NASHVILLE, TN: Revive CEO Joanne Thornton has left the healthcare-focused firm.
Thornton, who had served as chief executive since last September, left Revive midway through this month.
“As for what's next, I've decided to take some time off before determining my next move,” Thornton said via email.
Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Thornton was focused on expanding Revive’s footprint with healthcare companies and advancing diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. When she stepped into the CEO role in September 2021, predecessor Brandon Edwards transitioned to executive chairman.
Thornton cofounded the agency in September 2009 and helped it achieve nearly 25% annual revenue growth, it said in a statement. It now has 140 employees and offices in Boston, Minneapolis, and Santa Barbara, California, in addition to its Nashville headquarters.
Thornton has 25 years of experience, including leading marketing campaigns and crisis and corporate communications. In 1997, she began her career at healthcare services company Tenet Healthcare, where for more than seven years she was manager of corporate communications. She then had a four-year stint as healthcare practice leader at Davies Public Affairs, before launching ReviveHealth.
Edwards said via email that Thornton helped to shape and differentiate the firm's capabilities.
"Her drive and her collaborative team spirit will be missed, and we thank her for all her contributions to our agency. I'm proud to call her a friend after 27 years working together," he said. "We have a strong leadership team at Revive as we architect our path forward for a new leader."
Interpublic Group’s Weber Shandwick acquired ReviveHealth in 2016, running the healthcare specialist firm as a subsidiary with its original branding, and promoted Thornton to president that same year. The agency simplified its name to Revive in September 2021.
Revive is a part of IPG’s Dxtra unit, which also contains parent agency Weber and PR firms Golin, DeVries Global and Current Global. The PR firms in IPG’s posted single-digit revenue growth in Q3, down from double-digit growth in Q3 2021.
This story was updated with quotes from Edwards on October 28.
