I help businesses think more clearly about how they show up, and make sure the creative work actually moves them forward.
I’m Howard de Smet, a Creative Director based in London. I currently lead the creative team at Rothschild & Co, working across EMEA.
Before that, I worked at leading agencies including WCRS and Huge, delivering large scale brand and campaign platforms, and partnering with ambitious founders building brands from the ground up. Different environments. Same focus. Raise the level of thinking. Raise the standard of the work.
I’m drawn to businesses that want to evolve. Not for show, but because they know they can be better. Businesses that value clarity over noise, substance over spectacle.
Creative leadership,to me, is about direction, intention and conviction.
Sometimes that means sharpening strategy.
Sometimes that means raising the bar before raising the volume.
Sometimes it means giving a team the confidence topush further.
I started in craft: design, art direction, ad concepts, big ideas. I still care deeply about the detail. But today my role is to set direction, guide teams, and ensure the work earns its place commercially as well as creatively. Ideas should do more than fill space. They should win trust, take market share, create momentum and hold up over time. That only happens when the thinking behind them is solid.
Here are a few recent examples of that thinking put into action:
I’ve led work across brand identity, major campaigns and digital platforms. The medium isn’t the point. What matters is clear thinking, high standards, and work that strengthens the business while building the capability of the team behind it.
If any of that sounds useful and you’d like to talk, you can find me on LinkedIn→
