Caroline Kelly – The creative powerhouse leading from behind

“I am a private person; even at work I like to remain in the background, staying invisible while allowing the quality of my work to shine through,” shares Caroline Kelly. Beneath the surface of this humble and reserved woman, though, is a creative force, wanderlust and art lover who is among a handful of women charting new ground in the international alcohol industry.

In April, Kelly was recognised for 25 years of service at Red Stripe, at which she serves as the merchandising manager in the Commerce Department. As the mastermind behind Red Stripe’s iconic bar branding, her work has been seen by most Jamaicans at some point. Curious about the secret behind her success, we caught up with Kelly to discover more about the woman behind the work.

Kelly’s story starts in the town of Colgate, St Ann, where she spent most of her childhood enjoying a close relationship with her grandmother who she notes inspired her strong work ethic. As a teen, she attended Iona High School in Tower Isle, St Mary, and credits this experience with ingraining many of the principles and guidelines by which she still lives.

“If you speak to my colleagues, they will tell you I am a very principled person. Some may even say I’m a bit miserable, but I insist on doing things the right way. I don’t believe in breaking the rules unless necessary, and in such a case it must be for the greater good.”

In her journey from trainee to management, Kelly has experienced several areas of the trade, from procurement to administration, marketing and events, before eventually settling in sales. Throughout the years one thing remained constant, helping to drive her success — an unrelenting dedication to continuous learning and self-improvement.

She notes, “I commit to learning something new everyday, whether on the job or in my personal life. If you look hard enough, you will always find opportunities to learn from others and grow. I am constantly reading, doing research online, and increasing my knowledge about consumers and current trends. Regardless of your industry, to be successful you must be persistent and consistently deliver a product or service that customers can appreciate.”

While happy to be counted among the relatively small group of women who have attained seniority in the global alcohol industry, Kelly laments that even though women have made massive strides, there is still significant work to achieve equality.

“I have seen changes that have allowed women, like myself, to attain management roles in this industry. However, I have also come across women who express that they have not been treated fairly, particularly when they are the only woman on a team or in a department full of men. Some even get so frustrated they walk away from careers that could have been impactful. It is unfortunate that in 2022 companies are still losing excellent female employees because they are hung up over whether a man or woman should lead certain initiatives.”

In an industry where women are often held to higher standards than their male counterparts, she believes the change will only come from a combination of collective action by women and changes in the behaviours and culture of their male colleagues.

When you consider the standout traits that have defined Caroline Kelly’s two-and-a-half-decade career, one may conclude that she is all work and no play. However, her reserved and humble personality belies a free spirit with a deep love for music and the arts and a burning desire to explore the world around her, whether that means hopping in her car for a road trip or travelling to another country to experience its diverse cultural offerings.

“It may come as a surprise because I am introverted, but New York is my favourite travel location. There is something about all that activity around you that makes it a safe haven for me; I like to go on the train or take a walk and simply observe. Being in New York also allows me to indulge my love for art at galleries and art shows. It is fascinating to see each person’s interpretation through their art. Even when the piece may look weird, when you consider the context and what it represents to the artist, you understand why the piece is meaningful. I don’t have a favourite artist; I believe everyone has something significant to offer. I also love to support Jamaican artists, all the pieces I own are from local creators.”

Kelly’s growing travel wish list includes France, Italy, Sweden and Nigeria. As an avid listener of Nigeria’s Afrobeat music, she hopes her future travels in the country will include live concerts by some of her faves.

So what’s next for this introverted creative and lifelong learner? The answer is to pursue yet another skill, one she has been interested in for some time — interior decor.

“I am eager to start studying interior design. I have always liked creative design projects, making things and spaces look attractive. I have always considered myself a creative person, but my job has pushed that even further and now I want to expand those limits. I plan to work on that skill and go wherever it takes me.”

Summing up the last 25 years, Kelly concludes, “It has been an incredible journey. It hasn’t always been smooth, and there are times when I have questioned why I am doing this. However, the feeling of completing a project and the customer’s positive reaction is a reward that pushes me to want to do even better and keep growing.”