We received a couple of interesting tidbits on the Spy line over the weekend regarding Publicis Healthcare Communications Group, specifically its Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness and Saatchi Health Communications units, which serve as consumer and professional agency, respectively. What we can confirm for now is that Ned Russell, who’s spent the last four-and-a-half years as group managing director of Saatchi Wellness and helped manage Saatchi Health along the way, has moved up to the role of EVP, global development & Publicis Sanofi Lab.
In his new role, Russell will work out of the Publicis Healthcare New York office and serve as the chief liaison and mediator between Publicis Groupe agencies and French pharma giant Sanofi, which we’ve been told is one of the former’s largest clients. Russell, who will begin with a focus in the U.S for the drug maker, will report to Laurence Meyer, the global head of Sanofi at Publicis Groupe in Paris. Prior to Saatchi Wellness, the newly minted EVP spent a few years in a similar role at Arnold and held a worldwide account director position at DDB early on.
As for the Saatchi Health and Wellness divisions, we’ve been hearing a few murmurs but have been told that there will be an “interesting announcement next week” regarding these agencies. Well, guess we’ll have to stay tuned.