Celebrating 10 Years of Excellence: Kelly Barlow’s Zen Journey

On 8th June 2015, a bright and ambitious young woman named Kelly Sainty walked through the doors of Zen Hair’s Romford Head Office for her very first day. Fast forward ten years, and Kelly now known to us all as Kelly Barlow, has not only grown with the company, but has become an essential part of the Zen family.

Joining at a time when Zen Hair was still in its early stages, Kelly was one of just a handful of team members helping to shape what has since become a leading name in professional hair extensions. From the very beginning, Kelly’s natural organisational flair and commitment to the brand shone through. It wasn’t long before she took the reins of one of the company’s most critical areas: trade shows and events.

From the bustling floors of Salon International and Professional Hair Live to the more recent buzz of Haircon, Kelly’s attention to detail and ability to bring order to the chaos of event planning helped elevate Zen Hair’s presence at each and every exhibition. Behind the seamless stands and engaging experiences was Kelly, ensuring everything ran like clockwork and delivering strong returns for the business in the process.

But it’s not just events where Kelly has made her mark. Over the past decade, she’s also become the driving force behind Zen Hair’s creative output, managing photoshoots, campaign launches, and collection shoots that have helped define the brand’s image in the professional hairdressing world. Today, her official title of Project & Events Manager only scratches the surface of the many hats she wears.

Zen Hair’s Managing Director, Johnny Yip, put it best, “Kelly is, quite simply, my number ONE in the business! She’s not just an exceptional team manager she’s an invaluable part of everything we do at Zen. From day one, I could see the ambition and drive in her. Over the years, she’s grown from strength to strength. Working with her has been a genuine pleasure, and I consider her not only a trusted colleague but a close friend.”

2024 was a particularly special year for Kelly. In September, she married her long-time partner Michael, with many of the Zen team in attendance to share in the celebration. And this June, the celebrations continued this time marking her impressive milestone of 10 years with Zen.

To honour Kelly’s decade of service, Johnny and his wife Elaine arranged a private dinner with Kelly and Michael but, true to Zen tradition, there was a surprise twist. The rest of the Zen team were waiting at the venue to join the celebrations and raise a toast to the woman who has given so much to the company. A beautiful scrapbook was presented, filled with memories, messages and photos from the past ten years, a heartfelt tribute to Kelly’s incredible journey.

Visibly moved by the gesture, Kelly was also gifted a £500 holiday voucher and five additional days of leave, a small token of appreciation for her unwavering commitment and hard work.

In a time when long service is increasingly rare, especially from someone who began their career so young,  Kelly’s dedication to Zen Hair is nothing short of remarkable. Her journey reflects not only her own personal and professional growth, but also the values and spirit of Zen Hair itself: loyalty, ambition and a shared vision for excellence.

Kelly, thank you for everything you’ve done for the company and creating the A-Team

that has accelerated the growth of Zen.