Hill & Knowlton Healthcare Practice Adding to Senior Bench

NEW YORK, March 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Hill & Knowlton, an international communications consultancy, continues to add senior leadership in the healthcare arena, announcing the appointment of Susan Thiele as New York director of healthcare and the addition of Anne de Schweinitz as senior vice president of the European healthcare practice.

In addition to providing counsel to existing healthcare clients, Thiele will work closely with the agency's health leadership team in Los Angeles, Washington, DC and London on new business development and practice expansion.  She brings to H&K more than 18 years experience helping companies navigate the opportunities and challenges of an evolving healthcare communications landscape.

In addition to an expertise in crisis and issues management, Thiele has provided strategic communication support for brands across all phases of the product lifecycle – from clinical through market expansion.  Over the years she has worked in a broad range of medical specialties including mental health, rheumatology, pain management, gastroenterology, oncology, women's health, infectious disease, and medical device/diagnostics working with top companies such as Pfizer, Wyeth, Eli Lilly and Novartis.  Prior to joining H&K, Thiele was senior vice president and group head at Edelman.  

Anne de Schweinitz joined H&K's European healthcare practice to further bridge and strengthen the US and Europe connection for international healthcare clients.  She will be based in New York but will work in London and Switzerland.

Prior to joining the agency, de Schweinitz spent nearly 10 years at Manning Selvage & Lee where she served most recently as senior vice president, deputy practice director and global account director for the agency's largest healthcare client, Eli Lilly and Company.

In addition to overseeing teams in North American and Europe and working in the areas of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, women's health and erectile dysfunction, de Schweinitz worked closely with Lilly's US and global brand teams to help align and reposition the diabetes franchise.  Prior to joining MS&L's New York office, she held positions in the agency's San Francisco and London offices, where she led global accounts for sanofi-aventis as well as programs on behalf of various pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device and healthcare delivery companies in a wide range of therapeutic areas.

Paul Taaffe, H&K CEO and chairman lauded the new additions. "Over the last several years we have built on our fast-growing healthcare practice by adding bench strength in New York, building a large West Coast healthcare group, and strengthening our overall global offering.  We have a philosophy of creating the best teams to deliver truly international, fully-integrated and unparalleled solutions to clients in all facets of the healthcare arena.  Our ability to do that is more enhanced today than ever before."

About Hill & Knowlton

Hill & Knowlton is a leading international communications consultancy, providing services to local, multinational and global clients.  The firm is headquartered in New York with 79 offices in 44 countries as well as an extensive associate network.  The agency is part of WPP (Nasdaq: WPPGY), one of the world's largest communications services groups.

SOURCE Hill and Knowlton, Inc.