• by Fern Siegel , August 2, 2024

Independent brand-design agency Vault49 added two hires to its New York office.

Kate McTigue joins as strategy director and Martha Kirby becomes senior client director.

Before Vault49, McTigue worked at TRIPTK on brands such as Nike, Beam-Suntory and Supreme. Her initial project list includes North American clients Diageo and PepsiCo.

She also spent time as a creative strategist/copywriter for NR2154.

Meg Asaro, head of strategy at Vault49, called McTigue “a creatively driven strategy director who specializes in crafting sharp consumer insights, creating memorable brands, and unlocking game-changing cultural opportunities.”

For the past six months, Kirby has worked for Vault 49 on the Guinness account in a freelance capacity. Prior to this, she was client services director at ThoughtMatter. She will continue to work on the Diageo account, as well as mentor junior members of the team.

Jonathan Kenyon, co-founder of Vault49, called Kirby "an exceptional member of the team, both in her approach to running projects and nurturing client relationships at a senior level."

Vault49 was named Global Design Agency of Record for two of Diageo’s biggest brands: Baileys and Guinness. Current clients also include Netflix, Gatorade and Doritos.