John P. Cota
Top-performing Executive Brand Leader | Marketing Leadership
Personal Details
Brand, creative, and marketing executive with 20 years at L.A. Care Health Plan, where I built the organization's marketing and creative departments from the ground up — starting as the company's first graphic designer and advancing through three promotions to Senior Director, Brand, Creative & Marketing. Led brand strategy, creative direction, and a 10+ person team across digital, social, print, and experiential channels, growing market presence from 15% to 70% over a decade. Built the organization's project management infrastructure and automated its regulatory marketing review and approval workflow. Currently focused on applying AI to brand and creative operations.
- Name: John Cota
- Phone: (323) 382.4288
- Email: john@cotago.co
- Location: Los Angeles, 90022
- Languages: English, Spanish
RESUME
skills
My expertise spans the full spectrum from creative design leadership to strategic marketing, allowing me to deliver compelling visual solutions that drive brand engagement. I excel at blending innovative concepts with targeted marketing strategies to achieve measurable results and elevate brand presence. With a keen eye for aesthetics and a strategic mindset, I consistently develop campaigns that resonate with audiences and support organizational goals.
Executive Brand & Marketing Leadership
Creative Direction
Brand Strategy & Positioning
Creative Vision & Innovation
Marketing Strategy
Enterprise Financial Management
Change Management
Integrated Marketing
education
Resume Available For Download.
2000-2002
California State Los Angeles University
Earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, with emphasis in General Design.
2001-2002
California State Los Angeles University
Earned a Multimedia certificate, with emphasis in Graphic Design.
1998-2000
East Los Angeles College
Earned a Associate of Arts degree, with emphasis in Liberal Arts.
experience
05/2021-03/2026
Senior Director, Brand, Creative & Marketing
L.A. Care Health Plan
- Led brand strategy, creative direction, and marketing for L.A. Care's enterprise brand and all sub-product and partnership brands, including Medi-Cal, Medicare, ACA/Covered California, and supplemental product lines.
- Grew L.A. Care's market presence from 15% to 70% over a 10-year period through sustained brand and campaign strategy.
- Directed integrated campaign strategy across digital, social, print, and community channels to support enrollment, retention, and member growth.
- Led the integration of generative A.I. across marketing and creative operations, reducing campaign development timelines by 30-50% and increasing output scalability.
- Applied A.I. to web and application development initiatives, supporting rapid prototyping and UX work across brand platforms.
- Owned annual marketing and go-to-market plans across all product lines.
- Built and led a 10+ person Creative Services and Marketing team, including hiring, coaching, and performance management.
- Managed an annual enterprise budget exceeding $50 million.
08/2017-05/2021
Director, Brand, Creative & Marketing Operations
L.A. Care Health Plan
- Built the organization's project management infrastructure on Podio and automated the regulatory marketing review and approval workflow using PHP and Zapier, cutting manual handoffs and review cycle time.
- Built and scaled a Creative Services team (10+), optimizing forecasting and ensuring brand consistency.
- Led creative strategy and execution for member communications across Medicaid/Medi-Cal, Medicare, and ACA with a focus on clarity, consistency, and regulatory compliance.
- Led research-backed brand initiatives, translating customer insights into creative strategy through assessments, focus groups, and studies.
- Introduced early A.I. tools and automation frameworks to modernize creative workflows and support data-informed creative decisions.
- Established enterprise brand compliance governance across departments to ensure consistent use of messaging and visual standards.
- Led a flagship logo redesign implemented across all traditional and digital channels.
- Oversaw copywriting and proofreading standards across enterprise communications.
05/2015-08/2017
Manager, Brand & Creative Services
L.A. Care Health Plan
- Directed creative execution for enterprise marketing communications across print, web, digital, video, and collateral.
- Served as a brand standards subject matter expert for corporate identity, ensuring consistent brand guidelines, logo usage, templates, and asset governance.
- Directed photography initiatives in collaboration with external photographers.
01/2006-05/2015
Graphic Designer & Brand
L.A. Care Health Plan
- Joined L.A. Care as the organization's first graphic designer, designing marketing materials and brand graphics across print and digital channels.
- Supported brand asset development during the early years of L.A. Care's market presence growth.
- Transitioned project tracking and management from analog processes to digital platforms.
Portfolio
As Creative Director and Senior Director of Creative & Marketing at L.A. Care Health Plan, I was primarily responsible for creating and establishing the organization’s brand identity from the ground up, shaping the visual and strategic foundation of the enterprise. I individually led the development of brand identities across the organization’s full portfolio of products, programs, and strategic partnerships — including the Community Resource Center collaboration with Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan. In addition, I built and scaled the creative team, modernized workflows, and delivered integrated campaigns that drove member growth, strengthened market presence, and produced measurable business results, all while ensuring strict regulatory compliance.
Creative Leadership Highlights
Built Creative Services from the ground up, growing a high-performing team aligned with enterprise goals.
Led comprehensive corporate brand development, as well as development for all products, including a global identity brand ambassador program that grew L.A. Care's market presence from 15% to 70% over a decade.
Modernized workflows and implemented new tools, reducing production time and costs while elevating quality.
- All Work
- Corporate Brand
- Covered California ACA Product
- Medi-Cal/Medicaid Product
- Medicare D-SNP Product
- Community Resource Centers Partnership
- Plan Partner Partnership
Click a category to see sample creatives and items while under my direction.
Corporate Brand
L.A. Care Health Plan
Grew Market Presence From 15% To 70%
Corporate Brand
General Brand TV Spot
Corporate Brand
25th Anniversary TV Spot
Corporate Brand
2017 L.A. Brand Initiative
One Of The Brand Studies & Initiatives
Corporate Brand
Corporate State of Union Brochure
Yielded General Corporate/Business Awareness
Corporate Brand
COVID-19 Star Trek PSA Campaign
Increasing Awareness of COVID-19
Corporate Brand
L.A. Care - Program Brands
Samples of Program Brands
Corporate Brand
2022 • L.A. Care - 25th Anniversary Brochure
Special Annual Report Highlighting L.A. Care's History
Corporate Brand
L.A. Care - Flightpath To 2030
Corporate 5-Year Plan
Corporate Brand
2022 • L.A. Care - Wings of Culture
Introduction To Organizational Culture Shift
Corporate Brand
L.A. Care - Family Resource Centers
L.A. Care's first Community Resource Center model
Corporate Brand
L.A. Care - Quality Ratings Awareness
Internal Health Care Rating Campaign
Corporate Brand
L.A. Care - All Product Brochure (SP)
Bringing Awareness To The Spanish Speaking Community Of LA
L.A. Care Covered Product (LACC)
LACC Brand
L.A. Care's ACA/Covered California Product
L.A. Care Covered Product (LACC)
LACC
LACC Go-To-Market Planning And Approach
L.A. Care Covered Product (LACC)
LACC
New Member Kits
L.A. Care Covered Product (LACC)
LACC
2025 Digital Animation Activation Spot
L.A. Care Covered Product (LACC)
LACC
Kavani-DTLA Digital Activation
L.A. Care Covered Product (LACC)
LACC
2026 Full Metro Activation
L.A. Care Covered Product (LACC)
LACC
Product Launch Welcome Kit Insert
L.A. Care Medi-Cal/Medicaid Product
Medi-Cal
Go-To-Market Plan & Execution
L.A. Care Medi-Cal/Medicaid Product
Medi-Cal
Changes to Medi-Cal & ACA
L.A. Care Medi-Cal/Medicaid Product
Medi-Cal
Live Well Member Newsletter
L.A. Care Medi-Cal/Medicaid Product
Medi-Cal
2026 New Member Guide
L.A. Care Medi-Cal/Medicaid Product
Medi-Cal
Member Language Card
L.A. Care Medi-Cal/Medicaid Product
Medi-Cal
2025 New Member Guide
L.A. Care Medi-Cal/Medicaid Product
Medi-Cal
Understanding Managed Care Guide
L.A. Care Medicare D-SNP Product
D-SNP
Go-To-Market Plan & Execution (Round 1)
L.A. Care Medicare D-SNP Product
D-SNP
Go-To-Market Plan & Execution (Round 2)
L.A. Care Medicare D-SNP Product
D-SNP
2026 Member Annual Guide
L.A. Care Medicare D-SNP Product
D-SNP
2024 Go-To-Market Plan & Execution
L.A. Care Medicare D-SNP Product
D-SNP
Medicare KMEX TV Spot
L.A. Care Medicare D-SNP Product
D-SNP
Medicare KTLA TV Spot
L.A. Care Medicare D-SNP Product
D-SNP
Medicare+Medi-Cal ads
L.A. Care Medicare D-SNP Product
D-SNP
2025 Medicare Go-To-Market Wrap Up
Community Resource Centers
L.A. Care + Blue Shield
Partnership Brand
Community Resource Centers Partnership (CRCs)
L.A. Care + Blue Shield of California Promise
Event promotion to inform tenants of the rights.
Plan Partner Collaboration
L.A. Care + Blue Shield + Anthem
Collaboration Campaign Launch
Plan Partner Collaboration
L.A. Care + Blue Shield + Anthem
Plan Partner Landing Page
Plan Partner Collaboration
L.A. Care + Blue Shield + Anthem
Collaboration Social Media Campaign
Plan Partner Collaboration
L.A. Care + Blue Shield + Anthem
Collaboration Social Media Campaign
Plan Partner Collaboration
L.A. Care + Blue Shield + Anthem
Collaboration Out-Of-Home Buss Shelters
Photography
My portfolio showcases a curated body of work captured over years of travel, reflecting a refined visual perspective shaped by diverse cultures, landscapes, and experiences around the world.
I work exclusively with Sony mirrorless systems and have relied on the Sony A7R IV for the past four years to produce natural, detail-driven imagery across a range of environments and shooting conditions.
Although travel photography is a central focus of my work, my portfolio reflects a versatile approach across subjects and settings. I bring a deliberate, strategic eye to composition and prioritize natural light whenever possible, while also drawing on extensive experience with controlled and studio lighting to achieve the desired visual outcome.
