Diana “DB” Barnes, Munchkin

“I’ve always been keenly aware of my environment and the elements that shape it.”
Diana “DB” Barnes

Diana “DB” Barnes, Chief Brand Officer (CBO) and Creative Director of Munchkin, shared the story behind her title with us on Sunday, December 26, 2021.

Diana (DB) began her career at Munchkin in 2014. She oversees global brand partnerships and manages the Public Relations, Social Media and Brand Design teams worldwide. Under DB’s leadership, Munchkin’s Brand Design team has won over 80 top international design awards for 360 designs, the highly coveted Red Dot Award among the latest. A passionate advocate for trees, animals, and the environment, DB created and leads all Munchkin CSR initiatives such as partnerships with The Whale Sanctuary Project, Trees for the Future, and IFAW (The International Fund for Animal Welfare), and Radiant Colors. Before joining Munchkin, DB served as the Global Director of Brand Design for Dell, Inc. In this key role, she led global teams in Austin, India, China, and Japan. Prior to this, her career actually began in music and entertainment, holding executive creative positions at Sony and EMI, as well as several global ad agencies. She received a BA in English Literature from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a BFA in Graphics/Packaging from the Art Center College of Design. She has also recently completed several Executive MBA programs in Marketing and Finance at Harvard Business School.

SUE SAYS

“As a young girl growing up in Nashville, DB had a heightened sense of her surroundings. She was also not afraid to ask “why” when presented with things from those around her. The question of “why” is critical for leaders looking to get to the heart of the work they are doing. As DB so artfully says, it can never be about the money…if it’s about the “why,” the money will come.”