Amazing people saying nice things.
(Resume at end of scroll.)
Kevin Kramnic VP Trade Marketing / Constellation Brands Beer Division
In my role as VP, Trade Marketing for Constellation Brands (Modelo, Corona, Victoria and Pacifico family of brands) I’ve had the pleasure of collaborating closely with Michael to deliver engaging, high-performing creative for our brands. He brings together a deep understanding of the nuances and ambitions for each of the brands and marries them seamlessly with the consumer insights to overcome brand challenges and deliver exceptional creative tied to the brand objectives.
From the start, Michael refined and elevated an incredible creative team at Upshot. They consistently delivered work that was both strategically sound and creatively inspiring. He motivated his team to push boundaries and design superior creative on their way to setting elevated industry benchmarks. Under his leadership we have seen our success stretch across our promotional activities in both real-life and digital experiences. Michael is a strong collaborator. He values input from all sources and is always eager to listen and learn. He is a Chief Creative Officer that will take your brands to the next level.
Matt Fitz-Henry Chief Technology Officer / Amp Agency
Simply put, Michael is an inspiration. As Chief Creative Officer at Amp, Michael led by example with an optimistic focus on the potential of technology and innovation. He believes that technology is intrinsically creative and creativity is elevated by tech.He's not just a creative mind; he's a tech evangelist, focused on inspiring his team to embrace new technology whether Ai, Ar, Vr, or something we aren’t yet aware of, to push the boundaries of what a creative idea can become. He sees a creative department less as “just ad folks”, but more as “experience architects”.
He is a leader with depth, experience, and endless creative curiosity. I deeply appreciate his hands-on approach to understanding both the potential and limitations of technology and innovation. He is always up for collaborative experimentation with a focus on “what could be”. Together, we challenged each other. The result was a creative culture that thrived on learning, experimentation, and “possibility”. The result bridging the creative-tech gap so many agencies face. Michael’s unwavering optimism is infectious. It inspired me, as the Head of Technology to see new creative possibilities and solutions I might otherwise not have considered. During the time I worked with Michael, our collaboration enabled better alignment between creative and technology and ultimately produced better work and outcomes for our clients.
Mark Landolt President, CEO / The Marketing Store
It’s my absolute pleasure to recommend Michael as a dynamic and talented creative leader based on his past three years at The Marketing Store as Chief Creative Officer, North America. From his work across our portfolio of clients […] I’ve gotten to know him as a highly inspirational, forward-thinking creative director and leader.
Michael has led our ambition to find our voice as an innovative, creative agency. Thanks to his vision, leadership and passion for building both high-performance creative teams and award-winning creative culture, we’ve assembled an unstoppable team on the portfolio side of our business. His contributions have been absolutely invaluable, and it seems there’s no challenge too big for Michael to tackle.
Shannon Solberg (Stauff) Executive Director Strategic Growth / Latitude
“Michael and I worked together developing new business for Integer. If I had to pick one word to describe the experience of partnering with him, it’s memorable. Memorable because of his ability to make the complicated understandable. His savvy instincts in seeing opportunity where others don’t. The way he leverages big ideas and creative strategy to provide a point of differentiation from competitors. And most of all, Michael is full of positive energy. It fuels his teams, clients and peers and is simply who he is. It’s a gift to be able to call him a partner in our work.”
Eric Sutton Group Creative Director / Amp
Michael brings a well of positive energy and wisdom to everything he does. This combination inspires creatives and delights clients. In our time together, he pushed himself and the team to infuse the work with an element of surprise, that ellusive element that moves the needle from good to great. While setting a high bar professionally, he also took genuine interest in building human connections. In short, he has creative vision and a dedication to realizing it through a vibrant team culture.
Kathleen Flynn President / Agency.com
"Michael is an inspirational leader. He motivates teams to think outside the box and come up with new and compelling ideas for clients. Michael has a great management style - allowing his team the autonomy to come up with new approaches and ideas. He's a terrific team player, working closely with other members of the senior management team to set and achieve objectives. I really enjoy Michael's consistently positive outlook and stamina to keep motivating everyone around him during challenging times."
Frank Maher Group President, COO / Integer TBWA
“There are many ECD's I've worked with in my career and at the top of my list, the most well rounded business strategy and creative mind, coupled with a highly collaborative and team oriented disposition is Michael Rivera. During our time together Michael raised the bar on creative excellence and innovation including championing and building an in-house content studio, driving award-winning work for Fortune 100 clients like Michelin and was a leader in new business development for world-class companies like LG and Alliant Energy. Truly a great marketing mind and partner!”
Eric Baskauskas Group Creative Director / Upshot
Michael's an inspiring leader who brings energy and a strong point of view to his team and his agency. He understands the power of having a creative mission to rally around, and walks the walk alongside the entire creative department to ensure we all share the same goals. He's not afraid of change or a challenge — in fact he leans into it, whether he's redefining an entire agency or embracing new tools like AI. Delightful to work with, and his sneaker game is on point!
Russ Unger Experience Design Director / GE Capital Americas
"Michael is passionate and exploratory where others may not be willing to take such risks. He gets to know the inside of brands--and their consumers--and finds the right ways to engage and excite. He's always seeking to learn more about where consumers are, how they live and how to get inside their heads in order to create better experiences for them. Good ideas are a starting point; Michael has the passion and experience to drive his teams to turn them into ideas that his clients and partners know are great."
Colleen Sobek VP Account Director / HY Connect
"Michael is the kind of guy that brings style, energy and light into the room. His strength is integrating digital strategies and creative solutions within the broader campaign platform, while challenging his teams to think about what else is possible. He is optimistic and believes in continual adaptation to changing realities."
Elena Robinson Head of Production / O’Keefe Reinhard & Paul
“Working with Michael is a true pleasure. He brings creative insight and leadership combined with spot on strategic insights. He truly understands the art and science of advertising and works to partner with clients and their brands to reach the consumer in new and unexpected ways. He surrounds himself with good people and lets them run with the ball!”
Nicholas Kinports VP Director of Social Media / HY Connect
"I have had the good fortune to work directly with Michael twice during my career in advertising. Michael continues to push the envelope in the digital space. His tenacity and ability to stay ahead of emerging trends and technologies means he is a true digital and creative leader, able to earn respect from all sides of the agency. His focus on integrating and monetizing emerging marketing opportunities like social media and mobile marketing leads to new thinking and new business opportunities, while identifying and recruiting key players contributes directly to agency success."
Mattie Langenberg Director of Technology, UX Technical Lead / Apervita
"I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with Michael in my time at HY Connect and I hope to partner with him again in the future. Michael was a great leader. His mix of creative vision and business acumen, bundled with infectious enthusiasm and positivity made HY Connect an exciting, interesting place to work."
Jean McLaren President / MARC USA
"One of the rare creative leaders who understands the business of advertising as well as the art of it. Innovative thinker, collaborative, passionate, inspiring."
Benjamin Kennedy VP Product Development / Digital Ventures / Integer TBWA
"Michael is a progressive and collaborative partner who understands brand development in the Digital Era. Michael stewarded the role of experience design and UX, with a focus on how these instruments drive commerce. Within an evolving and unpredictable landscape, Michael is a leader who can remove walls and territories and can inspire and unite a cross-functional team."
Mark Pfeifer VP Marketing and Global Branding, GGP, and VP Marketing / Advocate Healthcare
"I have had the pleasure of working with Michael twice in my marketing career. Michael is a very creative person who thinks outside the box and yet is very strategic in ensuring the ultimate brand goals are met. He has excellent people skills working both internally and with his clients. I would highly recommend Michael for any marketing oriented position."
Rob Gallas VP Chief Marketing Officer / Museum of Science and Industry
"Michael was terrific to work with. A creative and strategic thinker who helped us build a strong brand and learn new ways to engage our public."
Arturo Trovato Experience Director / Razorfish
"Michael is a terrific leader and one of the most positive people I’ve ever worked with. That, combined with his strategic thinking makes him a fantastic creative director. Having lived both on the traditional side of advertising, as well as the digital side, Michael brings a unique experience that allows him to reach into an extensive universe of ideas that he uses to create truly memorable brand experiences. He always strives to get the most from his team and knows how to get them to do their best work. I learned a great deal from Michael at Agency.com – he is inspiring, fun, and a pleasure to work with."
Tom Denison Co-founder / TechWauk Health, Founder & CEO / Funl, Co-founder / Xactogram
"Michael is the consummate creative professional. I worked closely with Michael on several business opportunities while at Agency.com, and he always stressed the importance of truly understanding client needs and fulfilling those needs through digital design. His work is impeccable and always aligned with client goals. He is a terrific manager and effortlessly can get his employees to see his vision. Not only does he "deliver the goods" from a creative perspective, but he also presents extremely well to current and prospective clients. I can honestly say that without his help, I would not have garnered any business while at Agency.com."
Timothy Kane Global Chief Marketing Officer, YouGov
"Michael was actually the first person I ever hired, and in many respects he's been the model for everyone who's followed. He's a terrific conceptual thinker, whose insights are grounded in the truth of everyday life. He's a strong writer, who has developed his own unique voice. And he's a gentle, but forceful advocate for great work. I'd love to be able to take credit, but the truth is Michael had all these skills the moment he walked in the door."
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