James Lee Thompson

Head of Design

United Kingdom10 yrs 10 mos experience

Most Likely To Switch

Key Highlights

Expert in creative strategy across multiple industries
Proven track record in mentoring senior teams
Innovator in colour and materials for luxury sectors

Stackforce AI infers this person is a strategic leader in Fashion and Automotive design with a focus on materials innovation.

Contact

Skills

Core Skills

Creative StrategyLeadershipColour And Materials StrategyCreative DirectionMaterials ManagementTeam LeadershipColour And Materials DesignProduct CreationFootwear DevelopmentProduct Management

Other Skills

Creative Design StrategyChange ManagementCultural AlignmentColour Technology IntegrationRaw Material StrategiesMaterial DNAMaterial Departments CreationMentoringMaterial StrategiesCollaborationMaterial-led Product CreationPaint Colour TechnologyLuxury RedefinitionMaterial-led DesignTeam Mentoring

About

I’m a strategy leader shaped by a career of catalytic moves across Fashion, Sportswear and Automotive Design. I’ve built and scaled new creative functions in both start-ups and global organisations, bringing storytelling, materiality and brand expression together in distinctive ways, particularly through colour and circular design in the premium and luxury sectors. I’m known for mentoring senior teams, challenging convention with intent, and helping brands find clarity, confidence and differentiation in high pace environments.

Experience

Mclaren automotive ltd

Head of Creative Strategy

Jul 2023 – Present · 2 yrs 8 mos · Bicester, England, United Kingdom · Hybrid

‘Don’t be an arsehole’- Design mantra.
Built, stabilised and nurtured Creative Design Strategy team across all vehicle programmes from creative direction through to production. Departments include Ultimate/MSO CMF Design (maternity cover), Lifestyle CMF Design, Graphic Design, UI Design + Digital Visualisation.
Direct report to Chief Creative Officer, implementing design strategies across vehicles, brand and lifestyle accessories.
Leadership team for merger of FORSEVEN LTD and MCLAREN AUTOMOTIVE involving change management, culture transfer and alignment of creative process and implementation across the newly expanded portfolio.

Creative Design StrategyChange ManagementCultural AlignmentCreative DirectionCreative StrategyLeadership

On

2 roles

Head of Colour and Materials Strategy- Footwear, Apparel + Accessories

Promoted

Sep 2022 – Jul 2023 · 10 mos · Zurich, Switzerland

'Roger Federer smells so good’- overheard in canteen.
On top of existing commitments: set up the ‘Strategy’ team, implementing preferred raw material strategies, colour technology integration per business unit / product family and Material DNA per product franchaise.
Set Creative Direction alongside senior design leadership team, as a resident material expert.
Incubate innovations in colour and materials parallel to protecting current materiality in commercialisation (990 million CHF net sales in 2022).

Colour Technology IntegrationRaw Material StrategiesCreative DirectionMaterial DNAColour and Materials Strategy

Head of Materials- Footwear, Apparel + Accessories

Aug 2020 – Aug 2022 · 2 yrs · Zurich, Switzerland

‘Why does this cauliflower cost 12 f*****g quid?’- 1st day in Zurich.
An accumulation of my experience directed into my biggest challenge to date- create functioning material departments across Footwear, Apparel and Accessories…from scratch.
Grew team from 4 to 22, carving and maintaining an equal contribution space in the product creation process for materials teams.
Directly mentor 4 senior leaders (FTW HQ/FTW ASIA/APPAREL HQ/ACC HQ) to be the empowered face for material departments, enabling all individuals to be entrepreneurs in their craft and by championing collaboration with key counter parts in Design/Development/Product management.
Parallel, created and implemented game changing material strategies from less glamorous build of core toolboxes through to industry leading creative direction for material and colour application innovations.

Material Departments CreationMentoringMaterial StrategiesCollaborationMaterials ManagementTeam Leadership

Jaguar land rover

Creative Specialist- Colour and Materials Design

Aug 2019 – Jul 2020 · 11 mos · Gaydon, Warwickshire, United Kingdom · On-site

'A car is just a big shoe with wheels’
Heightened my obsession with material-led product creation by being part of a team that redefined modern luxury through the global 'MATERIALITY' concept.
Learnt new skills in exterior paint colour technology parallel to translating my footwear material expertise over to the Automotive world.
No, i didn't get a free Range Rover.

Material-led Product CreationPaint Colour TechnologyLuxury RedefinitionColour and Materials DesignProduct Creation

Puma group

2 roles

Senior Colour and Materials Designer Teamsport Footwear (Football)

Promoted

Jun 2017 – Jul 2019 · 2 yrs 1 mo

'You hate Football'- Dad.
How can i take my outsider perspective and infiltrate product creation to produce new results?
You also don't have to have a pencil and paper to design- I did it with
fabric, scissors and a staple gun.
Advocated the movement of material led design, and revolutionised the way the team created product. One of my proudest moments, on top of diversifying and mentoring a team of 11 through being unapologetically myself, and in result being welcomed with open arms.

Material-led DesignTeam MentoringProduct CreationColour and Materials DesignTeam Leadership

Footwear & Materials Developer Sportstyle

Jun 2016 – May 2017 · 11 mos

‘Hi, I’m Rihanna’- Rihanna.
From making high heels out of rubber, to commercialising faux fur slides for Rihanna and looking after multi-million dollar Puma Suede franchise.
Journeyed me from the dulcet landscapes of Bavaria to the cultural reset of Vietnam.

Footwear DevelopmentCommercialisationProduct Management

Hunter boot ltd

Footwear Developer

Jun 2014 – May 2016 · 1 yr 11 mos · London Area, United Kingdom

'Well done on finally getting a proper job'- Mum.
My first opportunity to see commercial product creation process from start to finish.

Marc jacobs

Design Intern

Jan 2013 – Mar 2013 · 2 mos · New York City

Cut fabrics worth $500/yard and made Marc protein shakes. What dreams are made of.

Omar kashoura

Menswear Design Intern

Mar 2012 – Aug 2012 · 5 mos · Greater London, England, United Kingdom

Omar’s right hand person in the run up to the first ever London collections: Menswear Fashion week. Designed, sewed, pattern cut, made fish finger sandwiches.