NEW YORK – Ogilvy has promoted agency veteran Kate Cronin to assume the global role as CEO of Ogilvy Health. Cronin will be serving as Ogilvy Health’s global leader and a member of the agency’s leadership team, effective immediately. She is reporting to Ogilvy CEO Andy Main, according to a statement by the firm.

Cronin will manage all of Ogilvy Health’s core capabilities: PR and influence, brand strategy, advertising, medical education, HCP promotion, market access and patient and consumer engagement.

Andy Main, Global CEO of Ogilvy, said: “Kate is a widely respected industry leader who sees the unique opportunity we have to use Ogilvy’s creativity and global reach to grow and transform not only brands, but entire businesses in the health sector and beyond. I’m confident that her extensive health experience, focus on client partnership, and mentorship of talent will elevate our work, challenge conventional thinking, and deliver the giant ideas our clients need to create giant value for their business, consumers, and society.”

“There is no better time to work in health and I’m excited about the many ways Ogilvy Health can partner with clients to help them solve for a range of unmet needs we are seeing in the marketplace,” Kate said. “The heart of Ogilvy is creativity and there is no better place to get creative than in health where we can develop big ideas that promote life-saving therapies and motivate consumers to change behaviors to create a healthier society.”

In her new role, Kate will oversee the core capabilities within Ogilvy Health including Brand Strategy, Advertising, PR & Influence, Medical Education, HCP Promotion, Market Access, and Patient/Consumer Engagement.

Cronin started in healthcare leadership roles at Ogilvy in 2012, when it merged its healthcare practice with its global healthcare marketing communications group, Ogilvy CommonHealth Worldwide.

Ogilvy began pulling all of its brands into “a single, branded, integrated operating company” with one P&L under former CEO John Seifert in early 2017. It named Deloitte Digital veteran Andy Main as its chief executive, succeeding Seifert, this summer.

Ogilvy’s PR revenue dropped 23% to $300 million last year, according to PRWeek’s Agency Business Report 2020. PR and influencer work were recategorized at the firm last year as it was moved into WPP’s Global Integrated Agencies division.