Samuel OConnell

Samuel Jacob O'Connell

A 360° Creative Executive Driven by Storytelling

EXPERIENCE

Coal Creative — Chief Creative Officer

January 2022 – Present

Directed Company-Wide Creative Vision and Strategy: Partnered with the CEO to set cohesive business goals, developed creative strategies and brand identity, and ensured projects align with the company’s vision and objectives.

Led and Inspired Creative Teams: Transformed high-level concepts into actionable projects, guided the creative team through collaborative sessions and brainstorming, and maintained a consistent, high-quality output across design, branding, and marketing initiatives.

Oversaw Project Execution and Budgeting: Played a crucial role in the sales process, aligning client visions with realistic budgets, managed project progress alongside the Project Manager, and ensured projects were completed on time and within budget.

Demonstrated Industry Knowledge and Strategic Insight: Kept a strong grasp on industry trends to keep the company at the forefront, provided strategic creative guidance, and maintained a deep understanding of tools across design, videography, content creation, and web development to support team needs effectively.

Coal Creative — Creative Director

November 2019  – January 2022

Bridged Client Vision and Team Execution: Translated client needs into actionable projects, pitching creative concepts and guiding project alignment with company goals.

Led Creative Process: Directed brainstorming sessions, communicated project vision to teams, and ensured high-quality, on-brand deliverables.

Strong Leadership and Communication: Skilled in design, editing, and team collaboration, with the ability to convey complex concepts and maintain creative standards.

Coal Creative — Production Manager

November 2017 – November 2019

Managed Video Projects: Oversaw all aspects of video production, including scheduling, asset management, and task delegation.

Coordinated Production Phases: Led client meetings, created project outlines, maintained schedules, operated cameras, and managed post-production handoffs.

Creative and Technical Skills: Skilled in Adobe Suite, camera and lighting equipment, with strengths in creative thinking and time management.

Tunefly — Founder, CEO

November 2016 – December 2018

Established Company Vision: Developed the company’s vision and assembled an inspired executive team to drive its mission forward.

Designed User Interface for Music App: Created the UI for a popular music app with over 20,000 global users, enhancing usability and engagement.

Engaged Key User Groups: Collaborated with Artists, Venues, and Fans to understand their needs, translating feedback into a dynamic mobile and web experience.

Resource Media — Creative Specialist

June 2012 – November 2016

Created Visual Content: Designed print, digital, and social media graphics for clients, supporting brand consistency and visibility.

Developed Brand Assets: Produced logos, blog images, and newsletter graphics to enhance client brand identity.

Skilled in Design Tools: Skilled in the adobe suite, bringing client and internal concepts to life.

Independent NEPA Magazine — Designer

June 2004 – August 2008

Designed Advertisement Layouts: Used Quark and Adobe Software to create ad layouts tailored to specific requirements.

Developed Magazine Content: Designed creative layouts for magazine pages and covers.

Produced Web Page Mockups: Developed web mockups for advertisers 

Freelance Creative

Graphic Designer, Photographer, Videographer, Web Developer

June 2009 – Present

EDUCATION

West Side Career And Technology Center
High School Diploma 

Graduated 2009

Point Park University, Pittsburgh
Digital Filmmaking Major

August 2009 – June 2011

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Leadership Northeast
Core Class of 2020

Leadership Northeast
Executive Leadership Class of 2022

SKILLS

Adobe
Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere, After Effects, Audition, InDesign, Lightroom

Final Cut Pro
Certified Specialist

Apple Logic
Music Production

Google Business Suite
Docs, Slides, Sheets, Youtube Studio

Microsoft Suite
Word, Powerpoint, Excel 

Project Management
Asana, Clickup, Monday, Slack, Harvest

Website Development
WordPress, Squarespace, Shopify, Joomla, HTML

Artificial Intelligence
Adobe Firefly, Runway ML, Open Ai, ElevenLabs

AWARDS

2020

Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce
Cultural Ambassador of the Year

2021
Northeast Pennsylvania Business Journal
Top 20 Under 40 Business Leaders

2021

Northeast Pennsylvania Business Journal
Top 20 Under 40 Business Leaders

NON-PROFIT & COMMUNITY BOARD LEADERSHIP

Rainbow Alliance
Board of Directors
Marketing Chair
2020-Present

Greater Wyoming Valley YMCA
Board of Directors

2023-Present

References Available
Upon Request

Request references by emailing [email protected]