New global role for Shanahan at FD

Founder of Santé Communications, Liz Shanahan, has been appointed global head of healthcare and life sciences for medical communications firm FD.

Shanahan will lead FD's team of cross-practice experts who serve healthcare and life sciences clients across the company's global network. She will work with the regional heads and the heads of FD's healthcare and life sciences sector teams building from a base of about 50 specialist consultants worldwide.

Her focus will be on leveraging new opportunities across the group and developing FD's health and life science's offering in new markets and identifying ways of adding value for existing clients.

Shanahan founded Santé Communications in 1995 and her company joined FD four years ago as FD Santé.

Liz Shanahan

Commething on her appointment, Shanahan said: "This is a tremendous opportunity and an exciting challenge. In the past 10 years the healthcare and pharmaceutical sector has become increasingly globalised. While the US and the EU remain dominant we see, for example, increasing activity in the Asia Pacific region.

"Across the world, the industry operates within many different national constraints but globally it shares the challenges of increasing pressure on medicine and technology access, escalating R&D costs with reduced output and ever increasing regulatory pressures. Dozens of pharmaceutical companies and healthcare providers, large and small already trust FD with their most important products on communication."