James Wilkinson

“James is a truly smart thinker with an enormous know-how in the digital space and always an inspirational colleague.”

“It’s obvious to me based on the level of sophistication here, that you guys have been doing this a long time. I’m deeply impressed. ”

“James is the most brilliant, talented person I’ve ever met. He has such a very useful, eclectic and rare experience in creativity that listening to him is always beneficial for his team, and so reassuring for clients.”

“I had the luck of crossing path with James at Publicis.Sapient, San Francisco, and I believe my knowledge as creative just grew exponentially thanks to what I learn working with him.

James is has an amazing ability to not only foresee potential in any brand but also and impecable taste that just makes his concepts come to live in espectacular way. He is a leader that really collaborates with his teams and who is not limited by tittles, if you are good and care for your work he would bring the best out of you. This kind of mentorship was the reason I moved to San Francisco for an he definitely showed me how to be a creative leader. James drive and passion for his work is truly inspiring and radiates to anyone who gets to work with him, and I look forward to the day we get to work together again and makes award winning campaigns.”

“I’m almost running out of things to say here regarding quality for James. He is an exceptional creative talent and a powerhouse strategic thinker and has put in the time, energy and focus it took to get there over his career. That is not something I can say about most of the CCO/CSO level people I’ve worked with over the years. James has finely crafted and tuned his way of doing things that does not happen by accident and isn’t guaranteed for others brave enough to try it. He is a rarity indeed and one that I think has contributed an enormous amount to the success of POP.”

“It’s not often you get to work with someone you’d consider to be a true mentor, but working with James happens to be one of those rare cases. Through the almost 2 years I’ve been fortunate enough to call SapientNitro home, James has taught me a lot, and trusted me with countless opportunities I never thought I’d have this early in my career. Above all the valuable things James does for the company on a daily basis, what impresses me most is his management of projects and teams. The amount of quality creative that is produced under his direction, particularly in crunch situations, is nothing short of incredible. Plus, his quick-witted humor and ability to lighten tense situations, ensures everyone involved is having fun. If you ever get the chance to work with James in any capacity, move fast!”

“James has very high standards and expects nothing less from the team. He also sets a good example by setting audacious goals for the creative team to work on. I’ve seen firsthand how he obsesses about the success of our clients - mostly on pitches, but even on some of the more mundane work, he can really dig in and find ways to improve or even just appreciate the smaller projects, but his real value comes through in architecting the big ideas and campaigns.”

“James very quickly became an extremely valuable partner and asset while I was working as Creative Director at ARC/Burnett and he was my client at PMI. It is not common to have a client bubbling with ideas and so passionate about innovation. He challenged us recklessly. He was the perfect ambassador for good creative and a bowl of fresh air in a rather challenging product category to be innovative with. He’s also great to hang out with.”

“James brings with him the sense that he is a trusted authority on everything related to Creative – he’s seen it, done it, been there, and succeeded.”

“James is an outstanding Creative Director. We’ve worked together on several projects and he consistently delivered top quality results. James clearly stands out of the crowd thanks to a solid FMCG experience coupled with an outstanding creative mind. I highly recommend him and would certainly rely on his expertise and out-of-the-box thinking.”

“James is a strong leader. He makes strategic, creative and well-informed decisions to solve problems in a timely manner which allows for his team to work efficiently with clear direction. He inspires and motivates us to exceed expectations by elevating the quality of work we produce. James champions change. In an always evolving digital world, he pushes boundaries and challenges his team to think outside the box in order to realize a better future for our clients’ businesses. These three points promote people growth because he empowers and supports his team to produce great work for our clients, time and time again.

I have the opportunity to work with James and his team when pursuing new business for the West coast. Working in business development is often times challenging due to strict timelines however, when James is involved he un-complicates the brief and streamlines our approach to create an efficient and positive working environment. I’ve been working with James over the past four years and he has provided countless moments of guidance and feedback contributing to my success at SapientNitro. From reviewing my career goals in one on one meetings to casual feedback in the kitchen when making tea in the morning, he recognizes my potential to manage and drive successful business development opportunities. Even though I’m not a member of the creative team he goes out of his way to collaborate and be a mentor because he is genuinely invested in seeing me succeed. I think that is a special quality of his leadership style, he will work outside his team to guide and mentor his colleagues to set them up for success. As a result of James’ guidance, I now manage new business pursuits like a well-oiled machine. I’ve also been taking his guidance and successfully applying it to pursuits outside the West coast offices.”

“James is a worldclass craftsman, a partner, a business-minded creative, a superpower and a friend. He makes those around him better at what they do, and I trust him implicitly to do his job at a level that is a consistent competitive advantage for POP. Perhaps at times I don’t say this enough, but I do truly respect and value what James brings to the table and I want our journey to continue and be successful for many years ahead.”

“James is an outstanding creative with excellent concepting skills. He was a pleasure to work with and excelled in all areas of integration. Client’s were always impressed with his ideas and he was never afraid to push the boundaries and delivered excellent results both from a creative point of view but also delivered outstanding ROI for several FMCG brands. He works very well with account handling and planning teams. He has the rare combination of understanding complex commercial issues whilst delivering fantastic creative.”

“James has an eagle eye and an audacious brain. His confidence in the power of a creative idea is what caused me to join his team, and his understanding of the business keeps me growing. The depth and breadth of the references and experience he brings to the work inspires people to take (smart) risks. He doesn’t accept less than the best and will work alongside his team until the job is done to perfection. I still learn from James and challenge myself learn new skills as a result.”

“I’ve worked with James for over four years, in two different offices, and in many different situations. He has been a tireless advocate of Sapient and our people throughout. James pushes every individual to do their best, every time – not by force, but by nurturing people’s belief in their own unique abilities, and by choreographing a team such that everyone’s strengths are used to serve the greater good. By setting an example that never accepts less than the best in himself, he shows us that we can go beyond the limits we might have perceived within ourselves. At the team level, I’ve watched those around me take on increasing responsibilities, and deliver ever-higher quality of work, as the SF office has become a truly galvanized team under his leadership. Never one to fall victim to tunnel vision, James sees all the moving parts, and ensures that creative coordinates with other domains – to the benefit of our people, our clients, and our business.”

“James is an Inspirational and motivating leader. I have had the opportunity to work with James and have witnessed the impact he had on the creative department and individuals with whom he worked with. Not only is he committed to producing award winning creative, he is just as committed to having fun too. James is passionate about what he does and he inspires you to do great work for him. He truly inspires creativity and I consider myself lucky to have worked with him. He has the talent and knowledge that few have. He is able to focus on the consumer and what works for them beyond the computer screen extending into true interactive advertising in all mediums and consumer touch points. I look forward to working with James again in the future.”

“I had the pleasure of working with James at Sapient Nitro, sadly only for about 8 months prior to my departure. In the short time that James and I collaborated on projects, I found myself infused once again with passion and excitement; passion for being part of a truly creative, collaborative experience, and excitement over the endless possibilities of what can be achieved with an innovative, thought-provoking leader driving both the team and the clients to reach beyond their comfort zone. As a director, James was very quickly able to evaluate the skills and raw talents of the creative team assigned to him and to provide focused direction to each of them, playing up their strengths and interests. As a result, James has helped to build a high-performance team with various proficiencies. As a mentor, James takes the time to coach his team on client preparedness and on understanding that there is always more than one option available, and guides them to look beyond the obvious. His years of experience working with globally renowned brands on compelling integrated campaigns is providing his team with invaluable knowledge and I witnessed first-hand the growth in maturity and confidence that the team has experienced since James came on the scene. His deep understanding of consumer behavior, his multi-faceted creative experience, his easy manner, charm and, most of all, his confidence in his creative solutions wins the clients’ trust and respect very quickly and leads to a larger ‘slice’ of the client portfolios. I highly recommend James and I hope to have the opportunity to work with him again in the not-to-distant future.tever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.”

“James is an exceptional creative director. A restless soul, driven by a need to really understand the consumer - their choices; their reasons to accept or reject; what is relevant and what is not. He combines this knowledge with extraordinarily clear strategic thinking to take the creative response to big, brave ideas. Ideas that fit and that work.

He has humour and enthusiasm and his natural talent and attitude draws the best out of the people around him. Working with James was both inspiring and challenging. He drove me to some of my best and most rewarding work and I am very grateful that I had the opportunity to work with him and be inspired by him on a daily basis.

I would work with James again in an instant. Besides everything, he makes me laugh.”

“Jim sees the world in a fabulously different way that makes him the most creative person I’ve ever worked with. Yet his creativity has a razor-sharp commercial edge. Whether it’s seeing new business opportunities and models or creating brilliant advertising, Jim is world class; and I’ve always found him easy to work with and in tune with what I need. I recommend Jim without reservation.”