Born Paula Jane Baer on August 9, 1931, in Beverly Hills, Paula dreamed of acting and briefly pursued it—landing roles in commercials and shows like 77 Sunset Strip and The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok. While acting, she experienced allergic reactions to hair products, sparking her mission to create gentler, more scientifically formulated haircare. Paula grew up in Burbank, California. She was a high school dropout, got married at the age of 15, and became a single mother by the age of 17. While attempting to find jobs in television, she worked as a gas station attendant and as a secretary. She overcame early challenges through resilience and self-education.
In 1960, Paula invested $3,000 from a Hamm’s beer commercial and teamed up with Jheri Redding, her hairstylist at the time, combining their names to form “Redken”. They launched with three products built on principles of protein technology and an acidic pH (4.5–5.5). From the start, they insisted that Redken be sold exclusively through licensed cosmetologists, accompanied by intensive chemistry education for stylists, raising both professional standards and product credibility. By 1965, Paula had bought out Redding and steered Redken to rapid growth—reaching $1.5 million in sales. She introduced visionary marketing strategies, including bringing Vidal Sassoon to Los Angeles to promote the iconic bob haircut.
In 1971, Paula married John E. Meehan, an advertising executive whom she first met on a Redken business call. He became Redken’s CEO, while Paula served as Board Chair and continued shaping brand direction. Under their leadership, Redken advanced its product technology—especially in hair color with Shades EQ in 1983—and expanded globally alongside a robust education platform. In 1993, Paula and John sold Redken to Cosmair (L’Oréal’s US division) and shifted the headquarters to New York after the Northridge quake. Paula remained active in business through Kenquest Inc.,and Timequest Inc. In 2003, she launched the Global Salon Business Awards to honor salon entrepreneurship.
A generous philanthropist, Paula donated millions to causes including the Wallis Annenberg Center, the Beverly Hills 9/11 Memorial Garden, and founded Pets 90210—later The Pet Care Foundation—and was involved with mental health and child abuse prevention charities. Paula earned accolades such as Business Week’s Top 100 Corporate Women, Entrepreneurial Women’s “Eight Most Powerful Women,” Working Woman’s Top 50
Women Business Owners, and was #1 among Women-Owned Businesses by the L.A. Business Journal for four years. She also received lifetime and Intercoiffure honors.
Widowed in 2004, Paula Kent passed away at home in Beverly Hills on June 23, 2014, at age 82. I chose Paula Kent as the Industry Hero this month because I recognize her as a trailblazer who married art and science, transforming haircare with protein-rich, pH balanced products and salon education. She fought through barriers as a female CEO when men dominated boardrooms. She was a source of inspiration through philanthropy that uplifted communities and animals She was a strategic entrepreneur, growing Redken from a tiny startup into a global beauty powerhouse. Paula Kent was a lifelong learner, proving that success does not require a diploma, just determination and wisdom.
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