Remembering Tom Domanico

FCB Health, and many in the healthcare advertising industry, are mourning the passing of Tom Domanico, the former chairman and CEO of the agency. Domanico, one of the founders of Vicom Associates, a precursor to FCB, died peacefully August 24, at his home in Greenwich, Conn., at the age of 74.

“Tom Domanico was one of the most creative men the advertising industry will ever know,” executives at FCB Health say.  Throughout his career in medical advertising, Domanico was recognized as being a highly creative, skilled executive whom the New York Times called a “congenial but fierce competitor.”

He was a native New Yorker, born in Brooklyn and raised in Queens, and attended New York Community College, where he studied art and advertising.

Domanico first entered the medical advertising world in the 1960s, when the healthcare sector was experiencing major growth. His career spanned more than 40 years in Manhattan advertising agencies, with his greatest move being when he joined the six-person, New York branch of San Francisco agency Vicom Associates. As chairman and CEO, he helped develop and grow the agency over the next 27 years into the industry powerhouse now known as FCB Health, a part of the FCB global network.

His work earned him a place in the Medical Adverting Hall of Fame and was among the best in the industry, with award-winning work for clients such as Pfizer, Merck and Roche under his name.

Known for his congeniality, quick wit and professional jazz piano skills, Domanico was a mentor and a confidant to many, and revered and trusted by both his colleagues and competitors. He is survived by his wife, Maritza, and two daughters, Gina and Christa.

“Tom will always be remembered for his tireless work that contributed to the foundation and success of FCB Health, as well as his generosity, his tremendous creativity, and his unwavering commitment to FCB Health’s clients, brands and people,” FCB Health executives say.

Rich Levy, who succeeded Domanico as chief creative officer at the agency after he retired, said one of his most recent memories of Domanico was at the Medical Advertising Hall of Fame dinner two years ago, when Domanico was inducted.

“To hear the stories that were told about him early in his career, about his passion for the business … He was so much a part of the writing of the book Medicine Avenue, and making sure the legacy of the healthcare advertising industry was passed down to future generations,” Levy says. “The fact that we give those books out at Medical Advertising Hall of Fame events to Future Phamers, and to young executives coming into the business, is to make sure that they know the history of medical advertising and obviously Tom was at the forefront of that.”

Though their time together at the agency only overlapped by a few months, Levy says Domanico was “incredibly generous” with his time, his insights, and his knowledge of clients’ business how the agency was run.

“A great piece of advice that he gave me was that personnel decisions are always personal,” Levy says. “And when people say, ‘This is just business, it’s not personal’ those people don’t understand the industry that we’re in. Everything is personal. You work with people for a very long time, you mentor them, you watch them grow, it is my responsibility to make sure that they grow for years to come. Yes, we work in a business, but it’s really all about the people.”

Tim Hawkey, managing director, creative, at Area 23, spent many years working with Domanico. “Tom Domanico helped build an advertising empire from a small start up, and in the process he built dozens and dozens of careers, including mine,” Hawkey says.

According to Hawkey, “Tom was one of a kind. From his love of all things beautiful, to his Versace sweatpants for when his back was out, to his eccentric aversion to pen ink. There was no one like him.

“He’s been called many things … Cigar aficionado, world traveler, Italophile, good old boy, boy in a man’s body, prankster, storyteller, USMC horn man, rain maker. But in the end, Tom was just an ad man. He loved this business … The rush of the epiphany, the thrill of the pitch, the satisfaction of seeing your finished work. I’ll always remember his sage advice. Simply put, ‘Have fun. If you’re not having fun, it’s not worth it.'”

More memories about Domanico, including from Flashpoint Medica CEO Charlene Prounis of and former Lally, McFarland, & Pantello Chairman Ron Pantello, can be found here.