WPP integrates US health offering with agency brands

WPP in October integrated its specialist health networks into major agency brands in the United States, with the goal of creating a simpler, more flexible offering for its healthcare clients.

In the United States, the Sudler network was combined with VMLY&R, creating VMLY&R Health. Ogilvy CommonHealth joined Ogilvy, creating Ogilvy Health. ghg has joined Wunderman, as part of Wunderman Health. Grey and J. Walter Thompson will continue to provide their existing integrated health offerings.

According to WPP executives, “The new approach marries deep health expertise with creative technology and data firepower, underlining WPP’s commitment to health and to fully integrated solutions that help clients grow their business and transform for the future.”

The integration process is expected to be completed in the first half of 2019. WPP Health & Wellness, the “sub-holding company” that currently houses WPP’s specialist health networks, will be retired. Mike Hudnall, CEO of WPP Health & Wellness, will lead a new, flexible health practice that executives say better mobilizes WPP’s capabilities for the benefit of clients. He reports to WPP CEO Mark Read.

Claire Gillis, CEO of WPP Health & Wellness International, will continue to lead WPP’s international specialist healthcare businesses which will remain unchanged as a consolidated offering of ghg, Sudler, and Ogilvy HealthWorld to meet local client and market needs.
“Health is an important and expanding sector for WPP,” Read says. “Our new healthcare offering is another step in our evolution as we create a simpler WPP that integrates the full power of our company for clients.”

According to Hudnall, “Integrating our capabilities with the agency brands and operating as a practice will allow us to bring greater impact and flexibility to our clients in the health sector. The new structure offers clients increased strategic partnership and a simple way to access the largest pool of health specialists in the world.”

The integration follows the appointment of Read as CEO. According to Roberto Quarta, chairman of WPP, “Recognized for his leadership throughout the industry, he has an intimate understanding of the business, he enjoys very strong internal support, and he has earned the respect and endorsement of our clients with his constant focus on their needs. He has played a central role in many of WPP’s most successful investments and initiatives, and he has deep experience at board and operational level. Most recently, Mark led the transformation of Wunderman into one of the world’s top digital agencies, and he understands the importance of culture in creating successful organizations. In short, he is in every way a 21st-century CEO.

“WPP is a world leader in communications services. The priority for the Board and the task ahead for Mark and the new management team is to build on this position of strength, while pursuing a clear vision for change and value creation.”

“WPP is a great company with exceptional people and strong relationships with clients who place a high value on our work,” Read says. “Few organizations have our global reach – 130,000 people delivering results for clients in 112 different countries. Fewer still have our powerful combination of creativity and expertise in technology and data.

“Our industry is going through a period of structural change, not structural decline, and if we embrace that change we can look ahead to an exciting and successful future. Our mission now is to release the full potential that exists within the company for the benefit of our clients, to accelerate our transformation and simplify our offering, and to position WPP for stronger growth.

“To achieve that we need to foster a culture that attracts the best and brightest: inclusive, respectful, collaborative, diverse. What makes our company special is its people, and I am very proud to have been given the chance to build a new WPP with them.”

Quarta resumed his role as non-executive chairman. Andrew Scott continues in his role as chief operating officer of WPP on a permanent basis as a key member of the senior management team.