GCI Health has confirmed new hire Kath Kerry and maternity leave returner Rikki Jones as co-MDs of its London operation, the network’s second hub alongside its New York headquarters.
Jones returned to the business from maternity leave in October. She had joined GCI in 2014 to set up the UK business, having previously worked for WPP sister firm Cohn & Wolfe.
For the past year, GCI Health UK had been led by Kath Kerry and Hannah Morris as acting joint MDs. Both report to New York-based CEO Wendy Lund.
Kerry had joined on a fixed-term contract, which has now been made permanent, having previously been deputy MD of Edelman UK’s health practice. She had left Edelman a month before her boss Ann Bartling, who is now at Tonic Life.
Morris joined GCI as a director in 2014 and now takes up the new role of client services director.
GCI said that oncology, inflammatory diseases and internal communications had provided significant growth in recent months, while Jones commented that the London business would look to continue the “organic growth” it had achieved in 2016 in the areas of access and policy.
GCI Health forged a partnership with Hearst women’s title Redbook and online health information source HealthyWomen.org. The HealthiHER Project is an attempt to better understand the health habits of women 30-60 years of age. As a first step in the project, there will be a survey of women in that demographic, addressing their healthcare decisions and needs. The goal of the research is to give these women the information and inspiration they need to make healthier choices. “We’re excited to be working with Redbook and HealthyWomen to uncover some key insights that will help us better communicate with this important population,” said GCI Health CEO Wendy Lund.