W2O Appoints Lucie Harper and Kate Hawker as Global Practice Leaders in London

Move bolsters leadership strength as part of EMEA growth

SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–W2O, the leading independent provider of analytics-driven, digital-first marketing communications to the healthcare sector, today announced the appointment of healthcare communications veterans Lucie Harper and Kate Hawker as Global Practice Leaders in the firm’s London office. Harper and Hawker will lead communications teams supporting W2O’s key global clients and work with the firm’s EMEA President Annalise Coady to expand and evolve the firm’s business in that region.

“As EMEA is a key geography for W2O, we are looking to expand our presence there through senior leadership talent and strategic offerings to meet the growing needs of healthcare clients and organizations,” said Coady. “With the addition of London-based healthcare communications veterans Lucie Harper and Kate Hawker, who each have decades of experience and multi-year track records working with biopharma clients, we are becoming better positioned for further growth. Both are excellent strategic thinkers who have the ability to formulate stand-out global communications to maintain competitive advantage.

She added, “We have consistently delivered double-digit growth in EMEA. With the firepower that Lucie and Kate bring, our senior leadership team will be strengthened, putting us on a trajectory of even further growth.”

W2O currently employs more than 800 people globally and close to 100 in its Finsbury Square-based London office.

Harper has more than 25 years of experience in healthcare communications. She joined W2O from Weber Shandwick, where she served as Chair Health, UK, leading the health practice for the past 15 years. Prior to that, she held positions of increasing responsibility at Weber Shandwick, Ogilvy Healthworld, Burson-Marsteller and Penny Ryder Publicity.

Hawker has more than 30 years of experience in the health communications sector. She joined W2O from Edelman, where she headed the company’s London-based health team as Managing Director across integrated health communications. Before that, Hawker was Chair, EMEA Healthcare Practice, at Burson-Marsteller, where she focused on early science/R&D communications, corporate reputation and brand communications work. Earlier in her career, she held positions at the InforMed group of medical communications companies, Fleishman-Hillard, MediTech Media and ShireHealth PR.

“I am incredibly excited to be joining W2O at such an important time,” said Harper. “The expertise and spirit of the firm’s people is truly inspiring, and its client partners are world class.”

“Being unsurpassed among healthcare communications firms in its digital-first approach, W2O is the most relevant firm in the space today,” said Hawker. “I look forward to working with leaders to assess their position in a social/digital reality using the firm’s state-of-the-art Relevance Model and Index.”

To learn more about Lucie Harper and Kate Hawker, read the interview here.

About W2O

Founded by Jim Weiss in 2001, W2O is the leading independent provider of analytics-driven, digital-first marketing services and communications to the healthcare sector. W2O applies proprietary analytics models, methodologies and approaches in a digital world to design precise communications and marketing strategies to deliver sustained business results. W2O maintains 15 offices across the United States and in Europe.

For more information, please visit www.w2ogroup.com.

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Contacts

W2O

Peter Duckler, 310-774-3425

[email protected]

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