CraigMcMillan

About

I build the teams that build the brand.

I’m a creative leader with more than 13 years in creative direction, branding, film and campaigns. I lead the in-house design and creative team at Great Places Housing Group in Manchester, where I’m the go-to creative lead across the business — and for Cube Homes, its private sale brand.

My team runs campaigns end to end: strategy, brand, hoardings, brochures, billboards, showhome shoots and film, through to Meta lead generation and the lead flow behind it. I work closely with senior stakeholders to turn strategy into work that performs.

Before that I was Creative Director at SM Studios / SM Dubai, pitching and winning new business and leading production across film, photography, design and web.

Get in touch

Leadership philosophy

Great creative isn’t a lucky break — it’s a system. Set a clear direction, build a team that owns it, and measure the work against the business goal.

How I run a creative team

  1. 01

    Direction before decoration

    Every project starts with the business problem and a single clear idea. The craft follows.

  2. 02

    Brief in, results out

    We agree what success looks like up front, then report back on it — in numbers.

  3. 03

    Grow people, not bottlenecks

    I mentor designers to own work end to end, so the team scales beyond me.

  4. 04

    Systems free up creativity

    Clear intake, stages and approvals mean less chasing and more making.

  5. 05

    Stay ahead of the tools

    From AI video to paid social, I test new tools early and bring the useful ones into the studio.

Experience

  1. – Present

    Creative Specialist

    Great Places Housing Group · Manchester

    Leading the in-house design and creative team across Great Places and Cube Homes.

    • Manage and mentor a creative team, owning creative direction for campaigns aligned to organisational goals.
    • Run end-to-end Cube Homes property launches, from brand and OOH to Meta lead generation.
    • Pioneered AI video to turn CGI renders into cinematic property films.
    • Created an internal video podcast series and produced a fully virtual all-colleague conference.
    • Produced bid visuals that helped secure major contracts, plus case study films and Matterport tours.
    • Recognised as the go-to creative lead across the business, working closely with senior stakeholders.

  2. –

    Creative Director

    SM Studios / SM Dubai

    Leading creative and production for an agency, from pitch to delivery.

    • Led end-to-end production of creative content — video, photography and design.
    • Developed and pitched campaign concepts that secured new projects and long-term partnerships.
    • Designed and built websites, including full e-commerce builds.
    • Managed a pool of freelance videographers, keeping quality consistent and delivery efficient.
    • Drove growth by winning new clients and expanding the agency’s portfolio.

Tools

  • Adobe Creative Cloud
  • Premiere Pro & After Effects
  • AI video tools
  • Monday.com (certified builder)
  • Meta Ads Manager
  • Matterport

Education

  • BA (Hons) Digital Media Production — Upper Second Class

    Sheffield Hallam University · 2016