SKILLS
Copywriting.
Creative Direction.
Content Strategy.
Content Marketing.
Creative Strategy.
Strategic Communications.
Digital Media.
Social Media.
Integrated Marketing.
CERTIFICATIONS
LinkedIn Marketing Strategy. (LinkedIn).
Career Essentials in Generative AI. (LinkedIn & Microsoft).
Integrated Marketing Communications Strategies. (LinkedIn).
Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging. (LinkedIn).
Education and career summary.
After attaining a BA in Communications and a BA Hons in Journalism, I started my career in a newsroom, sub-editing for a daily newspaper in Johannesburg. Today, I’m a writer/strategist working with brands navigating old problems with new technology where it makes sense. In between, I’ve been content manager, a copywriter, a digital director, a creative lead, and throughout all of it… a writer.
Career Summary
Currently Independent
(July 2026-)
I’m currently taking on fractional creative direction, strategy and communication work for brands and agencies, across brand campaigns and B2B, B2C and B2G communications projects. I also help teams work out where new tech fits in their day-to-day creative and comms. If you have work that deserves better judgment, not just faster execution, write to contact@jacquescilliers.com.
Creative Director (Generative AI & Automation) | The Up&Up Group (affiliated to the global M+C Saatchi Group)
(Feb 2025- Jun 2026)
Led the integration of Generative AI across creative & strategy teams across the group, translating new tech into practical applications and frameworks that amplify everyday creative work. From Strategic Guardrails to training, to thought leadership, to a white paper, I worked at the intersection of creativity, technology and strategy.
Senior Copywriter – Creative Lead – Creative Director | OLIVER+ (Now Brandtech+)
(Apr 2020 – Jan 2025)
Five years across three roles at a global in-house agency, working remotely on clients across multiple continents. I grew into creative leadership, learned how to run teams at scale, and became one of the operators tasked with integrating the group’s proprietary AI tool across global clients, partnering with C-Suite stakeholders and country leads. This work was as much change management as creative direction: Understanding client readiness, building adoption strategies and translating new technology into something teams would actually use. I learned how to lead creative work at scale, across cultures and timezones, and how to think about creative technology as a strategic problem, not just a tooling one.
Senior Copywriter | Promise Agency
(Sep 2018 – Feb 2020)
Copywriting and concepting across Rand Merchant Bank, FNB, RMB Private Bank, FNB CIB, PPS for Professionals, and others. I learned how to write inside constraints, how to concept for integrated campaigns, and how to get work through layers of compliance without losing what made it good. Three Loeries shortlists, a Pendoring Gold and a New Gen Gold for content marketing.
Digital Director | Longevity Magazine
(Oct 2017 – Sept 2018)
Consulting into publications, agencies, and content studios and running all digital content for Longevity. Editorial and commercial across every channel. Grew digital readership 60% month-on-month. I learned how the editorial and advertising sides of publishing actually work together, how to make content measurable, and how to build an audience on purpose.
Content Manager | Engage Joe Public
(Aug 2016 – May 2017)
I moved from pure social/content to PR. Content strategy and community management work across multiple brands taught me how content fits inside the broader creative ecosystem: When content should lead, when it should support, and how to judge whether a piece of work is worth it. The role taught me to think about content as a strategic lever, not a volume driver.
Content Manager | Cerebra
(Nov 2014 – Jul 2016)
Social, strategy, and community management for Absa/Barclays Africa and Vodacom taught me how brands actually behave in public under pressure. Crisis communication, real-time judgment, brand tone of voice, and how to report meaningfully on the work. Monthly reporting taught me how to frame communications work for executives who care about outcomes. I was chosen to represent the agency at WPP Stream Africa as Director of Social Media.
Sub-Editor | The Citizen
(Apr 2014 – Nov 2014)
Sub-Editing a daily paper taught me which stories matter, which angles hold up, what to keep, what to cut, and what to stand behind.
Jacques Cilliers 