FCB Health Network announced that Julie Pilon has joined AREA 23 as executive director of strategic planning. In this role, Pilon will lead the agency’s integrated strategic planning, engagement and medical strategy to optimize brand experience for clients.
Bringing over 25 years of experience on both the client and agency side of the healthcare industry, Pilon has positioned and launched the types of iconic brands that now serve as case studies for success. She started her career in both sales and marketing roles at Bayer, where she launched and grew what would become Bayer’s biggest blockbuster brands. Throughout her career, she has worked in almost every therapeutic category and with clients both big and small.
Prior to joining AREA 23, Pilon served as Chief Strategy Officer at Publicis Health + Sapient, where she focused on how brands could uniquely engage with their customers. She was instrumental in creating new intelligent service offerings that integrated service design, data & analytics, and technology to help clients further differentiate their brand experience and optimize business and health outcomes. Prior to that, Pilon was President and Managing Director of Insync, a premium research and brand-building company, where she was instrumental in driving the expansion of the business while also transforming it to compete through every healthcare revolution this century.
“Julie has a proven track record of helping clients think differently and execute successful strategies that position their brands ahead of their competitors,” said Michael Guarino, FCB Health Network chief commercial officer. “We are looking forward to seeing her apply her proven industry experience to AREA 23 as they continue to grow as a leader in strategic planning, engagement and medical strategy for our clients.”
In her career, Pilon has championed the concept of human centricity in research, brand building and with patient support services. It’s a concept that helps uncover the most effective ways to connect and engage and create long-lasting relationships with customers, whether consumers, patients or healthcare professionals. “With the changing dynamics of health and the importance of delivering better health outcomes, the way we engage with our customers is more important than ever,” said Pilon.
Pilon’s appointment comes on the heels of AREA 23 celebrating multiple industry wins, including recent accolades of “Global Agency of the Year” and “Regional Agency of the Year” at the 2019 New York Festivals Global Awards. Led by president Renée Mellas and chief creative officer Tim Hawkey, the agency has experienced unprecedented growth in the last seven years under their leadership, creating one of the most dominant healthcare agencies in the world.
“We are thrilled to have Julie join our team and provide leadership for the integrated strategy center of excellence,” said Mellas. “This role is integral to our client businesses and helps position the agency for continued expansion.”
“AREA 23 is on the cutting edge of healthcare advertising and is single-handedly transforming the industry,” shared Pilon. “I am thrilled to be joining the FCB Health Network at such an exciting time and will continue to push boundaries for our clients to deliver legacy, life-changing ideas.”
