Her Story
About Kiki
Kristin Redhead is a global color and CMF design leader with more than 20 years of experience spanning color strategy, trend forecasting, industrial design, product development, and strategic consultancy. She serves as Global Head of Color and Global CMF & Trend Manager for Sherwin-Williams Industrial Coatings, where she leads global color, material, finish, and trend initiatives. Her work brings together aesthetics, performance, sustainability, chemistry, and manufacturing to develop production-ready color and coating solutions for industrial, architectural, and OEM customers worldwide.
Redhead holds a Master’s Degree in Trend Forecasting from Polimoda in Florence, Italy, along with an undergraduate background in Interior Design, Merchandising & Management, and Marketing from the University of Wisconsin–Stout. Before returning to Sherwin-Williams, she founded and led Colour Couture, a global color and trend consultancy, for approximately a decade. She also established M3T, a trend-training and retreat program, and developed the M3Trend methodology, a tri-level forecasting approach encompassing Mega, Macro, and Micro trends. At Sherwin-Williams, she has spearheaded the development of DesignHouse, established industrial color trend forecasting initiatives, and led collaborative teams of chemists, industrial designers, and CMF professionals.
A longstanding advocate for the professionalization and advancement of color design, Redhead has been involved with the Color Marketing Group since 2003 and has served in numerous leadership and education roles, including membership on its Board of Directors and co-chair responsibilities for its Future Thinking and Networking Committees. She created and chaired the organization's education program and continues to mentor emerging designers and speak at colleges, conferences, workshops, and industry events. She attributes her career success to her passion for color and her commitment to expanding its strategic role in design and industry, with a particular focus on creating opportunities for the next generation of designers.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Kiki
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success primarily to my genuine passion for what I do. I truly love everything about color, and I believe there is still so much potential in the field that we have not fully explored. My passion has motivated me to challenge established boundaries and help elevate the role of color within the industrial design space. I have been fortunate to break several barriers in the industry, and I want to continue creating opportunities and opening doors for the young designers who are coming after me.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The most important career advice I share is to find your passion and build your career around it. When you are doing something you genuinely love, it does not feel like work in the same way. I believe it is important to find work that inspires you, gives you something to look forward to each day, and keeps you excited about what you are doing. I also believe strongly in finding mentors who can support your development and help you move into roles that allow you to intentionally shape a career that reflects your interests, strengths, and aspirations.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would encourage young women entering the industry to identify what truly inspires them and pursue it intentionally. Find your passion and build your career around it rather than choosing a path simply because it provides a paycheck. Seek out mentors who will support you, challenge you, and help you find opportunities where you can build the career you genuinely want. I also encourage emerging designers to remain curious and recognize that there is tremendous opportunity to expand the role of color, CMF, and design within organizations.
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