Lee Sammartino is an accomplished global brand marketing expert and technology professional. He serves as the Chief Creative Officer and Head of Digital Transformation for Vault Bioventures, where he constantly shifts between strategic and executional roles. With his expertise in bridging the technology, creative, and communication gaps between C-Suite, IT, Operations, Marketing, Agencies, and patients, Lee helps Vault and its life science clients seamlessly connect their products, brands and businesses in physical and digital worlds. With over 20 years of experience leading complex global brand, creative and technology teams outside of life science, he brings a fresh perspective to the industry, enhancing Vault’s impact for its clients and the patients they serve.
Prior Joining Vault, Lee founded Ikonic Tonic, a marketing agency that helps clients build & evolve their brands across physical & digital worlds, grow their reach, and market to and connect with their audience at every touchpoint. Ikonic Tonic works seamlessly across all business processes – from strategy & technology to ops and marketing, creative & production to social media & advertising, over-the-top events to prototyping & logistics.
Lee has a proven track record, having worked with top industry leaders such as five of the top 10 global healthcare companies, Apple, Dolce & Gabbana, Luxottica, Outdoor Channel, and even artists like Duran Duran. He is renowned for his unique business perspective, has an extensive background in enterprise technology, and a critical eye for detail. With his outside-the-box creativity, forward-thinking approach, and unapologetic style, Lee delivers results that exceed expectations.
A behaviorist at heart, Lee adapts his deep understanding of consumer psychology as the foundational element for his work. From in-store experiences to ecommerce, data science to user experience, brand building to product and service development, his focus on human understanding has allowed him to successfully execute for his clients over two decades.
Lee Sammartino is a “roll-up-the-sleeves” executive who leads by example. With a background in design, music, and audio engineering, Lee is highly proficient in tools such as Adobe Creative Cloud applications, Pro Tools, Logic, Ableton, and Audition. He is a lifelong learner who takes a hands-on approach with critical skills such as photography, lighting, editing, motion graphics, and sound design. Early in his career, Lee worked as a systems administrator and network engineer, which helped him gain a deep understanding of technology. He has since honed his coding skills in HTML, Javascript, PHP, React, Ruby, and Node and has extensive experience in delivering client solutions using cloud platforms like AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure.
With a passion for supporting veterans and those who serve, Lee was given the honor of helping Americans in need when he met former Navy SEAL, Ryan “Birdman” Parrot. In 2015, Ryan gave Lee the opportunity to work alongside him with Ryan’s charities. Since then, Lee has been grateful for the chance to make a positive impact, using his expertise to address the challenges facing veterans and first responders.
Lee Sammartino is a life-long drummer and in his spare time, which is very little, BASE jumps and skydives. He has always been avid extreme sports enthusiast and currently, a reluctant triathlete – he hates the way he looks in spandex, doesn’t like swimming, and would rather be BBQing and watching football than lace up his running shoes. Lee lives in a beautiful beach town in Northern San Diego with his wife, two kids, three dogs, bunny and a horse that take up whatever is left of his free time and bank account – but he wouldn’t have it any other way.
Lee’s Linkedin: Click Here