Principal | Shape Strategies
William Brichta is a business and marketing consultant, writer, creative director and university educator. After 15 years of creative leadership at some of the world’s largest advertising agencies, he became an entrepreneur and agency owner leading multiple marketing and digital companies. Today, Bill serves as principal at Shape Strategies, an independent marketing, branding and innovation consultancy working with national and international brands.
In 2014, Bill became the marketing and business consultant to LCD USA working closely with the Board of Directors to better define the Les Clefs d’Or USA brand through marketing strategy, PR, creative development of marketing materials, new website development, SEO and digital strategy, and internal communications. In June of 2019, Bill was asked to be the lead Education Day speaker at the Phoenix, AZ Congress, addressing the importance for members to increase their impact and relevancy to their hotel properties by stepping into the shoes of their managers and understanding their world in an entirely different way. Titled “Think Like an Owner,” the 4-hour presentation provided a new lens in which to view their role as a Les Clefs d’Or concierge, learn important industry concepts, master new communication strategies, and receive the tools and terminology required to earn a seat at the hotel management table.
Today, Bill considers “Think Like an Owner” as a great jumping off point to define the next generation of tools and knowledge to make the Les Clefs d’Or concierge indispensable in the uncertain, AI driven world the travel industry finds itself across the globe. Bill earned his master’s degree in marketing from Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism where he has been a frequent lecturer on branding, innovation and marketing.
Today, Bill continues as an Adjunct Professor at Loyola University Chicago for the Graduate Program in Global Communications. Bill also serves as a frequent mentor at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, coaching graduate students on entrepreneurism, innovation, capitalization and launching new ventures..