Hi, I’m Cass! An accomplished, award-winning global creative leader, who lives at the intersection of creativity, entertainment, and technology.
My talent has taken me around the globe, from Toronto, to NY, Europe, and Asia, and has expanded many categories, including tech, travel, health and wellness, sports and entertainment, and retail. I’m a bold and engaging leader, with experience in building, mentoring and leading large dynamic and diverse teams, scaling creativity across large, multi-dimensional organizations, and building brand love rooted in insightful data, insights and culture.
My growth mindset and global perspective are two of my superpowers. I’m a wanderlust spirit by nature, whether I’m exploring a new artist exhibit, a podcast, or a hiking trail with my dog, Murphy. That same energy is what I bring to the brands I shepherd. I truly believe that creativity is the only tool powerful enough to solve the world’s biggest problems. If you'd like to chat more, you can reach on LinkedIn or at casszawadowski@gmail.com
IKEA “Toy Box”
Mobile/Experiential/App
Meet the Ikea Toybox app.
Ikea: not just a sexy home furnishings company—it’s also one of the world’s largest producers of paper packaging. And even, the basic IKEA cardboard box still provides them with endless possibilities. We developed a new app to help facilitate creative play by better empowering kids to turn an old box into something completely new. Reinforcing IKEA’s values of sustainability and creative play. It was presented on stage at Cannes Lion Festival of Creativity, by IKEA CMO, Claudia Willvonseder and was featured as ‘Campaign of the Week’ by Contagious Magazine.
Volkswagen “No Competition”
Digital/Social/CRM
How we outsmarted Volkswagen’s competitors in the SUV category, by getting SUV drivers to think bigger. We knew that if we wanted people to consider buying us, we needed to inject ourselves into their research journey. By unapologetically hijacking competitor reviews with hyper-targeted banners, search ads, and YouTube Director’s Mix videos, we went head-to-head with our competition to shed a light on our competitor’s flaws, and told shoppers about what makes Volkswagen SUVs better. We were so confident that there was no better competition when it came to family SUVs, that we even rewarded people for checking out competitor reviews. The more they did their homework of researching other brands, the more credit they got to unlock toward their future Volkswagen purchase; and more importantly, the more they learned about our amazing SUVs.
Church’s Chicken “Hottest Collection of the Season”
PR/Social/Influencer
In early 2021 Church’s Chicken introduced their new Texas Tenders amidst a full blown Chicken war. We needed to stand out in a sea of crisp, golden deliciousness. That’s why the hottest drop of the season was a tender. Yes, a chicken tender. Introducing Church’s Texas Tenders Lookbook - the first lookbook dedicated to the art of the tender.
To reach a younger target, we took a cue from the world of athletic footwear, where ‘sneaker drops’ are major product-launch events that often give out lookbooks to showcase the product line. WT created a lookbook parody, complete with beauty shots and product names such as The Longhorn, The Lone Star and The Outlaw. It lit up social channels and was an AdAge “Editor’s Pick.” The best part? The product sold out in one month.
Check out the AdAge article here
Current Role
Lyft | Global Executive Creative Director | 2025–present | Toronto, Canada / San Francisco, USA
I’ve shaped and scaled Lyft’s global brand through bold, experience-led storytelling that builds reputation, deepens connection, and drives growth. I believe the best creative is both high-performing and deeply human—brand experiences that move people and move the business.
Strategic Leadership
Executive Influence — Trusted partner to the CMO and executive leadership, translating complex business challenges into compelling, mission-driven ideas that resonate globally.
Integrated Brand Storytelling — Architecting end-to-end campaigns across brand, product, and experience, creating a connected vision across every touchpoint.
Creative Leadership — Building and mentoring high-performing in-house teams while leading Tier-1 agency partners, balancing visionary thinking with hands-on leadership and high standards.
Modernizing the Creative Engine — Co-leading the evolution of Lyft’s studio into an AI-enabled creative powerhouse, using emerging technology to accelerate speed, scale, and quality.
Today, I’m focused on defining the next chapter of brand storytelling—where sharp strategy, bold creativity, and scalable innovation come together to create meaningful impact.
Previous Roles
Manulife | Head of Global Creative Excellence | 2023–2025 | Toronto, Canada
As Head of Global Creative Excellence, I am tasked with providing Manulife with a creative competitive advantage across communication channels for our portfolio of segments and products, by combining first-class creative expertise and strategic thought entrepreneurship with commercial acumen. I’m championing creativity and customer centricity across the organization to ensure creative excellence becomes a recognized and respected driver of business growth for Manulife. Specific remit includes:
‣ Defining / Developing Manulife Global Creative Excellence mandate and roadmap creating more engaging and measurable connections between Manulife and its customers
‣ Overseeing / Managing the successful implementation of Creative Excellence across its various operational drivers - culture, environment, people, process, stakeholder relations and technology
‣ Bringing to life the development of Manulife’s go-to-market marketing model and content strategy
‣ Raising the quality and effectiveness of Manulife’s creative output across all marketing channels and with all partners and building engaging brand and product experiences by transforming end-user needs and behavioural insights into compelling story-telling, interactions, offline and digital experiences to deliver significantly better marketing ROI
‣ Partnering tier 1, 2 and 3 Advertising Agencies, to ensure quality and effective creative work across the global organization (North America, Europe, Asia)
Wunderman Thompson | Chief Creative Officer | 2017–2023 | Toronto, Canada
As VP, Executive Creative Director, I was hired to up-level creative output and team performance. Within my executive leadership role, I co-lead agency operations and inspire growth for clients. Envisioning and executing brand strategies, my team and I enable digital transformation by leveraging creative, data, and technology. I partner closely with VPs of Strategy and Client Services to deliver on client initiatives, and lead a creative team of writers, art directors, content creators, across Canada and the US.
Of Wunderman Thompson’s top 20 global clients, I lead 5 within Canada, driving business growth and digital and CX transformation.
I was also selected to serve as 1 of 11 members on the WPP Global GSK Council, identifying and crafting top ideas from around the globe that are bold, innovative, award-winning, and drive the business forward.
Cheil | Global Creative Director | 2017 | Seoul, Korea
At Cheil, I was brought on to work with global creative teams across the EMEA market, and elevate work across global go-to-market creative strategies for Samsung. I ensured work was strategically sound and fit for purpose across multiple regions. Championing innovative brand experiences, I upheld best-in-class marketing communications and content strategy for creative campaigns in emerging markets (India, China, Thailand, and Vietnam). This enabled me to develop an in-depth understanding of regions in the Asian market.
Carrying forward my leadership skills and strengths, I remained agile in my approach and successfully mobilized a diverse, multilingual team.
FCB | Global Creative Director | 2016 | Hamburg, Germany
Recruited to lead global creative teams across the EMEA market for Beiersdorf Nivea, I worked closely with client leads to ensure work was strategically sound and fit for purpose across multiple regions and channels. I championed innovative brand experiences, and upheld best-in-class marketing communications and content strategy.
BBDO | Global Creative Director | 2014–2016 | Dusseldorf, Germany
Hired to co-lead the global P&G Braun business in EMEA and South American markets, I partnered with clients to lead strategic and creative development across global platforms. Based out of BBDO Germany headquarters, I co-led the creative department within the 300+-person agency team.
Highlights from my time at BBDO include: launching Braun’s social media presence and advising on content strategy, ensuring a diverse, international talent mix, and working on €1M+ productions for Braun.
It was in this role that I formed my leadership style that is rooted in values of camaraderie and collaboration. My experience leading my first international team was a rewarding challenge, which allowed me to grow both personally and professionally.
Saatchi & Saatchi | Assoc. Creative Director | 2013–2014 | Toronto, Canada
I was recruited back to Canada to develop strategic creative work for multiple national brands (Toyota, GSK, Tide). At Saatchi I spearheaded creatively-impactful and digitally-savvy campaigns for the trucks and SUVs and electric car portfolios. Our work received top honors (gold and silver) at ADCC, CMA’s, and Marketing Awards for Toyota and GSK campaigns. Highlights during my time at Saatchi included the great client relationships I built across the GSK and Toyota businesses, and the 2013 Toyota Super Bowl spot that I produced.
GREY | Sr. Creative | 2011–2013 | New York, NY, USA
At Grey, I served as a lead team on the Playtex business, driving feminine care and sun care across North America and Mexico. I contributed to agency new business initiatives, including the famous $200M+ RadioShack win in 2012. I also created and elevated brand experiences driving consumer engagement across Diageo, NFL, and P&G.
My time at Grey was an accelerated and intense creative period that exposed me to global businesses and global strategy, and taught me why culture in an agency is critical to agency health and success.
© 2026 by Cass Zawadowski
