As a creative and marketing operations professional with over nine years of experience driving creative projects and campaigns across agency and in-house brand teams, Lindsay Colavito, a Senior Creative Project & Operations Manager, knew as soon as she discovered the Advanced Creative Operations Certificate at Rutgers that it was the educational opportunity she'd been searching for.

"This certificate course was the first program I've seen specifically for creative operations," Colavito said.

Colavito has spent her career building and scaling creative teams for global brands, optimizing large-scale workflows, and implementing creative production processes that require collaboration with several cross-functional teams. Even with a decade of experience, she knew there is always more to learn, so she pursued the certificate both for personal growth and career advancement.

"I took it because I wanted to strengthen my expertise, hone my skills, and learn from other creative professionals," Colavito said. "Building tools like transformation roadmaps, stakeholder maps, and KPI frameworks help me lead more strategically - but also make me feel more empowered in my role. I want to be better equipped to evolve how my teams operate, ensuring we work more proactively, efficiently, and in alignment with broader business goals."

"The program reinforced that creative operations is not a 'services' team. It’s a strategic engine that is critical to bridge creative vision with business goals within any organization."

Describing the specific instructors and classes that had a meaningful impact on her learning experience, Colavito said, "I enjoyed all of the professors’ knowledge and perspectives, as they all had diverse backgrounds and unique connections to the field." 


So far, Colavito said, the knowledge she gained through the program has enabled her to take a more holistic view of her work and the field of creative operations in general.

"Without people, process, technology, and data working together," Colavito said, "it's hard to have a high-functioning creative operations team. The program reinforced that creative operations is not a 'services' team. It’s a strategic engine that is critical to bridge creative vision with business goals within any organization. Huge thanks to my classmates and Professors Clair Carter-Ginn, Amy Tesch Strickland, and Corey Dill, for their guidance and real-world insights throughout the program. Grateful for the learnings and excited for what’s ahead!"

Learn more about the Advanced Creative Operations Certificate offered through Continuing and Professional Studies at the Rutgers School of Communication and Information.