Andrea Eaken
BRAND STRATEGY & CREATIVE DIRECTION
Phone:
949-742-9928
Email:
Location
Orange County, CA
Hi! I'm Andrea, but you can call me Andi.
I use context, comprehension, perspective, and perception to translate ideas into exciting and compelling visual stories.
With over 20 years of experience in brand strategy and creative direction, I specialize in developing cohesive brand narratives that resonate with diverse audiences. My expertise lies in leading cross-functional teams to execute integrated marketing campaigns, overseeing creative processes from concept to completion, and ensuring brand consistency across all channels. I have a proven track record of driving brand growth through innovative storytelling, strategic partnerships, and a deep understanding of market trends.
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About me: I grew up in the mountains, near Mt. Shasta, and when I'm not working, I'm usually cycling, hiking, or kayaking. I love being outdoors and spending quality time with family and friends.
EXPERIENCE
2021-PRESENT
Sr. Director of Global Marketing
& Brand Development
GRAID TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Lead the global creative direction and brand strategy for Graid Technology, from stealth launch to becoming the NVIDIA-recognized leader in GPU-based storage solutions. Developed and executed the full visual identity system—logo, design language, digital assets, and brand voice—to position the brand as a cutting-edge innovator in high-performance computing.
Guide all brand creative across platforms and touchpoints, including website, social, tradeshow environments, video, product campaigns, and executive communications. Concept and direct multimedia storytelling that transforms complex technical messages into clear, visually compelling narratives for global enterprise audiences.
Collaborate cross-functionally with product, sales, and leadership teams to maintain brand consistency across geographic markets and partner ecosystems. Direct creative production for integrated marketing initiatives—digital, print, media, and channel—ensuring every asset reflects brand standards and business goals.
Manage and inspire a cross-functional creative team, providing vision, feedback, and mentorship while staying ahead of design and technology trends to evolve the brand's visual expression and content strategy. Results include increased global visibility, accelerated partner engagement, and elevated brand recognition within the enterprise tech space.
2020-2021
Director of Marketing
& Brand Development
MCWANE | TECHNOLOGY GROUP
Set the creative vision for a portfolio of tech brands, aligning storytelling and design across digital, print, and video platforms. Collaborated cross-functionally to produce on-brand campaigns that supported global sales teams. Led creative direction for major product launches, maintained brand consistency across assets, and managed agency relationships to deliver polished, professional content.
2018-2020
Digital Marketing
& Creative Director
ZINWAVE, A MCWANE COMPANY
Directed brand creative strategy across global channels, building cohesive visual narratives that elevated the Zinwave identity. Led multimedia campaigns, video production, and social-first creative concepts to drive engagement and market presence. Partnered across teams to ensure brand consistency, oversaw on-set styling and asset creation, and provided hands-on feedback to internal and external creative teams. Introduced and scaled GDPR compliance protocols.
2010-2018
Creative Director
KINETIC COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTING
Led brand development and creative strategy for 90+ global clients across legal, hospitality, finance, and telecom sectors. Crafted compelling visual identities, brand guidelines, and multimedia assets tailored to diverse business goals. Managed creative teams and client stakeholders, ensuring final deliverables aligned with brand vision and storytelling goals. Contributed to $300M+ in client wins.
2006-2010
Brand Development
Consultant
RESOURCES GLOBAL PROFESSIONALS
Directed internal and external brand strategies for a global professional services firm. Created an in-house proposal center and visual branding system adopted across 86 offices. Collaborated with leadership to elevate brand perception through cohesive design systems, messaging frameworks, and marketing collateral tailored to corporate culture. (NASDAQ: RGP)
2003-2005
Project Manager,
Brand Development
PACIFIC LIFE
​Partnered with marketing and underwriting teams to develop brand-aligned materials during a company-wide shift to digital. Led creative development of internal communication tools, visual assets, and client-facing collateral to support enterprise-wide rebranding initiatives. Introduced new processes for design consistency, helping modernize the brand experience across departments.
1997-2002
Lead Server &
Assistant Manager
RED ROBIN
​Supported front-of-house operations at a high-volume flagship location while pursuing a degree at Vanguard University. Oversaw guest service standards, trained new staff, and assisted with shift management and scheduling. Developed a deep understanding of hospitality, team leadership, and brand experience—skills that continue to inform my creative direction and customer-first approach today.
EDUCATION
1997-2000
Bachelor's Degree,
Liberal Arts & Linguistics
VANGUARD UNIVERSITY
Costa Mesa, CA
1999-2000
LECTURE & RESEARCH ASSISTANT
Dr. Phil Robinette, Sociology Dept. Chair
Research focus on ethics in social research methods, Ethics in Social Research 501 lecture assistant
1998-2000
LECTURE & RESEARCH ASSISTANT
Dr. Craig Rusch, Anthropology Dept. Chair
Research focus on cross-cultural non-verbal communication patterns, Cultural Anthropology 101 lecture assistant
TRUSTED BY
Brand Creative Direction
Creative Team Leadership
Brand Styling & Photography
Impactful Visual Storytelling
Visual Narrative Management
Video & Multimedia Campaigns
EXPERTISE
APPROACH
TRUST
In my experience, “How can I help?" is a more powerful question than most people realize. I approach each new problem as an opportunity to learn from and build trust with my teammates. By partnering on a "whole person" level, we make innovative connections and creative solutions.
RESILIENCE
Road cycling has taught me a few lessons about mental endurance and staying cool under pressure. I’ll happily chat about it for as long as you can stand it. ;) My teams value humor, commiseration, and psychological safety - we can't always avoid stress, but happy teams cope better.
EMPATHY
Passionate opinion: listening, reflection, and empathy are essential elements of effective design or communication. Without them you're wasting your time. By training teams to value empathy, we can more effectively determine stakeholder motivations and clever solutions.