Creative Director in AI Leadership | Award-Winning Campaigns | Digital Marketing | Brand Strategy | Visual Storytelling | Adobe Customer Advocacy Board
Defining Creative Leadership in the AI Era
Rooted in a love of color, a rigorous design education, and the real-world discipline of launching brands for small businesses, then evolving through agency and in-house corporate leadership, I developed a signature methodology: building bridges between creativity, technologies, and strategy.
My consistent approach — refined across 35 years — is uniquely distilled: a convergence of color, design discipline, business building, and corporate strategy that yields measurable results from what feels almost mystical. Learn complex systems rapidly, diagnose organizational pain points, build scalable infrastructure and templates, train teams at scale, lead under pressure with precision, achieve consistency in chaos, bridge cultures and languages. Evolving from execution to leadership to enterprise vision, moving beyond traditional job boundaries into roles that didn’t exist yet.
Driven by curiosity about what’s next, I actively seek emerging spaces where AI, brand strategy, and creative leadership converge. My core conviction: innovation is most powerful when it’s authentic. I partner with organizations to thoughtfully evolve their creative practice by integrating cutting-edge AI adoption with brand integrity and human-centered design. As an active member of Adobe’s Customer Advocacy Board for Empowered Creation Leadership Forum, I directly contribute to what’s next in enterprise creative AI leadership — bringing that expertise directly into every organization and team I serve.
Recognition Award-winning Campaigns
ABB | Circle of Excellence Award | Robotics US Headquarters | 2024
Adobe + Fortune | LinkedIn: ABB empowers global teams to create faster with Adobe Express | 2024
Adobe | Customer Advisory Board for Empowered Creation Leadership | Member | 2026
As Director of Creative & Visual Storytelling at ABB, I lead creative vision while translating complex industrial innovation into compelling narratives that drive business globally.
- Building communities where creative leaders challenge each other
- Empowering use of emerging tools strategically and responsibly
- Creating compelling campaigns in global markets with measurable business impact.
- Scaling AI‑powered creative infrastructure and adoption across the enterprise.
- Mentoring early-career creatives—fostering the next generation of creative leaders.
- Influencing C-suite executives and global stakeholders on creative strategy
- Experimenting and creating, using traditional art & media, digital design and AI tools.
- Blending human creativity with AI capability
Industry Experience
TECHNOLOGY | Electrification • Automation • Digital + AI • Infrastructure • Data Centers • Utilities + Energy
Renewable Energy • Power Generation • Government Relations • Robotics • Manufacturing • Global Sustainability • Legal & Integrity
PHARMACEUTICAL | Clinical Research Trials • Biotechnology • Laboratories • Life Sciences • Development • Human Resources
B2C | Construction • Real Estate • Home Theater & Security • Medical • Travel • Non-profit • Restaurant • Home Decor • Education • Retail
Award-winning Campaigns
ABB | Circle of Excellence Award | Robotics US Headquarters | 2024
Adobe + Fortune | LinkedIn: ABB empowers global teams to create faster with Adobe Express | 2024
Adobe | Customer Advisory Board for Empowered Creation Leadership | Member | 2026
ABB Director of Creative and Visual Storytelling
ABB — Aug 2018 to present
- Director of Creative and Visual Storytelling January 2024 – Present
- Creative Director US Communications Team — August 2021 to January 2024
- Creative & Brand Manager US — March 2019 to August 2021
- ACW Event Creative Services Director & North American Brand Manager — August 2018 to September 2021
PPD – Pharmaceutical Product Development
Senior Graphic Designer and Project Manager — August 2013 to Aug 2018
PPD is a global leader in clinical research trials and drug development partnering with pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms, and laboratories to help develop life-changing therapies. Over 5 years, developed an infrastructure spanning hundreds of creative assets: corporate identity, sub-brands, guidelines, templates, and distribution systems—delivering consistent visual identity across pharmaceutical, biotech, and clinical research divisions. Established in-house creative agency, grew the design team from one to three, and created operational frameworks enabling the department to scale across business divisions in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.
Recognition | Team Collaborate Work Excellence Award Winner | Peer Nominated | 2015 and 2016
Personal Projects
Personal Projects
After travelling to Japan in 2024, I looked for vintage style travel posters. Nothing was quite right or all inclusive. Having taken hundreds of photos, I decided to create a travel poster template of my own. I used them to create a travel album journal with captions and events. There are 4 designs translated into full scale posters and used the Adobe Express Print-and-Deliver service as well.
These designs are my photography and personal ideas executed in Adobe Express and Photoshop. No AI was used to create the photos or design although some was applied to edit, remove and extend content as needed.
ABB Event Creative Services Director ACW — ABB Customer World event highlights
Led creative and production for ABB’s Customer World event—a major enterprise-scale project including 150,000 SQFT tradeshow floor and 10,000 attendees
Enterprise-Scale Delivery
• Created branded convention center, technology floor, and signage (245 graphic walls, 200+ signs)
• Achieved 95% visual brand consistency across 150,000 SQFT show floor with 100+ asset creators
• Led marketing creative services team, branding, and visual strategy across unprecedented scale
• Directed 70+ trained team members and 12+ vendors, ensuring quality and compliance
• Led 10-day on-site execution in Houston, managing real-time creative direction and problem-solving
Recognition
ABB Quality Salute Award for ABB Customer World Leadership and Execution | 2019
“Kristen’s leadership was key to our success, driving fantastic results in leads, relationships, and sales. Long hours and intense efforts ensured our customers had a great experience. Their feedback has been outstanding! Her work proves that ABB has the best people. Kristen made the difference for our company and thousands of attendees. We’re proud to see ABB U.S. leading the way and positioning ABB as a future partner. This success wouldn’t have been possible without her focused planning, execution, and teamwork.”
— President, ABB North America
If you’re exploring AI in creative, navigating enterprise creative transformation, or building the creative roles that don’t exist yet — let’s connect. I’m actively shaping the conversation around authentic creation at scale.