Tom Krell (he/him)      
Strategist | Writer | 

Philosopher | Artist 

                                                                 
Strategic and creative leader with a PhD in philosophy and 10+ years of experience in advertising, media, and the culture industry. A multidisciplinary specialist recognized for championing bold, insights-driven strategies that catalyze market transformation and create meaningful cultural impact, while inspiring collaborative, cross-functional teams to achieve ambitious goals.

Proven expertise as a clear and compelling writer, results-oriented creator, and empathy-driven relationship builder. Brings elegant conceptual order to complex projects, crafting undeniable brand identities and executing initiatives that forge deep connections and drive growth.

EXPERIENCE

Strategy Director, Cultural Intelligence Director | EP+Co
Oct 2022 - November 2024

• Directed strategy for clients and new business, uncovering market and consumer insights to grow brands through actionable omnichannel solutions. Worked shoulder to shoulder with creative, digitial, and production teams, advocating for world-class creative work while accomplishing business goals.

• Managed multiple clients at once. Guided multi-disciplinary IATs end-to-end. Wore many hats and got my hands dirty managing workflows across creative, research, strategic, social, creative technology, and other teams.

• Solved problems in comms and brand planning by synthesizing multi-thread quantitative and qualitative research into clear systems and plans.

• Developed internal and external thought leadership, including launching an internal ‘cultural intelligence’ skunkworks.

• Collaborated with ELT to sharpen agency positioning and public-facing presence.

• Managed junior colleagues and create tools to help them become brilliant strategists.

• Clients: Post, FedEx, John Deere, Michelin, Nature Valley, Planet Oat, Old El Paso, Synchrony.

Senior Creative Strategist | Warner Music Group, WMX Agency
Dec 2020 - Sep 2022

• Collaborated with technical and creative teams to produce branded content and cultural collaborations rooted in cultural insights.

• Translated insights into captivating campaigns, elevating the agency into an award-winning creative studio.

• Clients: Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Doritos, REI, Foot Locker, Bose, Delta, Magnum.

ACD, Strategic Creative, Writer | UPROXX Media
May 2019 - Nov 2020

• Managed high-volume strategic and creative workflow, crafting data-driven storytelling for clients across diverse industries.

• Clients: Toyota, Sprite, Amazon, McDonald’s.

Freelance Writer / Creative Consultant
2016 - 2019

• Provided strategy for branded content and developed brand identity in buzzworthy, culturally relevant campaigns for Doubleday & Cartwright, IHEARTCOMIX, Red Bull.

Artist – How to Dress Well
2010 - Present

• Performed and installed genre-bending, multimedia artworks worldwide, engaging with global youth culture firsthand over the last ~15 years. Oversee end-to-end development, from ideation through production and execution, integrating logistical and strategic processes.

Professor / Editor / Translator

2009 - 2016

• Translated, edited, and wrote academic texts, honing technical communication skills for specialized audiences.

• Taught courses at the New School for Social Research, St. John’s University, Universität Bonn, and DePaul University.

Education

PhD, Philosophy

DePaul University

MA, Philosophy

New School for Social Research

BA, Philosophy and Literature

Cornell College