Shawn Van DaeleShawn Van Daele

Shawn Van DaeleCurriculum Vitae

Creative Director. Writer, filmmaker, photographer, builder.

Toronto, ON · shawn@shawnvandaele.com · 519-851-8575

25+ years of ideas, identities, campaigns, films, books and experiences. I see the possibilities other people miss, then lead the team and still make the work myself.

Creative Director and brand, marketing and communications leader with nearly 30 years of experience making complicated things clear, human and worth paying attention to - across consumer, healthcare, nonprofit, fundraising and entrepreneurial environments. A rare strategy-to-execution operator: maker first, then leader and strategist, without ever stopping making. Identifies the business problem, shapes the narrative, earns executive and Board alignment, leads multidisciplinary teams, builds scalable systems and remains hands-on in the work. Combines commercial instinct, creative judgement, human-centred storytelling and operational discipline to turn ambiguity into distinctive ideas, measurable growth and consistent delivery. Partners naturally with CEOs, Boards, Product, Sales, Marketing, agencies, fundraisers and creative specialists - and builds the briefs, workflows, templates and AI-enabled systems that let quality hold at speed. Career through-line: turning complex products, services, purpose, data and human stories into work people understand, trust and act on. Supported campaign ecosystems representing $3B+ in fundraising impact across healthcare, nonprofit, education and community; scaled an independent creative practice to ~$1.5M annual revenue with a 20-person team delivering up to 750 projects a year at peak.

Signature wins

Impact
Nearly 30 yrs

Across design, brand, marketing, communications and fundraising - maker to leader, never stopped making

$3B+

Fundraising campaign ecosystems supported across nonprofit + healthcare platforms

18+ brands

Household consumer brands under one creative direction - Crock-Pot, Coleman, Sunbeam, Oster, FoodSaver

$140K+ net

Chai Lifeline's inaugural Rosh Hashanah Meal Program campaign - against a $40K goal

3x+ goal

Virtual Hike for Hospice pivot during COVID-19 - the program's strongest year

$7.5M+

Annual fundraising supported at Chai Lifeline Canada across 26+ programs

+25-40%

Engagement lift on integrated campaigns reaching 30,000+ donors annually

20-35% MoM

Onboarding growth for Ascend RoundUp micro-donation launch

500+

Coordinated deliverables directed for Bike4Chai national event system

$1.5M+

Independent practice annual revenue - 20-person team (14 photographers, 2 studio managers, 4 editors), 750+ projects/year at peak

300K+

Combined audience built around the independent photography and creative business

62 artworks

Children's drawings transformed into cinematic photographic realities for The Drawing Hope Project

Global press

The Today Show, ABC World News and MTV News for The Drawing Hope Project

#1 Bestseller

Life in Detox - #1 Amazon Bestseller as author, designer and publisher

+15-25%

Donor onboarding and reactivation growth at St. Joseph's Hospice

30+ brands

Nonprofit and healthcare client brands led concurrently at Ascend

What I bring

Positioning

AI Workflows + AI-Enabled Design

Builds AI into the creative process from research and concepting through first-draft copy, image generation, localization and QA - then documents the workflow so the team can run it without me. This site is the working proof: it retunes itself to whoever is reading it.

See how this site tailors itself

Film, Animation + Motion

Directs, produces, art-directs and edits motion work end to end: campaign films, donor stories, animation, motion graphics and social cutdowns. Writes scripts, runs shoots, cuts edits, scores music and delivers channel versions - now with AI for boards, previz, generative shots and sound design.

Watch the reel

Music, Songwriting + Production

Writes, records and produces original music - songs, hooks, beds and score - and uses it the way a creative director does: as the emotional spine of a film, a campaign or a launch. Comfortable writing to picture, directing music videos, briefing and editing sound, and building AI-assisted scratch tracks and sound design that survive a final mix.

See the music + motion work

Creative Direction + Hero Work

Leads creative from platform idea through final asset: campaigns, launches, web, photography and film. Has art-directed global work for 18+ household brands — Crock-Pot, Coleman, Sunbeam, Oster, FoodSaver — across packaging, retail, POS and integrated campaigns. Ships high-stakes hero assets personally when the moment demands it, and uses AI-assisted concepting, rapid iteration and pragmatic design systems to keep quality high across markets, channels and fast-moving teams.

See selected work

Copy Leadership + Brand Voice

Copy-led creative director. Owns platform ideas, headlines, scripts, appeals and messaging systems from first thought through broadcast, social, digital, retail, packaging, OOH and executive presentations - then coaches writers to the same bar.

See the writing work

Integrated Marketing + Communications

Audience insight, storytelling, digital, print, email, social, paid media, events and public relations woven into cohesive campaigns aligned to organizational priorities.

Campaign track record

Fundraising + Donor Communications

Donor-facing copy, case-for-support, stewardship, solicitation and lapsed-donor re-engagement. Campaign systems that meet or beat goal - Chai Lifeline's inaugural Rosh Hashanah Meal Program campaign generated $140K+ net against a $40K goal; Hike for Hospice virtual pivot raised 3x+ its goal.

See fundraising work

Communications & Stakeholder Relations

Counsel to CEOs and Boards on executive messaging, speeches, reports and presentations, plus stakeholder, media, internal and issues communications - including full-cycle COVID-19 healthcare communications. Leaves behind messaging frameworks and editorial standards other people can run.

Comms track record

Corporate Communications + Editorial Ops

Content calendars, editorial standards, web publishing, internal communications, media relations, and publicity amplification across corporate, healthcare and cultural environments.

Where I've done this

Digital Marketing + Media Performance

Paid social/search/display/programmatic across Meta, Google, TikTok, YouTube; CRM segmentation, email, landing pages, Feathr, analytics and Ad Grants. Recent campaigns: +25-40% engagement, +15-25% audience, +20-30% CTR, −15-25% CPM.

Tools + platforms

Consumer Brand + CPG Craft

Global creative direction for 18+ household brands - including Crock-Pot, Coleman, Sunbeam, Oster and FoodSaver - across packaging, retail, e-commerce, POS, product launches and integrated campaigns, with multi-market rollouts held together by pragmatic brand standards.

See brand work

Creative Operations + Asana at Scale

Governs briefs, intake, workbacks, dependencies, approval stages, capacity plans and status rhythms in Asana / Monday. Protects quality across 10+ concurrent initiatives and 500+-deliverable event programs.

How I run the work

Visual + Long-form Storytelling

Photography direction, editorial voice and narrative structure. The Drawing Hope Project reached millions via The Today Show, ABC World News and MTV News. Life in Detox - #1 Amazon Bestseller.

See the stories

Team Leadership & Mentorship

Builds and leads multidisciplinary teams - from four- and five-person in-house marketing and creative teams to a 20-person studio at peak. Has led or mentored 50+ creatives and communicators across in-house teams, agencies and vendors through hiring, coaching, standards and creative direction.

How I build teams

How I lead

Leadership

Set the direction

  • I clarify the business problem, audience, positioning, narrative and creative opportunity before activity begins.
  • I build executive confidence through sound judgement, persuasive rationale and clear decisions.

Build the function

  • I create teams, standards, templates, workflows, vendor networks and AI-enabled systems that scale quality.
  • I develop people through expectations, coaching, critique and practical ownership.

Make the work real

  • I stay fluent and credible across writing, editing, design, art direction, photography, presentations and production.
  • I connect every deliverable to audience experience, organizational goals and measurable impact.

Experience

Roles

Marketing & Communications Manager

Chai Lifeline Canada

2025 - 2026

National nonprofit serving children and families facing serious illness, trauma and crisis. Leads a four-person team owning integrated brand, marketing, communications and creative across 26+ programs, fundraising campaigns, events, media and donor communications.

  • Conceived, wrote, designed and delivered the inaugural Rosh Hashanah Meal Program campaign across direct mail, print, email, organic social and paid - $140K+ net against a $40K goal
  • Supported $7.5M+ in annual fundraising through campaign optimization, donor messaging and cross-channel execution
  • Built segmented acquisition, onboarding and stewardship journeys across Mailchimp, Constant Contact, Salesforce, Feathr and Blackbaud
  • Multi-channel campaigns reaching 30,000+ donors annually: +25-40% engagement, +15-25% audience, +20-30% CTR, -15-25% CPM
  • Directed Bike4Chai creative across 500+ coordinated deliverables - signage, environmental graphics, stage/screen, sponsor, digital and print
  • Created executive messaging, donor comms, digital content and reusable AI-enabled workflows that protect brand and editorial standards at speed

Creative Director, Marketing & Communications

Ascend Fundraising Solutions

2021 - 2023

Technology-enabled fundraising platform serving 20+ nonprofit, healthcare, education and community accounts across Canada and North America. Led a five-person creative team directing strategy, narrative and execution across web, email, social, video, campaigns, launches and sales.

  • Directed creative strategy and execution for seven-figure fundraising campaigns; recommendations influenced investment across TV, digital, direct mail, print and OOH
  • Campaign ecosystems supporting $3B+ in fundraising impact across nonprofit and healthcare clients
  • Helped secure major healthcare and nonprofit partnerships including SickKids, Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation and Tim Hortons Foundation Camps
  • Led launch of RoundUp automated micro-donations - 20-35% MoM onboarding growth through clearer positioning
  • Built reusable messaging frameworks, briefs, templates, approval workflows and AI-enabled production systems; governed Asana across 10+ concurrent initiatives
  • Personally developed pitch decks, strategy documents and creative concepts, travelling across Canada to present and defend integrated communications strategies to CEOs, executive teams and Boards

Director, Marketing & Communications

St. Joseph's Hospice of London

2019 - 2021

Community-based healthcare nonprofit - end-of-life care, grief, bereavement, fundraising and public education. Served as the organization's central brand and communications leader, partnering daily with the CEO to align reputation, fundraising, community engagement, clinical priorities and family experience.

  • Rebuilt the low-converting website around four clear actions - Give Help, Find Help, Contact Us and Donate - reducing friction for families in crisis
  • Created the enduring brand platform 'We are here for you...because of you,' strengthening community ownership, emotional connection and donor engagement
  • Reimagined the in-person Hike for Hospice as a Virtual Hike during COVID-19 - raised 3x+ its goal, program's strongest year
  • +15-25% growth in donor onboarding and reactivation; campaigns achieved up to 2x fundraising goals through stronger messaging and donor journeys
  • Led CEO/Board counsel and internal + external COVID-19 communications with speed, accuracy and compassion
  • Partnered with culinary staff to launch a practical YouTube series supporting bereaved people learning to cook after loss

Founder & Creative Director

Shawn Van Daele Creative / Photography

2009 - 2021

Independent practice serving 50+ organizations across healthcare, hospital foundations, nonprofit, education, government, consumer, editorial and cultural sectors - including SickKids Hospital, SickKids Lottery, Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation, University Hospital Foundation and the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame.

  • Founded and scaled a two-studio creative business to $1.5M+ annual revenue across Toronto/Milton and Cambridge, owning strategy, operations, marketing, sales, talent, customer experience and creative quality
  • Led a 20-person team - 14 photographers, two studio managers and four editors - delivering up to 750 shoots annually
  • Built a 300K+ combined audience and the complete commercial engine - brand positioning, audience development, lead generation, paid media, publicity, partnerships, referrals, sales conversion and portfolio strategy
  • Advised founders, executives and boards on brand strategy, positioning, campaigns, websites, annual reports and presentations
  • Directed identities, photography, video, digital experiences and high-stakes hero assets from concept through final QC
  • Integrated advanced AI-enabled workflows into select consulting projects to improve speed, scale and creative consistency

Creative Director, Consumer Brands & CPG

Jarden Consumer Solutions / Newell Brands

2005 - 2009

Led global creative direction for 18+ household brands - including Crock-Pot, Coleman, Sunbeam, Oster, Bionaire, Black & Decker and FoodSaver - across packaging, retail, POS, product launches, sales enablement and multi-market campaigns.

  • Led and mentored a 4-6 person in-house creative team responsible for international brand, packaging, retail marketing and product-launch execution across an 18+ brand portfolio
  • Served as final creative authority across packaging, shelf talkers, end-caps, POS, product photography, food styling and internal documentation
  • Directed national campaigns and product launches for Crock-Pot, Coleman and Sunbeam, translating commercial priorities into distinctive customer experiences for Walmart, Costco, Home Depot and Canadian Tire
  • Managed outsourced photographers, food stylists and regional translators while coordinating manufacturing partners in China across time zones, languages, legal requirements and production schedules
  • Balanced strategic brand stewardship with hands-on typography, layout, image-making, compositing and final artwork

Founder + Executive Creative Lead

The Drawing Hope Project

2011 - 2016

Internationally recognized charitable storytelling initiative transforming drawings and lived experiences from 62 children facing serious illness into cinematic photographic realities under "Anything Is Possible." Many participating children were treated at SickKids.

  • Global media coverage including The Today Show, ABC World News and MTV News (filmed on-site at SickKids over three days)
  • Partnerships with hospitals, foundations, families and consumer brands
  • End-to-end: concept, family collaboration, photography, art direction, production and media rollout

Art Direction · Design · Production Leadership

Agency & In-house Creative Teams

Earlier career

Agency and in-house creative roles across consumer, healthcare, education, government and cultural clients - plus early music/entertainment publicity photography and album artwork connected to Sony Music. The range that underpins today's leadership work.

Community + independent initiatives

Beyond the role

Author + Independent Publisher

Life in Detox

2018

#1 Amazon Bestseller. Long-form editorial project translating addiction, treatment, shame, resilience and dignity into human storytelling. Owned voice, narrative, editing, art direction, production and launch campaign.

Professor, Advanced Photoshop

Fanshawe College

2018 - 2020

Developed and taught third-year curriculum in compositing, typography, visual storytelling, critique and professional production practice. Mentored 20-30 emerging designers per term.

  • Taught third-year students advanced compositing, retouching, image-making and professional creative judgement
  • Built practical assignments and critiques connecting technical execution to concept, audience and portfolio readiness

Board Director + Volunteer Mentor

Big Brothers Big Sisters St. Thomas-Elgin

2022 - Present

Governance, fundraising support, marketing and communications counsel and direct youth mentorship for an organization focused on youth potential, equity and lasting community relationships.

Selected Committee Member

Diabetes Canada - Aprons in Action

2026

Contributing marketing, fundraising communications, community outreach and participant-engagement perspective to campaign awareness and the supporter experience.

Specialties & Tooling

Capabilities

AI Practice + AI-Enabled Creative

See the AI practice in the work

AI is how I work now - a daily practice across research, concepting, copy, image, video and build, with human review on everything that ships.

Film, Animation, Music + Photography

Watch the reel

Hands-on craft: I direct, shoot, edit, animate, score and finish. Original music, photography and retouching are my own hands on the file - with AI now in the pipeline for boards, previz and generative passes.

Core Specialties

Methodologies

Tools & Technologies

Education + credentials

Credentials

Education + teaching

  • BA, Communications & Design - OCAD University1997 - 2000
  • Diploma, Graphic Design - Fanshawe College2001 - 2004
  • Professor, Advanced Photoshop (Faculty) - Fanshawe College2018 - 2020

Certifications

  • Equity, Diversity & Inclusion · 2022
  • Human Rights Code + AODA Training / Certification
  • Smart Serve Certification
  • Food Safety Certification
  • Artisan Bread / Sourdough Training · 2020

Community + governance

  • Board Member - Big Brothers Big Sisters St. Thomas-ElginSince 2022
  • Committee Member, Aprons in Action - Diabetes Canada2026
  • #1 Amazon bestselling author, Life in Detox - Published authorPublished