People, December, 2008

Mover of the month

In October Adventis Health division LeapFrog announced that Lauren Duncan had joined the team as account executive. Laura registered as a pharmacist in 2007 and has experience in both hospital and clinical pharmacy. Diana Ribeiro was promoted to scientific services associate for Adventis Health division LeapFrog from her previous position of account executive for Adventis Health division Affiniti. Jade Mellish was promoted to logistics manager for Adventis Health division LeapFrog, responsible for internal business unit support plus external meeting and event co-ordination

Rachel Farrow has joined Quintiles as vice president and global head of its Innovex Medical Communications (IMC) division. Rachel joins IMC from TVF Communications, a London based, specialist pharmaceutical communications business where she was managing director. Her extensive experience includes working with most of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies at a local, regional and global level. She will assume responsibility for developing IMC's business globally.

Dorland Global Corporation in Philadelphia has announced that Camela Morrissey has replaced Nancy Bacher Long as president of Dorland Global Public Relations (DGPR). Morrissey replaces Long, who has led DGPR since 1992. Long will remain with the agency in a consultancy role. Camela has over 20 years' experience in public relations, marketing and the management of communications practices and organisations. Most recently, Morrissey was vice president, public affairs, marketing and patient satisfaction with New York Hospital, Queens, a large community teaching hospital that is part of the New York-Presbyterian Healthcare System.

In November Adventis Health division Affiniti appointed Victoria Marsh as account director to work on a wide range of pan-European accounts. Sarah Spain also joins Adventis Health division Affiniti as senior account executive and has been assigned to two major UK accounts. Dan Conacher joins Adventis Health division Affiniti as senior account executive. Previously, Dan was a sales representative with GSK and Nycomed. Susie Lee joins Adventis Health division LeapFrog as account manager. A DPhil in Pathology from Oxford University, Susie will be working across a wide range of accounts.

Steve Kerridge, formerly founder and managing director of In2Focus, has joined Apodi as executive chairman. In his new role, Steve will be focusing on the strategic direction of the organisation, together with an element of business development.

The directors of Trio Healthcare have announced a new board appointment. Lloyd Pearce joined the company at the beginning of October as sales director. He brings diverse experience from a sales and  management career that spans several industries, including healthcare.

Fleishman-Hillard (FH) has made several new appointments. Charlotte Florence joins FH's The Remedy as a director responsible for the strategic development of new and existing accounts. She worked previously at Burson-Marsteller as an associate director and as a clinical research scientist for GlaxoSmithKline, as well as for The Remedy as an account director. Charlotte Shyllon also joins as an associate director in the healthcare PR team. She brings 15 years' communications experience, including six years as director of communications and marketing at a large community organisation. After starting her career as a community pharmacist, Charlotte was also technical editor on Chemist & Druggist magazine. Amie Hales joins The Remedy as an account manager, developing the pan-European meetings programme for key accounts, and Jen Shiba has been appointed senior account executive in the healthcare PR group, providing support for several of FH's blue chip global clients. Jen transferred to the UK following more than two years with the healthcare practice in New York.

Fleishman-Hillard (FH) has also announced  several internal promotions. Aoife Kilkenny was promoted from associate director to director – healthcare public affairs; Tracey Carey from associate director to director – healthcare public relations; Julie Masters from senior account manager to account director – healthcare public relations; Lindsay Fowlston from senior account manager to account director – healthcare public relations; Lorna Croft from senior account executive to account manager – healthcare public relations; Kate Kinsey, from account executive to senior account executive – The Remedy (medical education) and Fiona McWhirter from account executive to senior account executive – The Remedy (medical education).

VMA Group Search and Selection, the leading recruitment consultancy, has appointed Suzanne Kelly to set up a new specialist healthcare division. She is one of six new hires made recently to expand the company's busy teams in London and Manchester.

Boston Healthcare Associates, based in Boston, Massachusetts has announced the appointment of Adam Barak as vice president. Barak brings 16 years' pricing and reimbursement experience, including the development of global pricing and reimbursement strategies for drugs, medical devices and diagnostics in a wide range of therapeutic areas. He worked previously at GlaxoWellcome's international pricing and reimbursement division, where he became head of European pricing, as well as at Oxford GlycoSciences as international pricing and reimbursement manager, developing global pricing, reimbursement, and market access strategy for the company's first pharmaceutical launch. In 2002, he established his own consultancy, ABPPC. The network covers 22 countries, and is represented by Boston Healthcare in the UK and US.

Carmel Thompson joins Brand(x) as copy director in advertising. She qualified in medicine at King's College before working in pharmaceutical script writing and then copywriting at Lane, Earl and Cox and Paling Walters. Carmel has 14 years' creative experience across Rx, OTC and consumer healthcare brands.
Hannah Hughes also joins Brand(x) as an account administrator in advertising, from a private hospital in Chester where she was the business development manager. She graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University in 2006 with a BA(Hons) in Business Enterprise.

Obituary - Myra Hodgkinson: 1950 - 2008
Myra Hodgkinson worked as a junior school teacher, before gaining experience in sales and marketing with Lundbeck and Ciba-Geigy. In 1987 she joined McCann Erickson Manchester where she worked hard on a wide range of accounts. Her skills, dedication and zest for success were noted and rewarded, culminating in her becoming MD of McCann Healthcare Manchester in 1995. The enthusiastic example she set helped the agency win accolades and awards for both creativity and sales effectiveness, including those for revolutionary campaigns such as Zestril Zest for Life, Solpadol Cry Baby, and Zocor Heaven can wait. Under her stewardship the agency grew from just one client to the number one healthcare agency in the UK at the end of the 1990s, as ranked by Campaign Review. It was also recognised as 'Agency of the Decade' by Pharma Times.

Myra died of a brain tumour on October 8, 2008. Ambitious, sure, and someone who worked long hours to build brands and business, she shone with light-hearted easiness and nurtured her entire team, regardless of their 'place' in the organisation. Myra is grieved by her friends, Norma and Tom, with whom she lived recently and who cared for her to the end, her family, and her many other friends. She will be greatly missed.

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