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Designworks fuels next chapter with new leadership hires
Brand design agency Designworks has announced two senior appointments to accelerate its strategic and creative transformation.
Effective immediately, Anna Gregory joins as head of strategy and Vinesh Kumar steps into the role of creative director. They will report to managing partner Megan D’Audney, who took the helm in February.
New Zealand natives returning home, Gregory recently returned from 15 years in the US, while Kumar is fresh from major creative roles in London and New York. They have shaped brand strategy and creative outputs for some of the world’s biggest brands.
D’Audney says: “Our ambition has never been simply to keep pace, but to actively redefine what brand transformation looks like in this region. To do that, we need a calibre of talent that can challenge the status quo.
“Bringing Vinesh and Anna into our leadership fold is a massive coup. Their collective experience operating at the absolute highest levels in London, New York, Seattle and LA ecosystem brings a global perspective back home. Beyond their exceptional craft, they both share a relentless drive for high-impact, simplified storytelling.”
Here to make an impact
As head of strategy, Gregory is tasked with driving strategic rigor across Designworks’ global and local client portfolios, utilising her extensive background as a lead creative strategist, spanning research, product design and brand leadership for global brands including Starbucks, Apple, Microsoft and Amazon.
On the appointment, she says: “Having worked inside the tech design space in the US, I know that great creative work relies on incredibly sharp, fearless strategy. The ambition here at Designworks to bridge the gap between complex business strategy and beautiful customer experiences is exactly the kind of challenge I want to tackle. We are here to make an impact, and the energy in this team is incredibly exciting.”
A hands-on creative director, Kumar has been tasked with shaping the agency’s creative output, blending complex global design systems with the rapid, commercial needs of the local market.
“I believe in building distinctive, enduring brand systems through tight, highly collaborative and hungry teams,” says Kumar. “Designworks has an extraordinary legacy, but what excited me most about joining Megan and Anna is the vision for where we are taking the studio next.”
