Klick Health Adds 18 Senior Leaders as 27-Year Double-Digit Growth Spurt Continues

Independent health agency continues to attract industry’s brightest minds; fortifies teams companywide as part of commitment to delivering industry-leading innovation, results-driven work, and unrivaled client experience

TORONTO & NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#AI–Ready… Set… Grow! (Again). Klick Health today announced a number of new marketing leaders have joined the award-winning life sciences agency to support its ongoing double-digit growth. The company shared details on its latest senior hires across its client success, creative/creative production, medical strategy, strategy, applied sciences, and consulting offerings.

“We’re excited to keep expanding our team with so many brilliant people after a phenomenal 2023 and first quarter of 2024,” said CEO Lori Grant. “We’re laser-focused on reaching even higher ground this year, as we continue to prioritize outcomes for our clients and define what it means to be a true commercialization partner in life sciences with the best team around.”

GROWING THE CLIENT SUCCESS TEAM

In keeping with the bespoke, high-touch client experience Klick is known for providing, agency President Ari Schaefer highlighted the following seasoned healthcare marketing leaders to its client success teams:

Cynthia Vredenburgh, Managing Director

As Managing Director, Vredenburgh brings her love of data- and insight-driven creative marketing to Klick’s New York office. From high-science oncology and rare disease, to financial and professional services, to wine and spirits, she has spent her 20-year career building and growing brands that drive clients’ business outcomes. Most recently, she led the Syneos Health/GSW Advertising New York client portfolio as EVP, Head of Client Services. Prior, Vredenburgh spent over a decade leading client accounts at WPP and Digitas/Publicis Groupe.

“I am so proud and energized to be a Klickster. We have the best people in the business, organized and authentically integrated around our unique client success model,” Vredenburgh said. “By leaning into its hacker roots, Klick has created an environment that enables both growth and innovation in a way that truly inspires me every day.”

John Goodman, SVP, Group Account Director

An accomplished marketing professional with 20+ years of experience leading integrated solutions on behalf of Fortune 500 clients, like Dannon, Ford, GlaxoSmithKline, and Pfizer through to non-profit organizations like Heifer International and Red Nose Day, Goodman works out of the agency’s New York City office as SVP, Group Account Director. With previous senior client success roles at Weber Shandwick, Blue State Digital, Digitas, Digitas Health, and Wunderman, he has worked across multiple therapeutic areas, including neurology, pain, respiratory, vaccines, and women’s health.

“Klick is an unconventional company that truly matches its unwavering commitment to supporting its clients with industry-defining work in established and emerging areas,” Goodman said. “This is one of the many reasons why Klick attracts and retains the brightest minds in the industry.”

Jason Marshall, VP, Group Account Director

With over two decades of expertise in healthcare marketing, Marshall rejoins both the agency world and Klick as VP, Group Account Director. He spent eight years at Boehringer Ingelheim, most recently as Omnichannel Marketing Lead. (He also held previous roles as the company’s Consumer Marketing Lead for Respiratory, HCP Lead for Asthma, and Director, Digital Marketing Acceleration). Throughout his career, which also included six years at Evoke, Marshall has spearheaded strategy and brand planning work across multiple therapeutic areas, including cardiovascular, dermatology, endocrinology, major depressive disorder, oncology, respiratory, rheumatology, and ultra-rare disease.

“One giant thing that makes Klick so special and brought me back is the people,” Marshall said. “Everyone I work with shows up every day overflowing with kindness, enthusiasm, intellectual curiosity, and so much more. I look forward to helping our clients in big ways in 2024 and beyond.”

SENIOR CREATIVE AND PRODUCTION TEAM ADDITIONS

Following a record-breaking year on the global awards stage and the recent arrival of 20-time Cannes Lions and 44-time Clio awards recipient Tim Jones as Executive Creative Director in London, Klick continued to signal its creative ambition with more new senior additions on its creative and production teams. Chief Creative Officer Rich Levy said, “I’m thrilled that Tim, Andrew, and Jeffrey have joined our team to help unlock even more new ways for us to craft meaningful stories that generate real results for patients and our clients.”

Tim Kavander, SVP, Executive Creative Director

Kavander joins Klick’s Toronto office as Executive Creative Director, bringing 25+ years of experience working with high-profile clients, like BMO, Home Depot, Jeep, Mercedes, and Rogers to the agency’s award-winning creative team. Kavandar previously served as Creative Director at No Fixed Address, handling their flagship Questrade account, and over a decade at Publicis as EVP, Creative Director. He also helped establish and grow Arnold Worldwide’s Toronto office into one of the most awarded agencies of its day. Kavander’s work has earned numerous industry accolades from organizations, including Cannes Lions, Clios, CMA Awards, and The One Show.

“The more I learned about Klick’s culture, the more intrigued I became about bringing my brand of creativity to an entirely different space—that of health and life sciences,” Kavander said, adding, “It’s exciting to help solve the challenges of such a fascinating industry that can have such a profound impact on people’s lives.”

Andrew Schnurman, VP, Creative Director

Schnurman brings 12+ years of expertise working in healthcare advertising to his role as VP, Creative Director, along with the belief that the customer experience is at the center of how brands and companies should operate. Prior to Klick, he served as SVP, Head of Content at Havas Health CX, where he helped build the agency from the ground up with a relentless focus on improving how healthcare companies interact with their customer bases. Prior, he held copywriting roles at DDB Health, AREA23, and H4B Chelsea. A trained chef, he has also cooked up copy for client campaigns across many high-science therapeutic areas, including autoimmune disorders, neurology, and oncology.

“I feel fortunate to be part of the amazing Klick creative team and to have the opportunity to continue pushing the boundaries of what healthcare marketing can accomplish,” Schnurman said. “I’m looking forward to the latest chapter in my career and using creativity to help our clients have an impact in more patients’ lives.”

Jeffrey Perrin, VP, Creative Production & Innovation

Perrin joins the creative production team as VP, Creative Production & InnovationI, a new role created to unlock novel ways to storytell and augment through AI, and other evolving technologies. He brings to Klick over 10 years of senior leadership experience and a focus on driving value for clients through innovative creative production solutions. Most recently, Perrin was VP, Business Leadership at Momentum Worldwide, where he led the General Motors experiential marketing portfolio for electric vehicle adoption. Prior, he led the experiential practice at Innocean Worldwide, where he produced bold activations to drive brand value for brands like Kia and LG.

“I’m excited to join Klick because of the people-first culture and the space that’s been given to people to make great work through experiencing and creating with AI,” Perrin said. “There really is something different about an agency that empowers its people to envision and develop bold, disruptive, and innovative solutions to modern problems—especially when it comes to people’s health.”

TAKING THE KLICK MEDIVERSE TO NEW HEIGHTS

At Klick’s MediVerse, the industry’s largest medical group integrated across a single agency, Chief Medical Officer Holly Henry welcomed two new senior hires onto the agency’s North American and UK teams. Henry said, “We are so excited by the growth of our medical team both here in North America and globally—attracting the absolute best medical thinkers in the world!”

Simon Hackett, MD/PhD, VP, Medical Strategy

A dual-qualified MD/PhD with a PhD in immunology from the University of Oxford, who has been practicing clinically since 2017, Hackett brings 10 years of medical education, medical affairs experience, and firsthand clinical knowledge and academic insight to his role as VP, Medical Strategy, EMEA and Global. At Oxford, he served as the Sub Dean then Dean of Keble College, an appointed lecturer in immunology, and worked in research in immunology and psoriatic arthritis. Alongside his academic interests, Hackett previously worked at a range of agencies within the UK, including dna Communications.

“From the very moment I started working at Klick, I knew that something was different from places I have worked at previously,” Hackett shared. “The medical offering at Klick is second-to-none. Creative, dynamic, and brimming with science, Klick has quickly felt like home.”

Marina Oraczewski, PhD, VP, Medical Strategy

Oraczewski brings to Klick over a decade of medical strategy, brand development, and medical communications experience. With previous senior medical roles in both medical and brand strategy at Digitas Health, Grey Group, and FCBCURE, she has helped shape brands across a wide range of therapeutic areas, including immunology, oncology, and rare disease. Before entering the agency world, Oraczewski was a research scientist, as well as a senior medical editor at peer-reviewed Elsevier journal Clinical Therapeutics. She holds a PhD in Molecular Biology from Princeton University.

“I was drawn to Klick because I see it as a truly unique healthcare agency, situated at the intersection of health, technology, and communications,” Oraczewski said. “Klick boldly strides towards the future, and that’s precisely the environment I was seeking.”

EXPANDING KLICK’S STRATEGY TEAM

Klick Health Chief Strategy Officer Carl Turner showcased continued exponential brand strategy momentum with the arrival of several senior additions to his thriving team, saying “Clients want imaginative problem solvers who can sniff out unorthodox solutions hiding in culture and markets, so we built the most gifted community of strategy polymaths in the industry. We only hire strategists who see the intersections of storytelling, data, tech, media and obsess over studying what’s next. that’s why we’re thrilled to welcome these incredible strategists to our team.”

Lindsay McGettigan, SVP, Strategy

A seasoned strategist whose 16 years of digital marketing experience spans both the health and consumer sectors, McGettigan joins Klick as SVP, Strategy. Throughout her agency career, she has helped spearhead strategic organizational growth and transformation, while incubating new practice areas and capabilities in strategy, digital experience, omnichannel, media, social, and analytics. Prior to joining Klick, McGettigan served as EVP, Digital Experience for imre Health, where she led digital strategy for clients including Bausch + Lomb, GSK, and Pfizer in the diabetes, oncology, respiratory, and women’s health spaces.

Said McGettigan, “Joining Klick and getting the opportunity to help drive the evolution of the Strategy craft for such a world-class organization has been incredibly rewarding. I joined Klick for its people-first culture and entrepreneurial spirit and I have been thrilled to see these principles in action as we unleash the power of what’s possible through an orchestrated approach to strategy for our clients.”

Jason Kaminsky, VP, Group Director, Strategy

As a former fine artist-turned graphic designer-turned strategist, Kaminsky brings a diverse background to the agency’s strategy team. He has 15+ years of experience in marketing communications, having worked for brands, including Comcast, IKEA US, Jardiance, Kisqali, Lynparza, and Spiriva. Kaminsky spent five years at Digitas Health where, as VP, Group Director, Digital Strategy, he led the engagement strategy team for one of the world’s largest DTC oncology brands.

Kaminsky said, “Most agencies put their people in neat, little strategy boxes like activation, planning, or social, but Klick is different. I joined Klick because of their innovative approach to strategy that breaks down old barriers to explore, test, and learn new ways of thinking.”

Mickey Lynch, VP, Group Director, Strategy

Lynch is a veteran marketing strategist with 25+ years of experience in healthcare communications, who returns to Klick as VP, Group Director, Strategy. Previously, he served as a lead omnichannel and CX strategist at Cognizant and Evoke, architecting highly-personalized brand experiences that leverage a variety of martech platforms. Earlier in his career, he worked client-side at Pfizer and Shire (now Takeda), focused on integrated marketing and multichannel planning.

“It’s Klick’s hacker roots and early focus on the future of marketing that inspired me to return,” he said. “I’m excited to be back as part of this group of expansive thinkers, who are solving our clients’ biggest challenges.”

Tim Ryan, VP, Group Director. Strategy

Ryan brings a deep passion for brand development and strategy to his new role at Klick. His 15+ years of experience working with life sciences companies includes roles such as Head of Strategy at omnichannel agency Refuel and VP, Group Planner at Harrison and Star, where he worked on top pharma brand campaigns in COVID-19, HIV, oncology, and more.

“David Ogilvy advised people to surround themselves with partners who are better than them,” Ryan said. “This is the reason I came to Klick—this organization attracts those who have a voracious appetite for taking on the biggest challenges of our industry, and I am proud to call it home.”

Devon Taylor, VP, Group Director, Strategy and Gaming Evolver

Taylor joins Klick after 15 years in the advertising, nonprofit, education, and communication sectors. In her role as VP, Group Director, Strategy, she also serves as a Gaming Evolver to help clients bridge healthcare and gaming to deploy precise, impactful, and immersive advertising strategies around the world. Taylor previously held senior strategy/marketing roles at 21GRAMS, the JDRF International, and the University of Pennsylvania. She has worked across a variety of therapeutic areas, including autoimmune, dermatology, mental health, neurology, and rare disease. As a gaming thought leader, she has been featured in MM+M and PRWeek, served as a juror for the D&AD New Blood Awards, and was a highlighted speaker at SXSW.

“Klick believes in the power of gaming’s massive cultural ecosystem to reach more inclusive audiences with genuine connection, net-new experiences, and scroll-stopping activations,” said Taylor. “To be able to dive deeply into gaming—a space I’ve personally explored for over 30 years—with the support of immensely creative and crazy-smart colleagues is making this my dream job.”

Colleen Minerley, VP, Strategy

With 15 years of agency experience, Minerley has worked in both health- and CPG marketing sectors, successfully launching products from integration at launch and beyond for clients like Diageo and J&J. Most recently, she served as VP, Strategy and Activation at Rebellion Group, where she led the strategy practice, made up of influencer and social strategy, celebrity relations, business and business strategy, MarTech, SEO, media strategy, AdOps, PR, and UX teams.

MInerley said, “Joining Klick is the logical next step in my career. I am drawn to their vision, where the convergence of technology and empathy can help clients transform healthcare into a truly personalized experience for both patients and the HCPs who care for them.”

Rob Peckerman, VP, Strategy

Peckerman also joins Klick as a VP, Strategy with extensive experience driving growth for ambitious brands across diverse sectors. He previously led a diverse portfolio of branded and above-brand initiatives for healthcare clients at Wunderman Thompson (now VML), including Boehringer Ingelheim, MD Anderson, and Pfizer. Prior to Wunderman, Peckerman spent over four years leading brand and business strategy at Long Dash, the creative and consulting division of The Atlantic, shepherding change for brands, including Allstate, IDEO, NPR, PwC, Salesforce, and Twitter (X).

“At Klick, I’ve found more than just smart people—I’ve found a collective commitment to doing things differently,” Peckerman said. “It’s a place where compassion and ingenuity converge, and where affecting change isn’t an aspiration, it’s an ethos. I could not be more excited to join the Strategy team and reimagine what’s possible, together.”

GOING ALL-IN ON AI AND ANALYTICS

Building on Klick’s recent AI innovations and decades-long heritage in data and analytics, the company welcomed industry veterans Simon Smith and Hui Tang, Smith in a new role focused on generative AI research and development, as well as consulting on AI solutions for healthcare clients’ challenges; while Tang will focus on advancing Klick’s analytical prowess while fostering cutting-edge innovation in healthcare.

Klick Applied Sciences EVP Alfred Whitehead said, “Simon and Hui are great additions to our team, with his deep understanding and passion for generative AI combined with his track record as a strategic marketer in the life sciences sector.”

Simon Smith, EVP, Generative AI

Smith rejoins Klick as EVP, Generative AI, after spending the last six years at biomedical AI startup BenchSci as R&D Engineer and previously Chief Marketing Officer. Previously, he held a number of senior strategy roles at Klick for five years, most recently as SVP, Strategy. Smith’s new focus at Klick includes conceptualizing, facilitating, and evangelizing generative AI innovation in healthcare. He brings 20+ years of experience in life sciences strategy and technology to the team and has hosted the AI in Drug Discovery podcast; lectured at the European Center of Pharmaceutical Medicine; and contributed articles to PM360, Forbes, and Drug Development & Delivery.

“I returned to Klick because everyone across the agency recognizes the immense potential of generative AI to reshape industries, and are fearlessly embracing its possibilities with the thoughtful strategy needed for long-term success,” Smith said.

Hui Tang, SVP, Analytics and Insights

Tang joins Klick with 15 years of expertise in marketing analytics and insights. With a keen eye for seamlessly integrating measurement solutions into client engagements in support of improving patients and caregivers quality of life, Hui is dedicated to deciphering the impact of marketing investments. She is focused on implementing effective measurement solutions – integrating data and generative AI to enhance the accountability and effectiveness of marketing, sales, and access efforts. Previously, Hui served as the Head of Marketing Analytics at imre and held various analytics roles at IPG Health, including Vice President of Marketing Science.

“I was drawn to Klick’s commitment to kindness and its focus on people as the heart of the business,” she said. “When compassion leads, innovation and growth follow naturally. I’m thrilled to collaborate with a team of passionate individuals and to humanize data in a manner that improves patients’ lives and supports healthcare providers.”

According to Managing Director Jenna Mitby-Manning, “Hui infuses our analytics team with unparalleled expertise and she brings a rare and valuable level of sophisticated creativity to her domain. Her dedication to improving health outcomes shines through and positively impacts her client engagements.”

ADDING EVEN MORE MUSCLE TO KLICK CONSULTING

As the consulting team continues to build its client base, team, and reputation as a critical provider for forward-thinking, data-driven consumer- and patient-centric growth solutions at the intersection of prescription and consumer healthcare products, Managing Director Paroo Uppal welcomed industry veteran Paul Wardle. “I’m excited that Paul has joined our interdisciplinary team to help support our clients,” she said, “as we leverage our unique data, behavioral, and applied sciences and apply innovative thinking to decode healthcare’s biggest challenges.”

Paul Wardle, SVP, Consulting

Wardle brings over three decades of global experience in healthcare marketing, commercialization and regulatory strategy and execution. His leadership in the prescription, over-the-counter, and nutrition sectors has advanced availability, access, and adoption of healthcare solutions for patients and consumers. He has directed over 30+ consumer healthcare launches spanning a broad range of health needs. In addition, Wardle has led numerous Rx-to-OTC switch development programs in a range of therapeutic categories, including allergy, cholesterol-lowering, contraception, erectile dysfunction, pain, and smoking cessation. Prior to joining Klick, he spent 11 years with GlaxoSmithKline, working both globally and in the US, across its Flonase, Gaviscon, Nicoderm CQ, Nicorette, and TUMS brands. He also led global commercial teams at Pfizer for almost 13 years on blockbuster brands, like Advil, Lipitor, and Viagra. He has masters degrees in mathematics and theoretical physics from the University of Cambridge, and is an adjunct instructor at New York University’s School of Professional Studies for Healthcare Product Development & Marketing, as well as Statistics, Measurement & Analysis

“I have been impressed by Klick’s ability to leverage dynamic data-driven solutions at the forefront of technology and the talented collaborative culture,” Wardle said. “Klick values the positive contributions of the whole team and is focused on solutions that transform healthcare access. I can confidently endorse that there is something different here.”

Today’s news follows several recent executive hires, including Tim Jones as Executive Creative Director, Ellen Cappellino as Executive Director Value, Access and Reimbursement, and a number of senior appointments at its London office.

About Klick Health

Klick Health is the world’s largest independent commercialization partner for life sciences, focused on hacking the boundaries of health by developing, launching, and supporting life sciences brands to achieve their full potential. The agency provides best-in-class marketing and advertising, media strategy and purchasing, medical affairs and medical communications, value and market access services, as well as enterprise omnichannel enablement among its specialized offerings. Klick’s client service is rooted in deep medical and scientific understanding, enabled by over 185 post-graduate, in-house medical experts; unrivaled decision sciences capabilities; and innovative, results-driven creative that has made it one of the most-awarded advertising agencies on the planet.

In 2023, Klick won 160 top creative honors and seven agency distinctions from the most respected advertising awards shows, including Clio Health Independent Agency of the Year, London International Awards’ Global and North American Independent Health Agency of the Year; and Cannes Lions’ #2 Healthcare Agency, #2 Healthcare Network, and #10 Independent Agency of the Year.

Contacts

pr@klick.com

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