Lee, who has been acting on a consultancy basis since stepping down from her old job this spring, begins at Luther Pendragon today.
In the newly created position she will work closely overseeing the agency’s healthcare clients alongside MD Simon Whale, as well as working with clients in other sectors.
Whale said: "We have grown our healthcare client base significantly in recent times and we want this to continue. Avril's considerable health experience will help us do that, but there’s a wider spectrum of clients for her to get involved with too."
Lee was appointed Ketchum UK CEO in 2011, but stepped down with immediate effect in February and was temporarily replaced by Ketchum’s Europe CEO and UK chairman David Gallagher.
Denise Kaufmann, formerly MD of client services, was handed the position shortly after.
In February, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry stopped working with Luther Pendragon, claiming it did so after discovering the agency was working with tobacco company Phillip Morris.
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