Damian Schnabel is a seasoned brand strategist and communications executive whose career spans major roles at AXA, Virgin, and Convex Insurance. Known for combining design thinking, creative leadership, and strategic brand building, Schnabel has helped shape how major companies present themselves internally and externally. This in-depth profile explores his background, professional journey, leadership style, key achievements, and insights for brand professionals today.
Early Life & Education
Damian Schnabel’s roots in design and strategic thinking began with his formal education. He studied Industrial Design at Brunel University, graduating in 1995. Prior to that, he attended The British School of Brussels, where international exposure likely helped cultivate a global mindset.
His early training in industrial design laid the foundation for combining functional aesthetics with user-centered thinking—skills that serve him well in brand leadership roles. Because design is often where brand identity begins, Schnabel’s academic background gives him credibility when working across design, experience, and strategy.
Professional Beginnings & Growth
Role at Virgin & Agency Early Days
After university, Schnabel started building his career with roles that offered creative responsibility and client management. He worked at Virgin Group entities (Virgin Mobile, Virgin Management Ltd.) early in his career. These roles involved design, experience, marketing, and managing creative teams. Through them, he gained hands-on experience in translating brand values into customer touchpoints.
Growth through Agency & Corporate Roles
Before his senior brand leadership roles, Damian also worked as an Account Director at Start JG, where he engaged in client servicing, brand strategy, and campaign coordination. This agency exposure helped sharpen his ability to balance creative vision with client expectations and measurable brand outcomes.
Major Roles & Brand Leadership Positions
Brand Experience Leadership at Virgin Media
At Virgin Media, Damian Schnabel led brand experience, overseeing how consumers perceive the brand at various interaction points. He was responsible for ensuring consistency between marketing, product design, customer support, and external communications. His time at Virgin Media helped him see how brand values must permeate everything from the visual identity to customer service.
Leadership at AXA: Global Brand & Marketing
One of the more visible roles in his career was at AXA Insurance, where he served as Head of Group Brand & Marketing. In this role, Schnabel guided global brand strategy, advertising, internal engagement, and consistency across regions. He worked on rejuvenating or maintaining customer trust, aligning brand messaging amid regulatory and market shifts, and coordinating large creative and communications teams.
Current Role: Head of Brand at Convex Insurance
Since November 2021, Damian Schnabel has been Head of Brand at Convex Insurance, a role that consolidates his experience in creative leadership, brand identity, stakeholder alignment, and multi-channel marketing. THE ORG At Convex, he works on brand strategy, advertising, internal brand culture, and creative direction, with a modern emphasis on trust, digital presence, and consistent customer experience.
Damian Schnabel’s Brand Strategy & Storytelling
Building Brand Narrative & Identity
Schnabel believes branding is more than a logo or tagline; it’s the story a company tells and lives. He emphasizes brand narrative that connects purpose with audience values. For example, during his time at AXA and Convex, there have been efforts to standardize messaging frameworks, brand playbooks, and visual guidelines to ensure consistency across touchpoints.
Brand Positioning in Competitive Markets
In sectors like insurance and finance, brands often struggle to differentiate. Schnabel’s experience shows that strong positioning not just visual identity helps brands stand out. Aligning internal culture, customer expectations, and external messaging has been part of his approach.
Creative & Design Thinking Approach
Damian Schnabel integrates design thinking into his brand leadership. His industrial design background supports a mindset where form, function, usability, and customers’ experience all matter equally. He leverages creative teams, visual communication, and user-centered design approaches to ensure that brand touchpoints (digital, physical, interpersonal) reinforce the intended perception.
Internal Brand Culture & Stakeholder Alignment
Employee Engagement & Internal Branding
Strong external branding demands internal culture alignment. Schnabel has led initiatives in internal brand engagement—making sure employees understand, believe in, and act in line with brand values. This helps consistency, authenticity, and helps avoid brand dissonance.
Cross-functional Collaboration
He does not isolate branding to marketing teams alone. Instead, he advocates for collaboration across departments: design, product, operations, customer service. This ensures a coherent customer journey from first touch to post-purchase experience.
Major Achievements & Brand Transitions
- Leading the brand architecture at AXA, helping to integrate or manage sub-brands globally.
- Successfully building up brand presence and recognition at Convex Insurance since 2021, strengthening its identity in a crowded insurance market. Ecomagazine
- Enhancing customer experience and engagement through creative campaigns and improved design consistency across multiple channels, contributing to better customer perceptions.
Personal Life & Public Profile
Damian Schnabel is married to actress Amanda Redman, a well-known figure in British film and television. Their marriage has been noted in biographical profiles. He also holds directorships in companies like Artists Theatre School Ltd and ATS Productions Ltd. Company Director Check His role in these companies reflects his engagement beyond corporate branding, into artistic / creative organizations.
Information about his early life (exact date of birth beyond year), additional personal interests, philanthropic roles, or awards is limited or less publicly documented.
Strengths, Leadership Style & Values
Strengths in Brand Leadership
- Combines design-led thinking with strategic planning.
- Strong experience in brand transformation and identity.
- Ability to manage both external brand perception and internal culture.
- Skilled in guiding cross-department teams and aligning multiple stakeholders.
Leadership Philosophy & Values
- Authenticity: he aims for brands to act not just look the part.
- Consistency: ensuring messaging, visuals, and actions align.
- Empathy & customer focus: understanding audience needs and responses.
- Innovation & creativity: pushing for visually compelling and meaningful brand work.
Challenges & Public Perception
Even with strong credentials, Schnabel’s profile faces typical challenges of high-profile brand leaders:
- Maintaining brand relevance in fast-changing markets (digital, regulatory).
- Balancing creative risks with reputation risks in regulated industries (insurance).
- Limited public recognition compared to more visible influencers, so visibility depends largely on corporate prominence and external communications.
- Verifying public information: Is some information speculative (as seen in net worth estimates)? It’s important to treat some biographical and financial data with caution.
Lessons for Aspiring Brand Professionals
- Understand both sides: creativity + strategy – Being strong in design or creative direction is good, but being able to ground it in strategy, metrics, and brand purpose is what sets leaders apart.
- Cultivate storytelling skills – Crafting a compelling brand narrative helps brands connect deeply with customers.
- Work across functions – Collaborate beyond marketing: operations, product, design, HR all contribute to brand perception.
- Prioritize internal branding – Employees are brand ambassadors; if they don’t believe in the brand values, external messages can feel hollow.
- Stay adaptable – Industries change; digital tools, customer expectations, and market landscapes shift. Brand leaders must evolve continuously.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is Damian Schnabel’s current role?
A: He is the Head of Brand at Convex Insurance since November 2021.
Q2: Where did Damian study design?
A: He earned a BSc in Industrial Design from Brunel University London, and he attended The British School of Brussels in his earlier education.
Q3: What major companies has he worked for previously?
A: Among others, he held senior brand roles at Virgin Media, AXA Insurance, and worked in agencies like Start JG.
Q4: Is Damian Schnabel involved in businesses outside insurance?
A: Yes. He is a director in creative/arts companies such as Artists Theatre School Ltd and ATS Productions Ltd. Company
Q5: What distinguishes his leadership style?
A: His leadership style emphasizes brand storytelling, design and creative thinking, internal culture alignment, and maintaining consistent messaging across all touchpoints.
Q6: Are there public reports about his net worth or awards?
A: Some sources estimate his net worth, but these are not independently confirmed. As for awards, there is no widely documented major award specific to him in mainstream sources (as of latest info).
Conclusion
Damian Schnabel is a strong example of a modern brand leader: someone who blends design, storytelling, and strategy. He has built a career across creative roles, corporate leadership, and brand transformation, most recently as Head of Brand at Convex Insurance. While some details of his personal life remain private or less documented, his professional journey offers valuable insights for anyone interested in brand strategy, creative leadership, and marketing.