Weber Shandwick Asia Pacific Names Naomi Mermod Head of Healthcare

Weber Shandwick is proud to announce the appointment of Naomi Mermod as head of its healthcare operations in Asia Pacific. Mermod was previously regional director, Asia Pacific communications and public affairs, at Janssen Asia Pacific.

Mermod will oversee Weber Shandwick’s award-winning healthcare portfolio across its twelve offices in the region, overseeing the agency’s continued investment in the sector and partnering with clients and in-market teams.

Reporting to Baxter Jolly, CEO Asia Pacific, she will join the agency’s regional management team and work closely with Laura Schoen, president, global healthcare, and chair, Latin America.

Commenting on the appointment, Jolly said, “We are delighted to have someone of Naomi’s calibre join us. Her prior experience across both in-house and agency roles, coupled with her proven track record as a sector expert in the Asia Pacific region, makes her the ideal leader to help us build on the significant progress we have made particularly around the use of technology in health, and building capabilities to inform data-informed healthcare campaigns”.

Prior to joining Janssen in 2015, Mermod held several senior positions including managing director and president roles in communications agencies in Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom.

“Naomi’s reputation as a solutions-orientated sector expert makes her the ideal fit for our business,” said Laura Schoen. “She joins us at a time when our clients are managing transformative shifts to the way they operate and communicate, and I’m confident her skills and expertise will help them meet those challenges.”

Weber Shandwick’s healthcare practice in Asia Pacific has seen significant growth in the past year. In 2019, it won eleven campaign awards, including Best Campaign, Asia Pacific at the PRWeek Global Awards. More recently, Weber Shandwick’s management consultancy, United Minds, has taken on a number of assignments in the healthcare space, working with clients in the design and delivery of culture and digital transformation initiatives.

Mermod said, “I’m incredibly excited by the opportunities that will come from working with the Weber Shandwick team. The talent across the agency is exceptional, and I’m thoroughly looking forward to partnering with the firm’s clients as they look to design and develop solutions that help their reputations thrive and businesses flourish”.

To enlist Weber Shandwick’s healthcare practice for your business, get in touch.