Giant promotes four
Giant Creative/Strategy has promoted four to new positions within the agency.
Janet D. Vennari has become business lead, overseeing multiple healthcare accounts. Vennari is responsible for strategically leading clients and account teams, as well as generating both organic and new business. She was VP, management supervisor at Giant. Vennari has nearly 20 years of healthcare experience with companies in pharmaceutical, device/diagnostics, and consumer marketing in a wide variety of therapeutic areas, particularly oncology, cardiology, epilepsy, diabetes, and diagnostics. Her areas of expertise includes marketing strategy, brand positioning and messaging, brand planning for products in various lifecycle stages, both to professional and consumer audiences. Before joining Giant in 2014, Vennari was a client services director at Kane & Finkel, account group director at Stratagem Healthcare Communications, and management supervisor at Sperling Sampson West, among other positions at additional firms.
Vanya Akraboff is now senior VP, group creative dirctor. She was VP group creative director. Akraboff joined Giant in 2003 and is a creative visionary for multiple accounts. Managers say she has a proven track record of developing work that leads to market success for clients and brands, and brings an insightful, sophisticated sensibility to her creative direction that has earned her numerous awards. Akraboff’’s areas of expertise include pulmonology, neurology, cardiology, rheumatology, oncology, women’s health, dermatology, and medical devices. She began her career in consumer design and advertising in New York, although healthcare communications has been her main focus for more than 20 years. She was creative group supervisor at FCB Healthcare, associate creative director at Harrison Wilson & Associates, senior art director at Lewis, Browand & Associates, and held positions at several other companies.
Kristine Ellis has become senior VP, creative director. She was VP, group creative director. Ellis started her career as a medical writer at Abbott Laboratories International Division and soon shifted to writing promotional copy at Williams-Labadie in Chicago. She moved to San Francisco in 1999 when Steven Gold (now Giant’s CEO) hired her as a copywriter at Harrison Wilson and Associates. When Giant opened its doors in 2002, she was the sole copywriter. Ellis was a freelance consultant for a few years, and then re-joined Giant in 2006 where she remains at the core of the agency, heading up copy on several accounts, leading a team of exceptional performers, and contributing importantly to the culture and future direction of the agency. In addition to her professional experience and expertise, Ellis holds a master of arts in writing from DePaul University and a multidisciplinary certificate in medical communication from the American Medical Writers Association; she is currently enrolled in the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business Certificate Program in Leadership and Management.
Kim Robinson is now VP, management supervisor. She was management supervisor. Robinson is an account leader who is responsible for delivering day-to-day results and strategic insight as well as ongoing brand stewardship for Giant Creative/Strategy’s United States and global business. She joined Giant in June 2012 and with more than 13 years of healthcare agency experience, agency executives say Robinson understands and is passionate about communication. Ellis’ experience spans multiple categories, including hypertension, cholesterol, diabetes, osteoporosis, and infectious diseases; her blue-chip clients have included AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Genentech, Merck, Johnson & Johnson, and Sanofi-Aventis. This wide and varied background has afforded her intimate understanding of client processes as well as agency best practices. Managers say Robinson is knowledgeable in all aspects of marketing within a brand’s life cycle and has experience leading brand strategy, positioning, new campaign development, product launches, and line extensions. Prior to joining Giant, Robinson worked at DDB Remedy in San Francisco as well as the Chicago and London offices of CAHG.
