Digitas appoints Michael Leis

Digitas Health has made a new senior hire that it hopes will help push social media to the centre of its clients' brand strategies.

Michael Leis, newly appointed senior vice president of social strategy, will focus on helping clients move social strategy to the heart of their brand strategy, the agency said.

Leis joins Digitas Health from Draft/FCB in Chicago, where he led social strategy for clients including Taco Bell, Discover Card, Cox Communications and Sony.

He will report to SVP of emerging channels and technology Brendan Gallagher, who oversees the mobile and UX capabilities for Digitas Health.

“I joined Digitas Health because they are at the forefront of the customer centric transformation taking place in healthcare marketing,” says Leis. “There is no better time or place for social strategy innovation healthcare.”

Based at Digitas Health's Philadelphia headquarters, Lies will also support client social strategies across the Digitas Health network, including the London and New York businesses.

“Michael is one of those left brained-right brained people who brings strategic rigor and a love of 'what if?' to his work,” said Alexandra von Plato, president and global chief creative officer at Digitas' parent company Publicis Healthcare Communications Group.  

“While social media and customer centricity are hot topics, most of our clients are still treating social as a novelty rather than a core part of brand strategy. Michael will help change that.”