Ivan Sohrakoff

(530) 867-6892
ivansohrakoff.com

OBJECTIVE

My primary objective is to be manager or leader of a design team or creative group. My second objective is to create and edit photography, video, audio, print and web design with a creative group.

EXPERIENCE

2006-Present

Creative Director, Nugget Markets

California

Nugget Markets is a 12-store grocery chain in Northern California. In 2010, Nugget Markets was listed as the 5th best company to work for by Fortune Magazine.

Job Responsibilities and Highlights

I lead a creative department that is responsible for designing and managing our corporate identity, advertising, in-store signage, website content, packaging, labels, collateral, video production, audio production, and contributes a great deal to our marketing programs. I currently manage graphic designers, a photographer, a marketing coordinator and out-source design needs.

2001-2006

Art Director, Vincor USA

California

Vincor USA was a division of Vincor International Inc., North America's 4th largest producer and marketer of wines and related products by volume. Vincor USA produced and markets an exceptional collection of premium and super premium wines from Northern California, Washington State, South Africa, New Zealand, Canada, and Australia. Vincor USA was purchased by the world's largest wine company, Constellation Brands in 2006, and one casualty of this corporate takeover was the loss of a world class design team.

Job Responsibilities and Highlights

Lead and managed team of multimedia designers to service online marketing, website, photography, video, and graphic media needs of Vincor USA. Oversaw execution of both consumer and trade-focused projects within the creative department.
Responsible for annual budgeting for creative department, and ensuring project budgets were met. Served as the project manager for design assignments, following production through to completion.
Lead and coordinated online marketing strategies for all brands. Worked with brand managers to develop timelines, budgets, and plans for online marketing.
Worked and collaborated with external vendors for production and additional marketing support. Worked directly with Vice President of Marketing, graphic designers and sales team to create marketing concepts.
Worked with Monty Python's John Cleese on a voice-over for video promoting Toasted Head Russian River Chardonnay. Lead project, directed, edited and shot video, recorded audio and music, and produced a promotional DVD.
Presented design concepts, user interface training and yearly creative department improvements at national sales meetings to 60+ person sales team and senior management.

1999-2001

Multimedia Designer, R.H. Phillips Winery

California

R.H. Phillips Winery produces Toasted Head, EXP, and R.H. Phillips brands of wine from the Dunnigan Hills in Northern California. R.H. Phillips produces over 500,000 cases of wine annually.

Job Responsibilities and Highlights

Designed and managed website look and feel for each brand.
Developed CD-ROMs, created graphics, shot and edited product photography, and developed marketing ideas for brands.
Created the company's first online retail store and built ecommerce to a $70,000+ business.
Responsible for website management, content, and maintenance for 8 major brands of wine.
Responsible for website statistics accuracy and reporting to Marketing Director.
Increased traffic on specific websites by over 100%.

1998-2000

Guitar Building and Design Instructor

U.C. Davis, California

The UC Davis Craft Center provides students and the other members of the University community the means to achieve a balance between the rigors of the academic and work environments and the need for creative expression.

Job Responsibilities and Highlights

Instigated & taught the first solid-body guitar design and construction class at the U.C. Davis Craft Center in 1998.
Instructed and demonstrated guitar design, woodshop skills, guitar structure, and basic luthierie skills.
Taught a diversity of people, including professors, students, doctors, musicians, and friends to build an electric guitar from scratch.

Aug.-Nov. 1999

Website Designer

Sacramento, California

State of California, Integrated Pest Control Branch, CDFA.

Job Responsibilities and Highlights

Handled all graphics scanning, photographs and website design.
Designed flyers, handouts, and newsletters.
Wrote a column for a quarterly publication.

1998-1999

Project Director Intern

Sacramento, California

Planning and Conservation League Foundation

Job Responsibilities and Highlights

Directed and authored a 95-page scientific publication on the benefits of watershed restoration, which is now cited as an authoritative reference in the bibliographies of many current scientific papers.
Created cover artwork, created layout for all pages and handled printing.

TECHNICAL SKILLS, SOFTWARE & HARDWARE

Print design and production
Package development and design
Branding and identity development
Studio and location photography
Photo editing, retouching & compression
Video editing, shooting & production
Audio recording, editing and mastering
DVD & CD production
Website development, design, & web server management
E-marketing and e-commerce strategy
SOFTWARE: Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Bridge, InDesign, Acrobat, OSX, Final Cut Pro, DVD Studio Pro, iLife Suite, iWork Suite, Aperture, Digidesign Pro Tools, Propellerhead Reason, BBEdit, Macromedia Flash, Director & Dreamweaver, Transfer & Fetch FTP clients, MS Word, Excel, Outlook, Entourage, PowerPoint
HARDWARE : Mac & PC computers, professional DSLR Canon Cameras, strobe and continuous lights & accessories, digital video cameras, digital and analog audio recorders, microphones, digital video decks, live audio equipment

EDUCATION & INTERESTS

B.S. Degree from U.C. Davis with an Art Studio Minor, graduated in 1998.
Interests: Performing & listening to music, photography, woodworking, letterpress printing, video & audio production, guitar-building & design, backpacking, skiing.
I've been on photography and video shoots to New Zealand, Australia, Canada & BC, Washington, and I've been to design conferences & training in Chicago, Atlanta, Boston, Austin, Colorado, Dallas, San Francisco & Sacramento.

References available upon request.

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