Virgo Health

GOLIN HARRIS TO ACQUIRE VIRGO HEALTH TO EXPAND COMPANY’S GLOBAL HEALTHCARE PRACTICE
Firms to launch new specialty practice focused on digital health

LONDON (July 5, 2012) — GolinHarris announced today it will acquire Virgo HEALTH, the award-winning, independent UK healthcare communications firm, to become part of the GolinHarris network. Virgo HEALTH will retain its name.  Founders and joint chief executives Angie Wiles and Sarah Matthew will continue in their current roles, reporting to Fred Cook, GolinHarris CEO, and work closely with Matt Neale and Jon Hughes, co-presidents, GH International. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Angie Wiles and Sarah Matthew founded Virgo HEALTH in 2003 after successful careers with pharmaceutical companies and large, publicly-owned agencies with a mission to raise the bar in healthcare communications. Today, the 60-member London-based agency provides a full range of services in healthcare communications across three core business units – Virgo HEALTH Communications (medical healthcare PR), Virgo HEALTH Education (medical education) and Virgo HEALTH Consumer (consumer health and OTC PR).  These are complemented by Virgo VANTAGE, its strategic consultancy offering. The firm’s client roster spans key brands across the health spectrum — including Astra Zeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer and Bristol-Myers Squibb. Since 2003, Virgo HEALTH has earned numerous awards for its work and culture, includingCommuniqué “Consultancy of the Year” in 2006, 2009 and 2010, PR Week Specialist Consultancy of the Year and has been cited for the past three years as one of the top small workplaces in the UK (Great Places to Work Institute).

“The success enjoyed by Virgo over the last nine years has exceeded all of our expectations but it has long been our aspiration to take Virgo to a whole other level and create a genuine legacy brand,” said Sarah Matthew. “We have found a truly like-minded partner in GolinHarris with complementary expertise, shared values and a strong culture.
As businesses and people we are a perfect match, and, in joining forces with GolinHarris, we are able to optimize our ambitions in terms of extending our geographical reach and impact.”

“Healthcare continues to be one of the most vibrant sectors in the communications/marketing field and has a tremendous need for sector expertise,” said Harris Diamond, chief executive officer of Interpublic’s Constituency Management Group, which includes GolinHarris. “The skill set and quality of Virgo’s team will be a tremendous asset for our clients.”

As part of the agreement, Wiles and Matthew will build the Virgo brand in North America and beyond, and in addition, they will play a senior leadership role in GolinHarris.

“We have enormous respect and admiration for Virgo HEALTH.  Our partnership with them will significantly strengthen our healthcare practice and offering in Europe and around the globe,” said Fred Cook, CEO GolinHarris.
“In addition to expanding the Virgo HEALTH brand in the U.S. and beyond, together we are forming a new global, digitally focused specialty health practice called Go Digital Health.”

Go brings together Virgo HEALTH’s healthcare heritage with GolinHarris’ deep digital expertise – fortified with the recent acquisition of interactive agency FUSE – to offer clients access to the leading thinking in digital health.

“The goal of this new offering is to realize the true value of digital for healthcare brands, professionals and communities,” said Jon Hughes, president, GH International. “Go simplifies two complex worlds: digital and health. Our work continues to keep GolinHarris at the forefront of the digital space while Virgo has a fundamental  understanding of the health environment that is second to none.”

“The launch of Go is just the beginning,” said Angie Wiles. “It is a sign of what our partnership will be able to offer healthcare clients domestically, regionally and globally, and we believe there is no team better placed to help healthcare companies unlock the potential of digital while respecting the specific challenges and responsibilities companies in this sector face.  We’re excited to see where we go together.”