NEW YORK: M Booth Health has named Stacey Bernstein CEO, replacing Tim Bird, who becomes chairman as he transitions into a consultative role.
Bernstein, who started in the role on January 10, reports to M Booth CEO Dale Bornstein. As CEO, Bernstein will oversee the firm, helping to navigate the complex commercial, policy and advocacy environments facing its clients, while innovating ways to enhance the agency’s efforts to advance health developments.
Bernstein is overseeing a management team of seven people. The agency as a whole has 50 staffers.
“I want M Booth Health to continue to be an agency that does what’s right, not what’s easy,” said Bernstein.
She added that healthcare comms can be formulaic and conservative.
But today, Bernstein noted, “the health conversation is so robust, alongside the fact that every company in today’s environment is a healthcare company, it means our healthcare clients must do things differently. They must communicate in a more modern way and be true to what their audiences want and need, not necessarily what they are most comfortable with."
Delivering against that need is what Bernstein is focused on for M Booth Health.
In 2019, M Booth parent Next 15 bought the U.S. division of Health Unlimited, the healthcare comms agency that is part of Unlimited Group. The Health Unlimited business in the U.S., which includes specialist consultancy Corkery Group, was rebranded as M Booth Health and operates as a separate agency. Bird, who was CEO of Health Unlimited, continued to lead the agency alongside his U.S.-based management team.
Bird told PRWeek via email that much thought and planning has gone into this leadership transition at M Booth Health. He said he first approached Bornstein about it last year.
“After 15 years at the agency, the last eight as CEO, I realized my goal of building a strong foundation for our future by ensuring a seamless integration with M Booth,” Bird said. “Together, we’ve won multi-million-dollar blue chip clients, advised preeminent leaders in public health, brought new research and planning, strategy, digital, and creative capabilities in house, and added incredible talent to create a team with unparalleled pharma, public health, healthcare marketing and consumer marketing expertise.”
He added that it’s the right time for a new leader to “move the ball forward” at the agency. M Booth Health, Bird explained, will continue to tap into his experience and counsel on various business challenges in a consultative role.
Bernstein joins M Booth Health from Weber Shandwick, where she has worked in various roles since 2010. Most recently, she was EVP and global director of digital health for Weber Shandwick and GM of Weber Shandwick’s Boston office. During her tenure, she launched Weber’s digital health practice. Bernstein left Weber at the end of December.
Weber Shandwick has appointed Michael Byrnes as GM of its Boston office, the agency told PRWeek in an emailed statement. Byrnes previously served as SVP of client experience.
Regarding Bernstein’s time at Weber Shandwick, Joy Farber Kolo, the firm’s president of North America, said, “[Bernstein] left an indelible mark on our agency and we wish her great things in her next chapter.”
A Weber spokesperson said the agency doesn’t plan to hire a replacement for the EVP and global director of digital health role.
Earlier in her career, Bernstein worked at Edelman as an account supervisor.
Bernstein was a PRWeek 40 Under 40 honoree in 2015.
