Mike Joosse is the Director of VML’s Brand Design group, running operations, staffing, communications, and cultural initiatives for the most skilled group of designers in the country. Over a 25-year career, he’s wielded his singular skill set to craft solutions to big problems in areas including leadership, community, education, communications, and design.

Mike has held a one-of-a-kind collection of roles, many of which were created specifically based on his experiences. He was a Senior Program Manager at Adobe, running Creative Jams with a blue-chip client list that included Amazon, Visa, Capital One, Publicis Sapient, Airbnb, and dozens more. As President at Designation, he taught hundreds of digital design students; helped evolve a software boot camp into an internationally recognized, career-defining educational experience; and shepherded Designation’s acquisition by WeWork. He held numerous leadership roles within AIGA, including serving as the organization’s first Director of Chapter Development, and implementing processes and practices that are still in use a decade later. He has spoken at numerous conferences and events, judged creative competitions, and guested on podcasts across the country. He lives in Chicago.