Principal: Lisa Stockman, president, global PR and medical communications
Ownership: inVentiv Health
Subsidiary agencies: Five including Chandler Chicco Agency
Offices: Global: 11; US: 7
Revenue: Global: $75 million to $100 million; US: $50 million to $75 million
Headcount: Global: 344; US: 231
It was a year of change for inVentiv Health PR Group – formerly known as the Chandler Chicco Companies. In June, CEO Bob Chandler retired and Lisa Stockman, who was president of Chandler Chicco Companies, was named president of global PR and medical communications as the firm "reorganized from an inVentiv perspective," she says.
Subsidiaries Allidura Consumer, Biosector 2, Chamberlain Healthcare PR, and Chandler Chicco Agency also came under the inVentiv Health roof.
"We’re more aligned to the overall parent company structure and working across business lines," adds Stockman.
The firm was also able to get back to full speed after some clients slowed down in 2013.
"The uncertainty we saw in the year prior around the Affordable Care Act and the patent cliff had lifted," she explains. "The industry and the budgets really bounced back."
InVentiv’s global revenue grew 3.5% from 2013 with 30% of growth coming from new business.
Last year, inVentiv Health PR saw the start of its Dynamic Change Engagement practice that helps clients restructure. The digital and social practice grew after "an investment into more talent and new hires so we could diversify the types of things we’re doing for clients and do them at the next level," says Stockman, who adds that the practice "started sprinting instead of jogging" last year.
The agency ramped up digital and social training efforts so staff could more effectively work with clients in a space that, while still regulated, saw some social media guidance offered by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2014.
"You’re looking at a meaningful tool to communicate better with patients, but you have to make sure that’s backed up by an understanding of the space, and also the content, you’re dealing with," she adds. "It has to be done in a way that’s appropriate."
Acquiring talent
German subsidiary Haas & Health’s founder, Irene Haas, retired last year and former team leader Cori Hollenbach was named MD of Chandler Chicco Agency UK. Chris Iafolla was named MD of the digital and social strategy practice, and former SVP and director of NY operations at Hill+Knowlton, Susan Thiele, joined Chamberlain as EVP, replacing Samantha Cranko, who joined Golin last fall.
In November, the firm teamed up with Hispanic-owned agency Newlink America to launch Saluteam, a practice to help health clients reach Latino audiences and meet business and communications goals.
InVentiv does not disclose client wins, but claims 60 accounts were added in 2014 and early 2015. One such win was when Novartis teamed with Biosector 2 for an inaugural advanced breast cancer awareness program with the patient community.
