Townsend Belisle

CEO, EP, Creative Director

Townsend Belisle is the Founder and CEO of Haystack Needle, a strategic design and production company based in New York, serving clients all over the globe.

As an Executive Producer and Creative Director, he advises the senior management of public and private companies on the production of creative communications and marketing campaigns. Townsend has over 25 years of experience producing brands, events, websites, videos and search, social and print campaigns – all with the support of specialized, branded teams that he has curated over the years.

Townsend has extensive expertise working with C-suite, marketing and communications leaders to produce strategic communications solutions and to create, refine and strengthen their long term reputation programs. He has produced hundreds of corporate communications campaigns, brand launches, M&A transaction announcements, IPOs, restructuring endeavors, proxy campaigns, and investor days.

Prior to founding Haystack in 2008, Townsend was an Executive Producer at other notable New York production and creative agencies, including Broadstreet, Eyeball and Razorfish. He began his career in the entertainment sector, working for Merv Griffin, developing the branding platform for William Morris Agency, and later representing talent such as John Legend.

Townsend holds a BA in economics and music from Skidmore College.