K. J. McCusker (Jules) delivers 20 years of creative leadership, brand, and customer experience to any environment. Combining an award-winning portfolio with strategy & business acumen, blending the practices of design, strategy, technology, and branding to make an affirmative impact in the world.
Launching his first successful brand in Los Angeles he went on to make creative contributions across North America. After cutting his teeth in the competitive world of Madison Avenue, he landed back in Toronto launching his career as the creative director at a wide range of agencies and worked closely with many advertising luminaries on brands like Puma Canada, MolsonCoors, Heineken, Loblaws, CTV, L'oréal, which also included experience with governments and NGO's like the City of Toronto, Province of Ontario, Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centre's (OFIFC), The Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) to name a few.
Born into the 60s Scoop a disenfranchised Dené Dehcho of Łı́ı́dlı̨ı̨ Kų́ę́ (Fort Simpson), “the place where the rivers come together” in NWT, Jules's work in the Indigenous community spans 40 years from Alberta to California, and Colorado to Ontario, taking a short hiatus from advertising to work on First Nations Governance and Policy in Education and Health, having worked on the ground in Fort Severn, Ohsweken and several other first nation communities he brings a lifetime of experience, relationships and knowledge to the table. His latest work was a nationwide campaign for the Thunderbird Foundation and First Nations Health Managers Association (FNHMA) on pandemic-related stigma such as Mental Health, Addictions, and Trauma. His most significant contribution was the development of 'Kizhaay Anishinaabe Niin • I am a Kind Man', a court diversion program for violent offenders to support and engage men in ending violence against Indigenous women.
Today Jules continues to work as a Special Indigenous Advisor, Social Activator, and Artist whose work has received the support of the Canada Council, Ontario Arts Council, Trillium Foundation, and the City of Toronto, along with private collectors. He is also involved in an ongoing educational project (Fort Severn) intended to bring back Indigenous culture to places that had that culture annihilated. His writing on such important topics as a Contributor can be found at the Toronto Star website.
