Norm Shearer

  • Partner & Chief Creative Officer, Cactus
  • CMDI ADVISORY BOARD
Norm Shearer

Norm Shearer is the Partner & Chief Creative Officer at Cactus, an internationally recognized advertising and branding agency based in Denver, CO. A graduate of CU Boulder and the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles, Norm is passionate about helping organizations and diverse teams learn new and effective problem-solving skills and creative thinking processes to increase innovation and develop effective strategies. At Cactus, he leads the creative, digital, and production teams in developing groundbreaking work that helps his clients get results and earn consumer favor. At his core, he believes that everyone can be more creative, not just the creatives. 

In 2015, Norm and his business partner, Joe Conrad, launched Grit Digital Health, creating innovative digital products and tools for behavioral health and wellness. Their standout product for student success, YOU@College, is used at over 100 university campuses.   

With nearly 30 years of experience in advertising, design, and branding, Norm’s blue-collar, “work hard, play hard” approach to creativity has earned Cactus accolades from Cannes, The One Show, SXSW, and countless others. Through his long-standing partnership with The One Club, he has had the opportunity to be a judge as well as a mentor for students in The One Club’s Young Ones program.   

In his free time, Norm shares his ample knowledge (and Dad jokes) as a guest lecturer, speaking on all things creative and design. A natural-born educator, he has served as an Adjunct Professor for over 20 years at his alma mater, CU Boulder, and was named Alumni of the Year for CU’s Advertising School in 2013. He also serves as an advisory board member for the College of Communication, Media, Design and Information.   

With a heart of gold, Norm is the true embodiment of Cactus culture.