Agency Continues to Add Top Talent to Support Expanding Client Roster and Key Client Offerings
MORRISVILLE, N.C. – August 11, 2021 – GSW, an industry leader in healthcare advertising powered by Syneos Health®, today announced the addition of three executive leaders, emphasizing the agency’s continued commitment to groundbreaking creativity, experience and engagement.
One of the world’s most awarded healthcare advertising agencies, GSW continues to expand its creative talent roster. At GSW New York, Astrid Defries-Lansing joins as Executive Creative Director. With over 20 years of experience, Astrid has held positions leading efforts for healthcare agencies including Havas, CDM, AgencyRx/DDB Health and the BGB Group. Most recently at Havas, her expertise ranges from high science to primary care and wellness, developing campaigns and programs across brands, categories and geographies. Originally from Germany, out of college Astrid kick-started her own ad/design shop, managing an array of clients including high-performance automobile manufacturer Porsche.
“We are thrilled to welcome Astrid to the GSW family,” said Andrew Schirmer, President, GSW New York. “She is a true leader who inspires and coaches, and is as involved with overall agency culture and business success as she is with the creative product. Astrid has an incredible eye and believes deeply in the craft of creative from ideation through execution.”
In addition to enhancing creative capabilities, GSW continues to double down on digital-forward solutions delivered through customer experience design and omnichannel execution. To drive these vital client solutions, GSW has hired Peter von Bartheld as SVP, Customer Experience, and Jim Ruiz as SVP, Customer Experience, MarTech Strategy & Enablement Lead.
Peter von Bartheld has deep customer experience and CRM expertise. Most recently, he led the strategy team at Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness (SSW), focusing on the Nurse Ambassador patient engagement and experience. Prior to working at SSW, he led the Customer Experience & CRM practice for Ogilvy Health, strategically creating data-driven, multichannel CX programs designed to inform, educate and support HCPs, patients and caregivers. His work spans from over-the-counter to high science brands, and his passion ensures all audiences have a positive brand experience. His campaigns have accelerated patients through the consideration funnel and have been recognized with awards from both PM360 and MM&M.
Jim Ruiz has more than 20 years of experience leading teams in developing and delivering multichannel and omnichannel customer experiences for many of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies and brands. He joins GSW from Intouch Solutions where he was Vice President of CX Strategy. Prior to Intouch, Ruiz led CRM & Analytics and Marketing Operations for Ogilvy CommonHealth, leading and developing a CX Strategy team of 25+ customer experience subject matter experts with a range of experience in consumer and HCP marketing. A solution-oriented leader who delivers results, he brings a unique perspective to pharmaceutical marketing managing cross-functional teams spanning multiple organizations to achieve business objectives.
“GSW remains steadfast in its commitment to big creative ideas and technology, channeling this expertise into every brand experience we create,” said JD Cassidy, President, Syneos Health North America Advertising. “GSW is fluent in leveraging the power of data, behavioral sciences and forward-thinking creative to deliver motivational experiences through CX design. We are excited about these leadership appointments and what we’ll be able to accomplish together, powered by Syneos Health.”
In the last two years alone, GSW won more than 50 new brand customers and was nominated and short-listed for more than 50 awards, including a 2019 Emmy award and numerous Cannes, Global, Clio Health, Creative Floor and ADDY awards. The agency was named the 2019 Med Ad News Most Creative Agency of the Year and was a 2020 Most Admired Agency finalist.
About GSW
GSW is a full-service healthcare communications agency that goes beyond advertising to create personalized brand experiences that involve, inspire, educate, and activate people through ongoing brand journeys. Building partnerships with pharmaceutical, biotech, and health-and-wellness clients in 18 major markets around the world, GSW creates marketing solutions through a comprehensive and wide array of services.
GSW is part of Syneos Health Communications, a purpose-built portfolio of innovative health-first, health-only advertising, branding, medical communications, market access and public relations agencies. Powered by 25,000 clinical and commercial minds across Syneos Health®, the agencies operate at the intersection of health, technology, and creativity.
Syneos Health Communications: At the Heart of Health
Syneos Health Communications is a purpose-built portfolio of innovative health-first, health-only advertising, branding, medical communications, market access and public relations agencies. We are fiercely focused on creating platforms that allow our customers to bring life-changing healthcare solutions to the world. We are an unrivaled community—powered by 26,000 clinical and commercial minds across Syneos Health®—that operates at the intersection of health, technology, and creativity. By harnessing data and behavioral sciences, we get to deeper, more actionable insights that drive behavior change.
Our agencies include Addison Whitney, Biosector 2, Cadent Medical Communications, Chamberlain Healthcare Public Relations, Chandler Chicco Agency, GSW, Litmus, Navicor and Spherico Managed Markets Communications. We work as scalable, collaborative teams that partner across disciplines and geographies to deliver integrated communications strategies that accelerate brand performance.
Learn more at syneoshealthcommunications.com or follow us on LinkedIn.
