MERGE, a leading marketing and technology agency, has announced the appointment of Cait Vlastakis Smith as Executive Vice President of Creative Strategy. Cait joins MERGE from Meta, where she led content and UX teams developing growth, privacy, and safety features for Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram. Her expertise spans data-driven content strategy, design systems, and scaling user experiences for global audiences in highly regulated markets.
“In the age of AI, we need to elevate creative and content capabilities across all mediums—from print to digital to physical—by integrating data and technology,” said Stephanie Trunzo, CEO of MERGE. “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.”
As Executive Vice President of Creative Strategy, Cait will provide leadership in digital strategy, creative storytelling, and experience design across MERGE’s technology and healthcare client portfolio.
Before joining Meta, Cait led brand strategy initiatives for emerging SaaS, open-source, and technology clients at the brand agency New Kind. She also served as Executive Strategy Director at Centerline Digital, where she directed creative strategy, global website redesigns, and content marketing campaigns for major clients such as IBM, First Citizens Bank, Red Hat, GE, IQVIA, and Duke Clinical Research Institute.
At Globant, Cait led the digital strategy practice, collaborating with insurance and healthcare clients to transform customer journeys through innovative service design. Earlier in her career, she worked at Campbell Alliance (InVentiv Health), a pharmaceutical and biotech consulting firm, where she built repeatable methodologies, playbooks, and tools for managed markets, sales, and clinical development teams.
Reflecting on her new role, Cait shared, “I’m excited to partner with our talented MERGE teams and help our clients showcase their unique value through thoughtfully designed touchpoints, breakthrough creative that’s connected to business outcomes, and strategic storytelling that strengthens relationships between people and brands.”
Cait’s appointment follows several key executive additions at MERGE this year, including Heidi West (Chief Revenue Officer), John Bracey (Chief Data and Performance Officer), Erica Denner (Chief People Officer), Kyle Smith (Chief Technology Officer), Paul Buranosky (Chief Marketing Officer), and Chris Esposito (Chief Financial Officer).
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