Corey Schaaf

Director of Digital Creative

Lake St Louis, Missouri, United States

About

As a Director of Digital Creative, I bring a rare blend of strategic leadership and hands-on design expertise to every project. I lead cross-functional teams focused on delivering exceptional e-commerce and email experiences that engage customers and drive measurable results. I currently oversee four e-commerce websites, each with seven email sends per week — that’s 28 emails weekly and over 1,400 per year. This high-output environment demands a balance of creativity, organization, and performance insight. I focus on optimizing every send to boost engagement, click-through, and conversion rates, ensuring each message aligns with the brand and business goals. I’m not the kind of director who simply delegates. I’m in the trenches with my team, designing, problem-solving, and iterating based on data. I’ve led initiatives that improved email engagement by double digits, streamlined UX flows that increased checkout conversion, and built design systems that scaled across multiple brands. My expertise spans UX design, email marketing, team leadership, and digital strategy. I believe that great design is both beautiful and effective — and that collaboration, data, and creativity together make the difference between good and great.

Experience

  • Director of Digital Creative at Galls
    Oct 2024 - Present · 1 yr 9 mos

    As a Director of Digital Creative, I bring a rare blend of strategic leadership and hands-on design expertise to every project. I lead cross-functional teams focused on delivering exceptional e-commerce and email experiences that engage customers and drive measurable results. I currently oversee four e-commerce websites, each with seven email sends per week — that’s 28 emails weekly and over 1,400 per year. This high-output environment demands a balance of creativity, organization, and performance insight. I focus on optimizing every send to boost engagement, click-through, and conversion rates, ensuring each message aligns with the brand and business goals. I’m not the kind of director who simply delegates. I’m in the trenches with my team, designing, problem-solving, and iterating based on data. I’ve led initiatives that improved email engagement by double digits, streamlined UX flows that increased checkout conversion, and built design systems that scaled across multiple brands. My expertise spans UX design, email marketing, team leadership, and digital strategy. I believe that great design is both beautiful and effective — and that collaboration, data, and creativity together make the difference between good and great.

  • Cat5 Commerce (15 yrs 3 mos)
    • UX & Design manager
      2019 - Oct 2025 · 6 yrs 10 mos

    • Lead Designer / Manager
      Aug 2010 - Oct 2025 · 15 yrs 3 mos

      I’m a creative professional designing thoughtful, user-centered digital experiences across multiple platforms. I’m passionate about blending creativity, strategy, and technology to create designs that not only look great but work seamlessly for users. As a hands-on leader, I combine strong technical and analytical skills with clear communication — translating ideas into actionable design solutions that drive results. I’ve led the design of complex back-office interfaces and e-commerce systems, helping clients manage orders, workflows, and customer relationships more efficiently. I’m a strategic thinker who thrives on taking projects from concept to completion, collaborating with cross-functional teams along the way. Known as a positive self-starter, I stay calm under pressure, meet deadlines, and bring energy and focus to every project I take on.

  • Vice President & Co-founder at CDKWeb, Inc.
    Aug 2006 - Jul 2010 · 4 yrs

    As Co-Founder and Creative Director, I helped build and lead the agency from the ground up — balancing creative direction, client strategy, and day-to-day operations. I collaborated with our marketing and sales teams to review RFPs, develop proposals, and win new business with clients like Cooper Bussmann, Express Scripts, and CitiMortgage. From there, I led discovery sessions to create detailed Product Requirement Documents (PRDs), translating client goals into actionable design and development plans. Working closely with our in-house creative and development teams, I helped define deliverables, set timelines, and ensure every project launched on time and on target. On the creative side, I designed low-fidelity wireframes, user interface mockups, and provided HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for handoff — ensuring our designs were not only visually strong but technically sound. I also managed multiple client projects at once, acting as both project manager and hands-on designer, overseeing everything from concept to launch. As a co-founder, I was deeply involved in all aspects of the business — from managing the creative team and client relationships to overseeing finances and operations. I also took pride in mentoring team members, fostering collaboration, and building a culture focused on creativity, accountability, and excellence.

  • Usability Architect / Web Designer at River City Internet Group
    Aug 2004 - Aug 2006 · 2 yrs 1 mo

    • Worked with ISPs to create business solutions to help manage billing and software needs • Met with clients and acted as a business analyst to help define requirements for new features and software enhancements • Created low and high-fidelity wireframes based on business analysis and/or PRDs • Provided web design services for co-branded solutions/partners • Consulted with customers and in-house sales team to help identify new features for clients

  • Senior Designer at Enterprise Rent-A-Car
    Dec 2000 - Aug 2004 · 3 yrs 9 mos

    • Provided design services for MarCom, Internal Communications and Human Resources • Implemented an internal monthly newsletter for Internal Communications department • Worked with art director on quarterly publication for 60,000 employees • Maintained and designed internal intranet newsletters