McGuirk joins the technology firm from Dentsu Aegis agency Carat, where she was responsible for leading marketing for clients across various sectors including retail, fashion, health and beauty.
McGuirk said: “This is my biggest challenge yet in terms of creating a world-class marketing team. UKFast is at a tipping point and I'm really excited that I'm here at the start of this stage of the journey, while there's a huge opportunity to grow.
“I have known about UKFast for some time. It’s a brand on the rise and it’s impossible to miss, so the opportunity to lead a marketing team at UKFast is an absolute dream.”
The new addition to UKFast’s board of directors brings experience of operating in agencies for the three major media and marketing groups – Publicis, WPP and Dentsu Aegis.
McGuirk is set to oversee all aspects of UKFast’s brand, content and creative strategy.
She continued: “Agency side I was able to move very quickly and innovatively, but since arriving here I’m amazed by the speed at which UKFast operates. It’s similar in style to an agency model, but with unlimited resources.
“The biggest frustration in agency is not being able to put great ideas into practice, because you don't always have access to the right person. At UKFast there are no limits, and that’s the beauty of working with Lawrence. He's got an incredibly creative mind and doesn't see boundaries, which is so rare.”
UKFast says the company is set to follow McGuirk’s appointment with a string of senior marketing hires this quarter as CEO Lawrence Jones builds on last year’s recruitment push which saw 100 new staff members added to the overall headcount.
He said: “To get somebody like Kristina on board is an amazing coup for us, as talent from high-profile agencies often view agency life as the only way to maintain their cutting edge skills. But UKFast does things differently.
“Perhaps the most important thing with bringing anybody into the business, especially a senior leader, is that they are the right fit culturally and Kristina certainly ticks that box. She brings a huge amount of experience and energy to the team.
“The one thing we've got in abundance is the creative energy and the brainpower. It's up to us to harness that creativity and to amplify it in the right directions.”
UKFast declared £17.6m EBITDA on turnover of £40m in 2016 and has a run rate of over £45m.