The McBride Company Announces New Team Members

- Johnnie Rush Joins The McBride Company As Chief Business Innovation Officer -

The McBride Company, a conceptual design and planning firm specializing in the creation of hospitality and leisure destinations, announces the addition of Johnnie Rush as Chief Business Innovation Officer and Manuel Fernando Arredondo as Senior Conceptual Design Director.

As Chief Business Innovation Officer, Rush will work across all areas of The McBride Company, nurturing the development of forward-thinking, compelling solutions. With diverse expertise and industry experience, Rush is uniquely positioned to reinforce and enhance the brand identities of McBride clients.

“Johnnie comes to us with a world-class understanding of how smart design and creative thinking can provide businesses with crucial new opportunities,” said Pat McBride, CEO and founder of The McBride Company. “He is a kindred spirit – the kind of trailblazing creative type who thrives at The McBride Company.”

An architect and 30-year veteran of the retail, commercial and entertainment industries, Rush combines business insights and innovative design to produce some of the world’s most recognized branded experiences. As both a futurist and brand creator, he bridges the gap between the art and the science of successful and profitable environmental design. He has held senior executive roles with creative pioneers such as the Marriott Corporation, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, HSNi, Cornerstone and Walt Disney Imagineering. As Vice President of Imagineering, Rush and his teams created some of the world’s most cherished and recognized retail-branded experiences for Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney World Resort, Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, Shanghai Disneyland, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, the Disney Cruise Line and other destination properties across the globe.

His teams have been industry-recognized with more than 30 international awards, including “Retail Store of the Year” for the World of Disney. Rush is an expert in industrial and product design and was responsible for the merchandise and global retail development for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. His immersive Research & Development team created beloved experiential brands, including the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, the Star Wars Weekends product, the Disney Princess franchise relaunch and D-Tech Me, one of the first viable commercial applications of personalized 3-D printing.

As an innovative and inspirational leader, Rush is frequently asked to work with Fortune 500 companies on the power of brand identity, consumer trending, creativity in the workplace and innovation.

The McBride Company also welcomes Manuel Fernando Arredondo as Senior Conceptual Design Director. Arredondo will lend his expert design and illustration knowledge to every step of the creative process, from blue sky to project completion. With nearly a decade of experience as a Show Concept Designer at Walt Disney Imagineering, Arredondo was tasked with conceptualizing and subsequently illustrating some of the most iconic destinations in the entertainment industry. His masterful artistic ability helps bring his whimsical concepts to life via both hand-drawn and digital-based sketches and storyboards. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from California State University, Fullerton, with an emphasis in Entertainment Design.

About The McBride Company

For more than 30 years, The McBride Company, a creative concept and design firm, has specialized in cultivating experiences that become destinations for clients in the hospitality and leisure industries. The firm’s ability to successfully design experiential spaces helps clients achieve measureable business objectives while providing guests more enjoyable experiences. From the design and branding of all Margaritaville restaurants, hotels and casinos to the conceptual planning and design of Hard Rock Cafes, the firm’s work is experienced and enjoyed by millions of people across the globe each year. 

The firm’s clients represent nearly every facet of the hospitality and leisure industries and include Margaritaville, Pyramid/Destiny USA, the Smithsonian Institution, Simon Property Group, The Walt Disney Company, Universal, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, and the Discovery Channel. The McBride Company provides a wide range of services, including conceptual design, architecture, interior design, graphic design, special feature design, art direction and strategic planning.

The McBride Company has offices in Manchester Center, Vt., and Miami, Fla. For more information, visit www.mcbridedesign.com and connect with The McBride Company on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram (@theMcBrideCo).