Kim Merritt
Sr. Creative Strategist,
TrueX

I worked with Jonathan for three years, during which he was a key figure in leading and representing our multidisciplinary team.

In a pre-COVID world I had the opportunity to travel the country and attend several key meetings and on-set productions with Jonathan. Time after time he proved to be a reliable presenter who can own any room, as he’s just as comfortable in front of peers as he is clients and executives.

Once COVID hit he seamlessly transitioned to working remotely, which was no surprise since he'd been working with teams in LA, Seattle, Chicago, and New York for years.

Jonathan was also a key figure in our team’s culture. His personality and sense of humor made him extremely personable, collaborative, and well-liked across multiple teams. Though I worked with him more as a counterpart, it was obvious that he was never afraid to stand up for and support his team. His direct reports were given the freedom and trust to do their jobs, as I watched them grow under his guidance.

His passion and knowledge of all things music/audio also helped expand our team’s capabilities on several occasions. In a true problem-solving manner, his ability to jump in and record audio for consumer-facing work helped us maintain ongoing business with one of our biggest clients. It was just as much a pleasure working with Jonathan as it was gaining him as a friend.

I look forward to the day he gets to fully utilize his creative capabilities and do some truly awesome work.

Caylin Gentry
Director of Acct Mgmt,
TrueX

Jonathan is an exceptional art director with and outstanding client-facing presence. I worked with Jonathan for 4.5 on a variety of campaign creative, higher level client strategy and creative development initiatives and I can honestly say Jonathan is a jack of all trades. Not only does he possess amazing design, creative strategy and leadership skills and knowledge, but also his audio recording background saved us when trying to execute on a client initiative with absolutely zero assets. He is truly dynamic and adaptive in his executions of carrying out difficult and seemingly impossible creative requests.

Jonathan and I also had the chance to travel together presenting high level client & design strategy to brands like Amazon, T-Mobile and Monster Energy which helped us secure and grow the partnerships with each of those clients. Jonathan is not only a reliable, highly skilled and solution focused colleague, he also demonstrates immense leadership within his team and amongst other teams with which he collaborates.

Hannah Kim
Sr. Designer, Motion
TrueX

The leadership that Jonathan has as an art director is truly unique and inspiring. With Jonathan as a manager, our team was always heard and supported. He never micromanaged, but rather trusted us to do our jobs and ask questions when needed. Not only did Jonathan helped me feel confident about my skills but he also provided me with opportunities to grow when the work was slow and uninspiring. He always made sure to set aside time to provide us with feedback and guidance. It wasn't just about doing good work, but also about how we can build our relationships and grow as designers, professionals, and collaborators. He helped us set realistic goals that we can improve on in the long run.

One of his strengths is that he knows how to build solid relationships with others, whether that be clients or other teams within the company. This, along with his ability as a designer helped true[X] win over important businesses like Amazon as well as win big awards for the company. He sets a prime example on how an ideal art director should be and I'm grateful to have had Jonathan as my manager and mentor.

Matt Gallo
Sr. Art Director,
TrueX

At true[X], Jonathan guided a team of multidisciplinary designers for all West and Midwest accounts, and has picked up a hefty amount of awards with them along the way. Over three years, I watched Jonathan’s management approach. Not only does his proficiency in various methods of art and design help him lead, but perhaps even most is his availability to connect at a human level. That’s a simple trait, but not always easy to find. He makes himself available for his team, hears their feedback, and optimizes their day-to-day to ensure quality of their output. His ease of navigating complex corporate infrastructures, his ability to assume managerial posture for tough, yet necessary conversations, and his eagerness to collaborate with adjacent teams all make him a prime candidate for creative leadership.

The direction he provided for Amazon exemplifies how much value he offered at true[X]. In the beginning of our partnership with Amazon, Jonathan directed the Amazon creative team, helped them understand our interactive ad platform, and fostered their return business for years. He took on more responsibility than required here, helping his Strategy team when they were short-staffed and when we needed resources for high-profile pitches. Ultimately, our team was thrilled to watch all the trophies pile up. At one point, I just started losing count of how many awards Jonathan actually won for us.

I'm thankful for crossing career paths with Jonathan, and am totally looking forward to hearing about his next big role!