James Sommerville is a brand architect and design strategist working at the cutting edge of global brand transformation. With over three decades of experience in visual identity, brand storytelling, and creative innovation, he has redefined how some of the world’s most iconic brands communicate, evolve, and engage across markets.
As the Former VP Global Design at The Coca-Cola, James has led global design activations for iconic brands across over 100 markets, building systems that balanced global consistency with local relevance. His leadership helped steer the company into a new era of design-led storytelling, combining traditional branding principles with forward-thinking aesthetics and scalable design ecosystems.
Today, James is the founder of KnownUnknown, a disruptive creative platform that connects global organisations with an elite network of decentralised, independent talent. Through KnownUnknown, he delivers transformative design thinking and scalable brand strategies to Fortune 500s, emerging start-ups, and social impact ventures alike.
A trusted strategic advisor, James works closely with C-suite leaders and CMOs to futureproof brand vision, shape design culture, and implement agile creative operations at scale. His focus is on unlocking creativity as a growth engine, aligning innovation with business goals, and cultivating long-term brand equity.
Recent engagements include rebranding The King’s Trust (formerly The Prince’s Trust), where James led the creative direction and delivery of a bold new visual identity to support its global ambitions and resonate with a new generation of changemakers. His work has been recognised by global institutions and honoured with an OBE in 2024 for services to design and youth empowerment.
James is currently exploring opportunities to advise public and private organisations on creative strategy, design governance, brand architecture, and distributed talent models. He is particularly passionate about mentoring diverse creative teams and supporting the development of the next generation of brand leaders.
James Sommerville is a brand architect and design strategist working at the cutting edge of global brand transformation. With over three decades of experience in visual identity, brand storytelling, and creative innovation, he has redefined how some of the world’s most iconic brands communicate, evolve, and engage across markets.
As the Former VP Global Design at The Coca-Cola, James has led global design activations for iconic brands across over 100 markets, building systems that balanced global consistency with local relevance. His leadership helped steer the company into a new era of design-led storytelling, combining traditional branding principles with forward-thinking aesthetics and scalable design ecosystems.
Today, James is the founder of KnownUnknown, a disruptive creative platform that connects global organisations with an elite network of decentralised, independent talent. Through KnownUnknown, he delivers transformative design thinking and scalable brand strategies to Fortune 500s, emerging start-ups, and social impact ventures alike.
A trusted strategic advisor, James works closely with C-suite leaders and CMOs to futureproof brand vision, shape design culture, and implement agile creative operations at scale. His focus is on unlocking creativity as a growth engine, aligning innovation with business goals, and cultivating long-term brand equity.
Recent engagements include rebranding The King’s Trust (formerly The Prince’s Trust), where James led the creative direction and delivery of a bold new visual identity to support its global ambitions and resonate with a new generation of changemakers. His work has been recognised by global institutions and honoured with an OBE in 2024 for services to design and youth empowerment.
James is currently exploring opportunities to advise public and private organisations on creative strategy, design governance, brand architecture, and distributed talent models. He is particularly passionate about mentoring diverse creative teams and supporting the development of the next generation of brand leaders.
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