Ingersoll Joins WPP Healthcare Shop GHG As Partner, CCO

WPP’s ghg (Grey Healthcare Group) has appointed Ben Ingersoll as Managing Partner and Chief Creative Officer. In this role, Ingersoll joins fellow Managing Partners, Chief Engagement Officer Erin Byrne, and Brand Strategy Director John Dietz, in leading the New York agency.

In his role, Ingersoll will be responsible for all U.S. creative operations, including copy, art, editorial and studio. He also will oversee collaboration among the agency’s global creative directors in London and Sydney to unify ghg’s creative point of view.

Prior to joining ghg, Ingersoll served as Partner and Creative Director for Cline Davis & Mann New York where he was responsible for several global healthcare brands across multiple therapeutic areas.

“Ben brings with him extensive experience spanning nearly every therapeutic area, including diabetes and rare diseases,” notes Lynn O’Conner Vos, Chief Executive Officer of ghg.

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The appointment comes as a number of shops are beefing up their healthcare practices, seen as a growth sector. And, in a sign of the sector’s growing importance to the industry, the Cannes Lions organization introduced the Lion Health Awards at this year’s Festival of Creativity.

Healthcare businesses generate significant portions of holding company revenues. WPP for example said that healthcare accounted for about 9% of its 2013 revenue, or roughly $1.6 billion. WPP said earlier that its healthcare revenues were up this year although it didn’t say by how much.

Omnicom says about 10% of its revenues come from healthcare category which includes pharmaceutical.  In a second quarter earnings call with analysts, CEO John Wren described the sector as “very active.”

Earlier this week, in a bid to bulk up its health and wellness practice, Havas Group’s Arnold said it appointed two agency veterans with extensive credentials in the field to lead it -- Christine Beeby and Gary Scheiner.  The roles are new and considered part of new strategic initiative to drive growth within its health and wellness category.

Last month Publicis Groupe’s Rosetta Consulting, in a bid to ramp up its expertise in the healthcare field, named Steve Libenson a partner at the firm. He’s previously worked with a variety of healthcare and pharma brands including Pfizer, Merck and Novartis. 

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