MERGE Hires Creative Strategy Leader

Health and wellness marketing and technology agency MERGE has appointed former Meta staffer Cait Vlastakis Smith as EVP of Creative Strategy.

In her most recent role at Meta, Vlastakis Smith (pictured) led content and UX teams building growth, privacy and safety features for Facebook, Messenger and Instagram. Earlier she worked at brand strategy firm New Kind, was Executive Strategy Director at Centerline Digital, and worked at tech company Globant and pharma and biotech company Campbell Alliance (InVentiv Health).

In her new role, she will drive digital strategy, creative storytelling, and experience design across MERGE's clients in technology and healthcare.

CEO Stephanie Trunzo says of the appointment: 'In the age of AI, we need to elevate creative and content capabilities across all mediums, from print to digital to physical, integrating data and technology. Cait's uniquely exuberant drive for efficient design and accurate, ethical content will catalyze our ability to create evocative, personalized, consumer-grade experiences at scale.'

The hire continues a year of rapid growth in the firm's senior ranks. In the summer, it appointed Heidi West as Chief Revenue Officer and John Bracey as Chief Data and Performance Officer, while earlier this year it brought in Erica Denner as Chief People Officer, Kyle Smith as CTO, Paul Buranosky as CMO and Chris Esposito as CFO. Trunzo herself joined the company in January.

Web site: www.mergeworld.com .