Hi, I'm
Merrilee Gilson
I live in the space where creative actually ships. Beyond the concept stage and pitch deck. The moment ideas turn into production, brands are on the line—and details matter.
My career spans enterprise healthcare, wellness, consumer brands, and startups. In regulated, high-stakes environments and fast-moving teams alike, I’ve built a reputation as the person people call when the work needs a steady hand. I’m known for catching what’s off, fixing issues early, and making sure what launches is something teams—and brands—can stand behind.
Teams tend to bring me in when the work is complex, the volume is high, or the process is starting to break down—and they need creative that’s strong, dependable under pressure, and consistent enough to protect how the brand is experienced at scale.
I’ve led creative teams, built brand systems, owned copy and messaging, partnered with agencies, and personally produced thousands of assets across print, digital, social, motion, and integrated campaigns. That work has supported double-digit growth initiatives in acquisition, retention, and brand recognition—but what I’m known for isn’t just creative output. It’s delivering work teams can trust at launch.
I don’t hand work off and hope for the best. I stay involved through revisions, preflight, approvals, and launch day. I think with execution and brand stewardship in mind, building systems that reduce friction, improve consistency, and help teams move faster without sacrificing quality or brand trust.
I love the unglamorous parts of this job—the problem solving, the systems, the moment chaos turns into something clean and intentional. That’s where brands are protected, creative becomes scalable, and long-term value is built—and where I do my best work.
Areas of Focus
✔ Graphic Design (Print & Digital)
✔ Production Design & Final Execution
✔ Content & Messaging (Brand Voice)
✔ Brand Systems, Templates, & Standards
✔ Motion Design & Video Editing
✔ Web Design & Maintenance
✔ Quality Control, Preflight, & Final Review
✔ Workflow & Production Oversight
Experience Highlights
✔ Enterprise healthcare marketing
✔ Startup marketing environments
✔ National & multi-market execution
✔ Regulated, high-volume production
✔ Multi-brand systems & campaigns
✔ Agency & cross-functional partners
✔ End-to-end execution & delivery
✔ Workflow optimization
Recognition
Optum Individual Excellence Award (2018)
Awarded for leading the elevation, implementation, and standardization of the OptumCare brand across internal teams, acquisitions, and partner organizations. Recognized for developing brand resources and serving as the subject matter expert on OptumCare brand execution.
Optum Group Achievement Award (2019)
Awarded to the OptumCare Marketing team for pioneering new approaches to messaging, media, reporting, and creative execution across enterprise marketing initiatives.
What Teams Say
“Merrilee catches details no one else sees and protects the brand at every stage of production.”
— Katie Colón, VP Local Marketing, Optum
“Her ability to lead through ambiguity while producing elegant, consumer-centric work on aggressive timelines is unmatched.”
— Mia Sajbel, Agile Leader, Optum
“Merrilee is a brilliant strategic thinker with the right balance of creativity and business acumen. When you partner with her, you get a CMO-level thinker who delivers complete experiences.”
— Jane Peruyero, VP Strategy & Segment Marketing, Optum
“Merrilee knows how to take strong ideas and make them exceptional. She’s strategic, collaborative, and relentlessly focused on doing what’s right for the brand and audience.”
— Andreas Baumert, VP Creative | ECD of Brand, Optum
“She’s a champion for her team and thinks positively even under pressure — one of the most level-headed leaders I know.”
— Optum Performance Review
“Merrilee is not only a talented designer — she’s exceptional at creative direction and process improvement. She elevates both the work and the people around her.”
— Phyllis Kapsalis, Senior Editor, Optum