Meet Ainhoa
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I had the pleasure to discuss my design journey so far and the lessons learned along the way with Creativepool. It was a reflective experience, diving into the milestones, challenges, learnings and the incredible people who have inspired and shaped my path so far. I hope my experiences can resonate, offer value or perhaps trigger someone's journey into our amazing creative community. A huge thank you to the team at Creativepool for the thoughtful conversation!
Professional Bio
A creative director and brand design leader working at the intersection of brand strategy, marketing, and design, I bridge the gap between brand ambition and creative expression.
With a career spanning award-winning design studios and some of the world's leading FMCG organisations, I combine the creative spark of agency thinking and the strategic rigour of global brand leadership.
My career started at DesignBridge Amsterdam; eleven years learning how the world's best agencies and top creative leaders turn brand thinking into brand expression that earns a place in culture, resonates in the moments that matter, and stays relevant long after the brief is forgotten.
Then at Reckitt, I built and led an in-house creative team responsible for translating global strategy into distinctive, consistent and innovative brand expression, across markets, budgets, timelines, and the glorious chaos of a complex matrixed global organisation. From there, I stepped into a pure brand design category leadership role, owning the design strategy and end-to-end brand experience for a global portfolio ofl brands.
After that came Nestlé, where my focus shifted from managing brands to building the infrastructure that helps strong brand thinking travel consistently across one of the world's largest and most complex brand portfolios.
My biggest takeaway from years working across agency and corporate is this: distinctive brands aren't born from better briefs or bigger budgets. They come from brave teams who refuse to let the distance between ambition and execution become the place where good ideas go to blend in and die.
That's what I do, as a fractional brand and creative lead , for the agencies and marketing teams who suspect their brand and creative could be working considerably harder than
it is.
I have had the pleasure of working with some brilliant brands and even more brilliant people. Here are a few of them:
In Good Company
Outside of work, I'm a proud mum of two, born in Spain and shaped by living across four countries, now happily rooted in Amsterdam.
When I'm not working, you'll find me in the water or in the mountains with my girls. I enjoy reading and writing about brand and design when I feel there is a story worth sharing, and mentoring young creatives, particularly those who didn't take the conventional route in, because I know firsthand how much a well-timed conversation can change a trajectory.
I've built my career around staying curious, learning daily, and trying to leave things a little better than I found them. I've never really done things the conventional way, and I've long since stopped apologising for it. The scenic route takes longer and it's often harder, but it's also where you learn the most and collect the best stories. I wouldn't have it any other way.
Let’s connect
Every brand challenge is different.
Whether you need sharper positioning, stronger creative direction, or someone to lead and deliver end-to-end, I'd love to hear what you're working on. Tell me about your brand and your challenge, and let's figure out the best way forward together.