Tier One Partners Expands Sr. Leadership Team; Adds Derek Delano, Promotes Colleen Irish and Ashley Tate

Tier One Partners, LLC, an award-winning, full-service PR, digital, and content agency, today announced veteran agency executive Derek Delano has joined as senior vice president. For nearly 25 years, Delano has advised global and emerging brands on a number of strategic communications and brand development initiatives. 

For much of his career, Delano has helped global leaders like IBM, Johnson & Johnson, Cognizant, Mastercard, and Cisco build brand preference and improve customer engagement through integrated communications strategies. He brings deep messaging and crisis communications experience, helping a number of clients navigate issues, refresh brand identities, and build executive platforms. A master storyteller, Delano also has extensive experience working with C-level executives and subject matter experts to engage with key audiences while delivering key corporate messages and company updates.

Delano is a graduate of Bentley University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business communications. A Massachusetts native, he resides in Burlington, MA with his family.

In addition to Delano’s appointment, Tier One has promoted Colleen Irish to vice president and Ashley Tate to content director.

Irish has 18 years of experience managing multinational brand-building and award-winning media relations and communications programs for high tech companies including Entegris, Prophix, Collibra, Nanoco, Mobiquity, SAP, and more. Before joining Tier One in 2011, she spent three years directing PR for Cambridge Technology Partners. In her new role as vice president, Irish is a key member of Tier One's management team, helping to further grow and develop the agency through strong client relationships, new business development, and team member mentoring with a focus on company culture.

With 15 years of storytelling experience, Tate has created independent, branded, and marketing content for award-winning publications and innovative companies. Tate’s vast media experience ranges from national magazines to digital startups, including Real Simple magazine where she worked for 10 years. She has also written for numerous publications, including Money, O: The Oprah Magazine, Women’s Health, Good Housekeeping, Country Living, Ozy, and PureWow. In her new role, she will be leading Tier One’s fast-growing content business unit, working with a stable of writers and designers on clients across the agency.

About Tier One Partners

Tier One is an award-winning PR, digital, and content firm that works with challenger brands in technology, digital health, and financial services to promote bold new ideas and solutions for a better future. Learn more at tieronepr.com.