Publicis Health has named Stephen Farquhar CEO, succeeding Alexandra von Plato who shifts to chairman of the agency. The new appointments are effective Feb. 1. Von Plato had been in the role since 2018.   

Farquhar previously served as CMO at Publicis Media, where he led global assignments in the telecom, pharma, and CPG categories. He began his career in creative and strategy, and subsequently went on to lead agencies in China, the United Kingdom and the United States. Throughout his career he has garnered global healthcare marketing and media expertise across 92 markets spanning global production, data strategy, patient services, and marketing solutions.  

Farquhar will be responsible for leading Publicis Health businesses in the U.S., including oversight of healthcare creative agencies Digitas Health, Heartbeat, Razorfish Health, and Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness, as well as healthcare specialty agencies BBK Worldwide, Insagic, Langland U.S., and Payer Sciences.   

Von Plato has held leadership roles across Publicis Groupe agencies for nearly 30 years. In her new role, she will serve in an advisory capacity to Farquhar, who will lead day-to-day operations of the healthcare network. Both will report to Publicis Groupe chairman and CEO Arthur Sadoun.   

The executive change comes as Publicis Health continues to fight a law suit brought by the Massachusetts Attorney General in 2021 over the role the agency played in marketing Purdue Pharma's highly addictive opioid OxyContin. Currently the two sides are battling over pre-trail discovery procedures. 

The agency also announced appointments for two new executive roles.  

Eric Muller has been elevated to the new role of chief operating officer for Publicis Health, responsible for standardizing best practices across the agencies, and identifying and streamlining key processes. He will retain his role as president of Digitas Health, report to Farquhar, and be based in Philadelphia.  

Tracey O’Brien has been appointed to the new role of chief client officer for Publicis Health. O’Brien joins Publicis Groupe from her most recent role as global client lead at IPG Health. She previously served in leadership roles at Havas Health, ConcentricLife, Medicus, and Digitas Health. O’Brien will be responsible for leading Publicis Health’s client engagement and relationship strategies as well as overseeing the health network’s centralized business development efforts. She will report to Farquhar and be based in New York.