Sandy Suminski is a seasoned advertising writer and creative lead with over 35 years of experience transforming brand strategy into compelling, human-centered narratives. With a career rooted in both high-caliber agencies and entrepreneurial ventures, Sandy has built a dynamic reputation for distilling complex ideas into simple, persuasive communications that resonate with audiences across industries and mindsets. Her tagline, “Getting to the Heart of Brand Stories,” captures the essence of her professional philosophy and the insightful creativity she brings to every engagement.
Sandy began her career as a staff creative at leading agencies such as Ogilvy & Mather and Bozell, where she quickly honed her ability to craft messaging for major consumer accounts like the National Pork Producers Council, the Chicago Board of Trade, and Sears. These formative years taught her the strategic and collaborative frameworks she needed to ground her intuition, forging a powerful professional foundation. In 1996, she launched her own freelance business, successfully partnering with top-tier agencies—Ogilvy, JWT, DDB, FCB, Digitas, and many others—and working on behalf of global brands including Unilever, Allstate, KitchenAid, Kraft, Humana, and Jockey.
Her strength lies not just in writing, but in shaping the voice, tone, and soul of a brand. As Associate Creative Director at Schawk Advertising (2017–2020), Sandy led the development of a comprehensive brand persona for Sensient Flavors, while overseeing creative direction for Amway’s SBO events. Most recently, she served as a Senior Copywriter at Havas Worldwide, spearheading messaging strategies for Wells Fargo and FitBit, creating direct marketing campaigns, taglines, and naming systems for emerging financial products.
Sandy’s areas of expertise span integrated marketing, brand positioning, content strategy, customer experience (CX), digital and social media, naming, grant writing, and creative leadership. She has written across a variety of formats—video, web, print, and experiential—tailoring tone and structure to each audience, from small business owners to C-suite executives.
Sandy is deeply passionate about industries that value human connection, creativity, and improving people’s lives in meaningful ways. She has a particular interest in healthcare, mental health, hospitality, consumer packaged goods (CPG), retail, sustainable fashion, food, and urban planning. She prefers small-cap companies where her strategic insights and hands-on approach can drive meaningful transformation. While she is open to new and innovative industries, she is not seeking roles in finance or tech, except as they relate to moving people forward in their everyday lives. She wants to help create new stories as we move towards a more sustainable, equitable, human-scaled and connected future.
With international exposure in Belgium and conversational proficiency in French, Sandy brings a global lens to her work. Outside of her professional life, she is a dedicated visual artist, multimedia creator, jazz singer, cook, and live storytelling enthusiast. Her memoir work has been recognized by Bellevue Literary Press, showcasing her depth not only as a marketer but as a cultural contributor.
Sandy is now actively seeking board roles where she can extend her influence, contribute to visionary leadership, and help organizations discover and articulate the heart of their story and the soul of their brand. Known for her flexibility, clarity of thought, and team-building skills, she is a collaborative force who inspires and elevates those around her. Her goal is to help mission-driven companies grow with integrity, creativity, and impact.
Character: Sandy is a collaborative, flexible professional who brings out the best in others through authenticity, creativity, and integrity.
Knowledge: She brings over 35 years of experience in integrated marketing, brand storytelling, and creative leadership across diverse industries.
Strategic: Sandy has a proven ability to align messaging with business goals, shaping and sharpening brand voices to drive engagement and long-term growth.
Communication: An expert writer and content strategist, she translates complex ideas into clear, compelling narratives that connect deeply with diverse audiences.
