n. 25B6; verb he masterminded the whole campaign : PLAN, control, direct, be in charge of, run, conduct, organize, arrange, preside over, orchestrate, stage-manage, engineer, manage, coordinate; conceive, devise, originate, initiate, think up, frame, hatch, come up with; informal be the brains behind.
25B6; noun the mastermind behind the project : GENIUS, mind, intellect, author, architect, organizer, originator, prime mover, initiator, inventor; informal brain, brains, bright spark.