# Gail Kernes

> Creative Project Management, Clorox, Del Monte, Colgate, Oral-B

Location: San Francisco Bay Area, United States
Profile: https://flows.cv/gailkernes

I love my career as a creative operations manager and have 10+ years of experience in consumer packaging, I have successfully managed the end-to-end integrated creative process from brief development, design, photography, production, approvals, final deliverables. I gained my knowledge working on some of the world's best-known brands in various categories, including food, pet food, personal care, household and cleaning, and sporting goods. 

As a manager of budget-challenged to $1B+ brands I can ensure we deliver high-quality design and production solutions that meet strategic objectives, cost and time constraints, and superior customer experiences. 

With a strong background in branding, education and marketing, as well as illustration and graphic design, and a deep understanding of the creative operations process I know how to effectively communicate my understanding the needs of internal and external agency partners, lead and support cross-functional and creative teams. Leveraging, various software tools for in-person and remote collaboration. I am passionate about design excellence, transforming brands and developing new products, especially in the international, natural and organic space, where I can align my values with the company's mission and vision. 

I am currently seeking full-time or contract opportunities to use my expertise to help build and grow your brands.

## Work Experience
### Creative Operations Management @ Unknown
Jan 2023 – Present

### Creative Project Manager/Content Developer @ Every Man Jack
Jan 2023 – Jan 2023 | San Francisco Bay Area
Development of briefs and copy, and cross-functional approval for over 100 products moving quickly to a new look and a new communication strategy.

### Creative Project Manager @ The Clorox Company, (contractor CCS)
Jan 2018 – Jan 2022 | Oakland, California
Creative Expertise and Process Leadership to design, creative studio, and operations, brand marketing, management, CRM team, cross-functional partners. branding agencies, designers, digital, content creators, illustrators, photographers, mock-up and pre-press suppliers, and printers.

End-to End Creative Process Management: development of creative briefs, proposals, project plans, schedules, and budgets for all phases: strategy, competitive audits, research, design, illustration/animation, photography/photo-shoots, mock-ups, fulfillment, proof approvals/press-checks, style guide development and asset management.

Resource Planning and Management: ensuring tasks were allocated to appropriate resources and internal and external partners are fully briefed and updated with change requests.

Project Management: using Workfront and various software tools for planning and communicating status and risks to stakeholders and ensuring projects are delivered on time and on budget. 

Ensured a consistent global brand experience by providing: design support, development of brand standards, providing assets to agencies and regional marketing partners for omni-channel integration for small and big-box retail, advertising, digital, social media: websites, and banners.

### Project Manager, Packaging Design @ JM Smucker Pet Foods (formerly: Big Heart Pet Brands, and Del Monte Pet Foods)
Jan 2013 – Jan 2018 | San Francisco

### Design Manager, Packaging Graphics @ Hill's Pet Nutrition a division of Colgate Palmolive
Jan 2007 – Jan 2012 | Topeka, KS


## Education
### MS in Education with focus in Training & Development, and additional focus in Marketing
Northwestern University

### BS Bio-Medical Communication in Focus on Illustration and Graphic Design
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign


## Contact & Social
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/gailkernes

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Source: https://flows.cv/gailkernes
JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/gailkernes/resume.json
Last updated: 2026-04-13