Michael Defusco

Background

About Michael Defusco

I’m a creative executive with 20+ years leading brand, marketing, and storytelling across global platforms. My work sits at the intersection of creativity, strategy, and organization—uniting design, narrative, and innovation to move people and grow brands.At CBS / Paramount, I lead creative and production for billion-dollar sports and entertainment properties spanning streaming, broadcast, digital, social, and experiential. I’ve built high-performing in-house agencies, unified fragmented ecosystems, and scaled 360° campaigns that deliver billions of impressions annually—earning nine National Sports Emmy nominations and more than fifty industry awards for creative excellence in content and design.Recognized by Outsports as one of the Top 100 LGBTQ+ professionals in sports and by NJ Insider as one of the Top 20 Millennials in Politics, I’ve always viewed creativity as a force for connection—one that can shape culture, elevate voices, and make people feel seen.That belief guided me during my time as a Councilman in Hoboken, NJ, where I represented residents as the city’s first LGBTQ+ elected official. I applied the same principles that drive great brand work—clarity, empathy, and authenticity—to civic leadership: revitalizing city communications, leading inclusive engagement campaigns, and helping secure $178M in federal funding for redevelopment.Whether I’m developing global campaigns or shaping local narratives, I’m driven by a simple idea: storytelling is how we connect—to one another, to purpose, and to our industry.