Dan Carter, 38, is the senior vice president of creative and design at Freeman. He’s based in Brooklyn, N.Y.
What my day-to-day looks like:
I work to make sure Freeman’s design and creative organization is supported, resourced, and working well. I meet with our executive creative directors to check in on key accounts, I help define creative solves for RFPs, and I work alongside my co-department leads to keep projects moving. I also am lucky enough to check in with our huge team of creative directors, designers, and content makers, sharing their work to maintain a collaborative and celebratory culture.
I directly oversee a team of 57, and I also co-manage the broader design organization, which numbers well over 250 people.
My leadership style:
My leadership style is heavily anchored in empathy and enthusiasm. I genuinely believe we're lucky to do what we do, and I try to remain optimistic and proactive about solving the problems we encounter, and supporting my teams. I also try to stay connected to the work, leading by example as much as possible.
My career journey:
I started my career in Australia, working for Jack Morton. I then shifted roles slightly, moving into creative strategy at a small experiential agency called C4 before taking the plunge to move to China to run creative and strategy for Jack Morton once more. Two years in Beijing and two years in Shanghai later, I relocated to New York with Jack Morton, splitting my time between its New York and Detroit offices. Looking for a change, I then switched to work in media, spending a year as the vice president and director of strategy and creative at Carat in New York, where I worked on Diageo and Mondelez.
The pull of events and experiences was too strong, and I moved to WPP agency Set Creative before making the jump to Freeman.
Memorable events? "The 50th anniversary of the Porsche 911," Carter said. "We made a nine-minute mapped projection film to showcase the Temple of Ancestral Worship in the Forbidden City in Beijing."Photo: Courtesy of Dan Carter
What inspires me:
Architecture. Recently, the way different nations, people, and even eras have approached the building of physical human spaces has me fascinated. I think it's an art form that is well mined to keep our events and experiences on the cutting edge. I also love the way traditional architecture is being interpreted, challenged, and rethought in virtual and augmented realities.
My greatest career accomplishment:
Honestly, leading the creative department at Freeman. I've never been surrounded by such talented people, from such a diverse range of backgrounds and skill sets. This extends to the departments we work alongside, and the general culture of support from my management. It's an incredibly exciting and humbling place to be.
My most memorable event:
There have been a few. Launching the Porsche 911 in China, which saw the team create a 3D film that we showed on a massive glass wall, which we then exploded to reveal the new vehicles. The 50th anniversary of the Porsche 911 was memorable as well—we made a nine-minute mapped projection film to showcase the Temple of Ancestral Worship in the Forbidden City in Beijing.
I also loved working on the Google Hardware Stores in New York and Chicago, and creating a fake high school for Vans, with a secret Lil Wayne concert in the mix. And more recently, creating a nine-room home/office on a soundstage to showcase Webex's suite of hardware and software solutions in real situations—which we had only four weeks to conceptualize and execute. Oh, and doing the Amazon Advertising NewFront show live from the Lincoln Center in NYC.
Carter also had a hand in Freeman's projects at the Google Hardware stores in New York and Chicago.Photo: Courtesy of Dan Carter
The advice I would give my younger self:
Be kind to everyone, and learn from those who have been doing it longer. This is a small industry, and you'll never, ever predict where your path can take you.
My ideal day OOO:
Honestly, going to the beach with my family and friends. Ideally in Sydney, Australia.
What’s next for me:
I will continue to build Freeman's creative offering to be unquestionably the best in the industry.
BizBash's 2023 40 Under 40 list is sponsored by VDA, a Massachusetts-based experiential marketing and event design agency that specializes in custom live, hybrid, and virtual experiences designed to drive business growth through client collaboration and creative thinking.
