Strategic & Innovative Brand Design Leader

Elevating brands
to drive growth and trust

Open to Senior Brand Designer, Staff, Principal, Creative Lead, Art Director, Brand Manager, or Associate Creative Director roles — remote or based in Orange County, CA.

I apply strategic thinking, audience insight, and visual storytelling to shape brand experiences that build recognition, trust, and measurable impact across digital, print, and live event customer touchpoints.

Recently served as Senior Design and Experience Manager at AVEVA, directing global brand design strategy across 40+ countries.

Over the past decade, I've led strategic brand initiatives across 3 company rebrands, 18 global events, and 150+ customer-facing touchpoints for a former FTSE 100 B2B industrial software leader. I specialize in translating complex briefs into clear concepts that drive engagement and business growth.

I combine modern design sensibility with curiosity for emerging technologies like generative AI and scalable design systems to keep brands relevant, connected, and competitive.

Latest Role

Senior Design and Experience Manager

AVEVA ↗

Directing global brand design strategy for a former FTSE 100 B2B industrial software leader across 40+ countries. Leading campaigns, website optimization, digital interfaces, print systems, and live events across 150+ touchpoints.

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Years Experience
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Global Events
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Company Rebrands
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Product & Brand Marketing Touchpoints

award-winning initiatives at aveva

Marketing Initiative of the Year

AVEVA World Paris Campaign • 2024

Marketing Initiative of the Year

AVEVA One Software Rebrand • 2018

Marketing Initiative of the Year

Wonderware Live! • 2017

Brand StrategyDesign SystemsCampaign DevelopmentGlobal EventsExecutive PresentationsGenerative AI
Rene Saldana - Brand Design Leader

Strategic Thinking Meets Visual Storytelling

I translate complex briefs into clear concepts and high-impact creative across digital, print, and live event touchpoints. Known for thoughtful collaboration, clarity under pressure, and effective communication with cross-functional teams and stakeholders.

Brand Strategy & Positioning

Developing comprehensive brand strategies that align with business objectives and create emotional connections with target audiences across global B2B tech markets.

Design Systems & Guidelines

Building scalable design systems and brand guidelines that ensure consistency across all touchpoints while empowering teams to create efficiently at enterprise scale.

Global Events & Experiences

Creating compelling visual narratives and attendee experiences for global events, leveraging emerging technologies like generative AI to deliver high-impact results.

Technical Expertise

Design & Creative

Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, XD, Firefly) • Microsoft PowerPoint • UI Design & Wireframing • Generative AI Integration

Strategy & Management

Brand Guidelines Development • Stakeholder Engagement • Creative Direction • Cross-functional Team Leadership • Global Campaign Management

Latest Experience

2015 — 2025

LATEST ROLE

Senior Design and Experience Manager

AVEVA ↗

Remote, Lake Forest, CA

Directed global brand design and experience strategy for a former FTSE 100 industrial software leader across 40+ countries. Led 3 company rebrands, 7 digital activations, 8 campaigns, and 18+ global events supporting a $10M marketing portfolio, with 3 initiatives recognized as Marketing Initiative of the Year.

Key Achievements:

  • Co-led AVEVA "One" rebrand, unifying legacy brands and driving +245% MQLs, $600M in sales.
  • Launched AVEVA's Digital Style Guide, aligning 16 sites, 12 portals, 125 SaaS UIs.
  • Drove creative for 18 global events, boosting engagement +27% YoY, reaching 4K in attendance.
  • Built AI-driven systems of 240+ assets with zero cost, increasing creative output 4x.
  • Improved navigation/UX: +79% product clicks, +10% overall clicks, +20% time on site.
  • Delivered "Heroes" partner program using generative AI, cutting production time/costs 80%.
  • Led creative labs for 20+ teams, elevating standards, systems, and AI adoption.
  • Directed "Connect the Future" campaign, unifying 3 sub-campaigns for global impact.
  • Architected 300+ accessible icon libraries, driving cross-product consistency.
  • Produced executive presentations praised by industry leaders for clarity and excellence.
Brand StrategyGlobal EventsDesign SystemsGenerative AITeam LeadershipExecutive CommunicationsUX ResearchAccessibilityCampaign DevelopmentVendor Management

2015

Art Director & Senior Graphic Designer (Contract)

Creative Staffing Agencies ↗

Orange County, CA

Delivered creative services for healthcare, education, and consumer clients, producing multi-format assets under tight deadlines with a focus on brand precision and visual excellence.

Key Achievements:

  • Streamlined high-volume production via prioritization, reducing revisions and improving delivery.
  • Applied best practices maintaining creative alignment across solo/collaborative projects.
  • Partnered with art directors/account managers, driving collaboration that expanded scopes.
Marketing CollateralBrochuresSelf MailersDisplay AdsBrand PrecisionClient Relations

2010 — 2015

Art Director

Alar Staffing ↗

Santa Ana, CA

Sole designer and marketer for 5 California offices at a regional staffing agency. Led a full company rebrand from logo to launch, overseeing vendors, press checks, installations, and digital rollout.

Key Achievements:

  • Delivered multi-site rebrand 6 months early, earning direct recognition from company president.
  • Modernized digital presence via unified visuals, refreshed content, boosting engagement.
  • Led seamless Corporate Resource Services acquisition transition, preserving continuity.
Brand IdentityEnvironmental GraphicsDigital MarketingVendor Management

Selected Work

A curated selection of brand design projects spanning rebrands, design systems, global events, and strategic campaigns that demonstrate measurable business impact across B2B industrial software markets.

'One' AVEVA Post-Merger Rebrand
Brand Strategy

'One' AVEVA Post-Merger Rebrand

Co-led comprehensive post-merger rebrand unifying two legacy brands under 'One AVEVA' identity. Shaped organization's color system, typography, and iconography, earning Marketing Initiative of the Year recognition.

Brand IdentityPost-Merger IntegrationDesign SystemsGlobal Rollout
Digital Style Guide for AVEVA
Design Systems

Digital Style Guide for AVEVA

Launched AVEVA's first-ever Digital Style Guide on Frontify platform, harmonizing customer experience across 16 websites, 12 cloud portals, and 125 SaaS product UIs using Atomic Design principles.

Design SystemsFrontifyAtomic DesignCross-functional Leadership
Intersection of AVEVA & PI @ AVEVA World
Global Events

Intersection of AVEVA & PI @ AVEVA World

Directed creative for AVEVA's first post-acquisition conference, delivering strategic vision and end-to-end design that brought the concept to life and earned acclaim for world-class attendee experience.

Event BrandingEnvironmental GraphicsKeynote SupportExperiential Design
'Game On' @ AVEVA IGNITE
Global Events

'Game On' @ AVEVA IGNITE

Created compelling visual narratives and attendee experiences leveraging generative AI integration, resulting in 27% YoY boost in engagement and recognition for driving new business growth.

Event DesignGenerative AIAdobe FireflyEngagement Strategy
Heroes Partner Program @ AVEVA
Campaign Design

Heroes Partner Program @ AVEVA

Delivered AVEVA's global 'Heroes' partner program with zero budget, leveraging AI-powered tools to craft photo-illustrated visual and storytelling narratives, cutting production costs and launch time by 80%.

Partner MarketingAI IntegrationCost OptimizationVisual Storytelling
Wonderware by Schneider Electric Rebrand
Brand Strategy

Wonderware by Schneider Electric Rebrand

Formulated award-winning brand system under Schneider Electric brand, creating scalable templates and guidelines that drove unified execution across global design teams.

Brand IdentityEnterprise BrandingTemplate SystemsGlobal Guidelines
Recognition

Awards & Honors

Recognition for strategic brand initiatives and creative excellence across global campaigns

2024

AVEVA World Paris New Logo Campaign

Marketing Initiative of the Year

Issued by AVEVA

2018

AVEVA One Software Rebrand

Marketing Initiative of the Year

Issued by AVEVA

2017

Wonderware Live!

Marketing Initiative of the Year

Issued by AVEVA

2010

Charter Communications 'Paquete Alcance Mas' Multicultural Campaign

The Faxies Finalist

Cablefax

2007

El Pollo Loco "Taco Celestial" TV Spot

4 Bronze Tellys

Telly Awards

2006

Blue Cross of California Individual Hispanic Campaign

Best of Blue Award

Anthem Blue Cross

Let's Elevate Your Brand Together

Ready to transform your brand strategy and drive meaningful business growth? I'd love to discuss how strategic design thinking can create compelling experiences that resonate with your audience.

Location

Santa Ana, CA • Open to Remote

How I Can Help

  • Brand strategy & positioning for B2B tech companies
  • Design system development and digital style guides
  • Global event branding and experiential design
  • Executive presentation design and stakeholder communications
  • Post-merger brand integration and rebranding initiatives
  • Generative AI integration for scalable creative workflows

Currently Available: Open to new opportunities—remote or based in Orange County, CA.