Mary Poplin

About Mary Poplin

Who am I and why do you care? I build the bridge between imagination and innovation, helping ideas move from concept to creation through technology, storytelling, and a deep understanding of how people bring their visions to life.As a Principal Creative Technologist at Adobe, I connect creativity and technology to shape what comes next for creative professionals and enterprise teams. I explore how tools like Firefly, Custom Models, and next-generation AI workflows help people create, collaborate, and tell stronger stories at scale. My focus is on turning innovation into practical communication that empowers creative work across industries and around the world.I hold a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration, and an avid writer and author, which grounded me in visual narratives and design fundamentals. That artistic foundation continues to guide my approach today, where technology meets creativity. With more than twenty years of experience in post-production, visual effects, and digital media, I have built a career at the crossroads of art and engineering. Early on, I worked on motion graphics and matte paintings before moving into workflow design, pipeline development, and creative technology strategy.Before becoming a Principal Creative Technologist, I served as a Senior Solutions Consultant on Adobe’s corporate team. In that role, I partnered with Fortune 500 companies to modernize their creative operations through Creative Cloud and Firefly GenAI. I worked closely with enterprise clients to design scalable systems that balance artistic vision with operational efficiency, enabling creative teams to move faster while maintaining brand integrity. That experience taught me how to bridge communication between artists, engineers, and executives to drive measurable creative success.Today, I work with prototypes that demonstrate what is possible with Adobe technology, collaborate with product and marketing teams to shape creative strategy, and partner with customers worldwide to bring next-generation workflows to life. My work focuses on connecting the creative process with the systems that support it, ensuring technology always serves creativity rather than replacing it.Recognized at the Exceptional Women in Post Awards and a proud member of the Visual Effects Society and SAG-AFTRA, I continue to mentor artists, speak at events like Adobe MAX, and help communities embrace new creative tools with confidence.At my heart, I am a maker and a connector. I believe creativity is a shared language, and my mission is to give people new ways to speak it.

Experience

1. Principal Creative Technologist

   Adobe

   Oct 2025 — Present

   As a Principal Creative Technologist, I spend my time helping people see what creative work can become before the rest of the industry catches up. I sit between creativity and technology and turn fast-moving innovation into something real, usable, and meaningful for creative professionals and enterprise teams. I focus on where we are going, not just where we are, and I help teams move toward that future with confidence.Storytelling drives how I work. New technology only matters if people understand why it matters. I build demos and prototypes that show real creative outcomes, not theory. I take emerging tools like generative AI, Firefly, and new workflow models and turn them into experiences teams can see, test, and react to. When people can see themselves inside the future, they adopt it faster and shape it with taste and intention.I set vision by bringing customer reality into product and strategy conversations. I work side by side with product, design, and marketing teams and share what creative teams actually need to succeed at scale. I convert daily creative friction to long-term platform and workflow direction. I push for tools that respect craft, intellectual property, protect brand voice, and make creative teams faster without making their work feel disposable.I lead by helping people move from curiosity to action. I partner with external partners, customers, and global field teams and help them translate Adobe\'s innovation into workflows that deliver results. I focus on clarity and forward momentum so teams feel prepared instead of overwhelmed. I help people understand not just how technology works, but how it changes the way they think about creative production.When I represent Adobe at events like Adobe MAX, I focus on the bigger picture. I tell the story of technology expanding human creativity and opening doors that did not exist before.I stay hands-on. I build. I test. I teach. I create. I help teams see around corners and what comes next.

Education

• Watts Atelier of the Arts

  N/A, Traditional Drawing & Painting

  2008 — 2010

• Richard Lawson Studios

  N/A, Acting

  2012 — 2012

• Savannah College of Art and Design

  BFA, Illustration

  2001 — 2005

Skills

• Mudbox
• Drawing
• Digital Media
• Film
• Character Animation
• Discreet Combustion
• Maya
• Compositing
• Cinema 4d
• Digital Video
• Commercials
• 3d
• Animation
• Video Games
• Color Correction
• Digital Fusion
• Illustration
• Art Direction
• Mocha
• Computer Graphics
• Final Cut Pro
• Web Design
• Graphics
• Graphic Design
• Nuke
• Visual Effects
• Creative Direction
• Product Evangelism
• Stereoscopic
• Mokey
• Storyboarding
• Video Editing
• Premiere
• Digital Painting
• Game Design
• Xsi
• After Effects
• Procreate Painter Classic
• Photoshop
• Quarkxpress