November 2024 - Present
Portfolio & references are available upon request. Creative Direction, Creative Strategy and +3 skills
Owner/Creative Director
Alger Creative Strategies, LLC
October 2024 - Present
Driving strategic creative initiatives for a range of clients across industries, delivering agile, high-quality solutions tailored to evolving brand needs. • Lead post-production and video content strategy for corporate communications, campaign storytelling, and product education. • Design brand identities, logos, and supporting visual systems for emerging businesses and rebrands. • Develop internal and external marketing assets, including sales playbooks, presentation templates, and style guides. • Consult on creative operations, helping clients streamline workflows and integrate AI-enhanced tools for efficiency. • Partner with freelance teams to scale production while maintaining brand consistency and strategic alignment.
Global Creative Director
Avantor
January 2022 - October 2024
Led creative strategy and execution for global marketing initiatives, enhancing brand visibility and achieving significant cost savings through in-house and outsourced team management. • Spearheaded a company-wide brand refresh, unifying the visual identity across all channels, increasing brand recognition. • Established and led a global creative team, improving efficiency by 30% through process optimization and digital transformation. • Integrated AI-driven design tools (Midjourney, ChatGPT, RunwayM) to reduce external vendor costs and accelerate production timelines, enhancing overall efficiency and creative output. • Directed offshoring / nearshoring strategies, reducing operational costs by 15% through optimized workflows and vendor management. • Orchestrated the creation of marquee reports and branded materials, saving over $200K annually by transitioning key projects in-house. • Collaborated with external agencies, ensuring brand alignment and delivering campaigns that improved market positioning by 20%.
VP Creative Director
Calcium + Company
November 2019 - May 2021
Directed creative efforts to launch innovative oncology therapies and expand the agency’s portfolio in pharma marketing. • Drove creative strategy for the successful launch of a new oncology therapy, resulting in 20% increase in market share within the first 6 months. • Managed cross-functional teams to integrate creative strategy into all deliverables, securing $2M in new business from successful pitches. • Introduced digital-first approaches, leading to a 15% increase in online engagement through social media and video content.
Partner
Xhilarate
July 2017 - July 2019
Steered creative strategy and contributed to business development for a boutique design agency, specializing in branding and rebranding across diverse industries, including biopharma, SaaS, cannabis, CPG / package design and product display. • Pitched and secured high value branding projects, contributing 40% revenue growth in 2 years. • Served as the primary copywriter for all agency and client content, ensuring consistency and strategic messaging across campaigns. • Led stakeholder interviews for strategic initiatives, uncovering key insights that shaped client branding and communication strategies. • Collaborated with the design partner to streamline workflows, optimize presentations and proposals, and manage freelance talent for project delivery, improving overall project efficiency by 20%.
VP Group Creative Director
Digitas Health
November 2007 - July 2017
Expanded and led a high-performing digital creative team, delivering results for global healthcare clients. • Drove 30% increase in engagement for a major unbranded diabetes campaign through digital storytelling and influencer collaborations. • Rebranded a top pediatric drug, increasing market penetration 15% and improving brand loyalty through a cross-channel approach. • Grew digital department from 10 to 45 members, significantly improving output and creative innovation.
Creative Director
Razorfish
August 2005 - September 2007
Managed creative for global pharma brands, delivering impactful digital solutions. • Rebranded leading anti-platelet drug, enhancing its digital presence and boosting engagement by 20%. • Developed and launched interactive digital campaigns for menopause therapies, increasing patient awareness by over 30%.
Education
The Art Institutes
Associate, Graphic Design / Advertising
16 Reviews
Overall Rating
5.0
Norm has helped clients get into these companies: