Raluca Preda

Background

About Raluca Preda

I am driven by curiosity and a love for solving design problems for real people. I rally and lead teams around human-centered design to be empathetic, work collaboratively, and creatively design solutions that forge meaningful connections between brands and people. Over the 15 years that span my career, my leadership and work has created an impact in industries such as publishing, beauty/skincare, fast-moving consumer goods, innovation, healthcare, retail, food, beverage, and hospitality. I'm a graphic-designer-meets-innovation-strategist who has conceptualized and executed numerous product, packaging, branding, visual identity, and physical/digital experience designs for world-renown companies including Johnson & Johnson, Pepsico, ABIinBev, Mac Cosmetics, FedEx, Pfizer, and Sanofi. Just as importantly, I have developed design solutions for smaller brands and local startups, like Merriweather Coffee + Kitchen, the NYC-based cafe my husband and I created, own, and manage. I am known for my comprehensive design skills, contagious creative intelligence, learner's mindset, and adventurous spirit - qualities I bring to amplify design teams, evolve processes, and push design capabilities and boundaries - all in service of designing strategically purposeful and impactful products. I continue to strive to learn and grow, listen and lead, collaborate and dive in while ensuring the team delivers impact, within a creatively safe and fun environment.