IPG Health has announced a restructuring that includes the folding of McCann Health NY into sibling health agency Area 23. And Hill Holliday Health and McCann Health New Jersey are combining to form a new entity called Rise & Run. 

The company said that the folding of McCann Health NY into Area 23 follows “nearly two years of close collaboration.”   

The combined agency of over 1,000 people will continue to be led by group president, Renee Mellas and chief creative officer, Tim Hawkey. They have been leading AREA 23 for over a decade and also assumed leadership of McCann Health New York 18 months ago.  

The company said the new Rise & Run-branded agency brings together Hill Holliday Health’s consumer roots and creative capabilities with McCann Health New Jersey’s science and health industry expertise. 

The new agency will be led by Linda Bennett as president, and a soon-to-be announced chief creative officer. Bennett has led Hill Holliday Health for nearly five years and helmed the agency’s alignment under IPG Health network in 2022. 

IPG formed its health agency division in 2021, combining the health practices of various agencies across the holding company into a single health marketing-focused network.  

Dana Maiman has led IPG Health as CEO since its formation. She was previously CEO of the FCB Health Network.  

When IPG formed the health division three years ago it comprised 45 agency brands and 6,500+ people and clients, including the top 20 global pharmaceutical companies, biotech and biopharma companies and life science firms.