Industry Leader Michel Nakache Joins McCann Healthcare Worldwide as EVP Europe

PARIS, July 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

Michel Nakache, one of the foremost agency and association leaders in European healthcare marketing, is joining McCann Healthcare Worldwide this month as EVP Europe, announced John Cahill, CEO of McCann Healthcare Worldwide. Michel Nakache replaces Mark Worman, who is returning to Australia.

"Michel's tremendous leadership and innovation that he consistently displays throughout his impressive career in the healthcare communications industry will now help elevate McCann Healthcare Worldwide to the next level of preeminence throughout Europe," stated Cahill.

Michel Nakache stated, "All my energy and experience will be devoted to McCann Healthcare Europe and McCann Worldgroup. In this transforming world, health and healthcare are of course essential. And the McCann people that I have already met are fantastic, so there is a very good foundation on which to build."

Nakache most recently has been Worldwide Managing Partner, Chairman EMEA/APAC, and Chairman Global Brands of Havas Worldwide Health and Euro RSCG Life.

Nakache has more than 30 years of both client and agency experience in healthcare communications within the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. He started his career working with Searle and then GlaxoSmithKline in both sales and marketing roles in the Gastroenterology, Cardiology and Dermatology categories. Subsequently, he took on the responsibility of the Ogilvy Zoe Medical management team, and in 1996, under his impetus, the WWP group European Health Agencies joined forces under the CommonHealth name.

Nakache became President and CEO of Euro RSCG Healthcare France in 1998, and was Managing Partner & CEO Europe/Asia of Euro RSCG Life Worldwide when he left the Havas group at the end of 2007 to join Publicis as President Europe, Publicis Healthcare Communications Group. In May 2008, Nakache returned to Havas as Worldwide Managing Partner, Chairman EMEA/APAC & Chairman Global Brands of Havas Worldwide Health and Euro RSCG Life. At the end of 2010, he created Havas' second Health network: Health4Brands (H4B).

Nakache has also been a pioneering European healthcare industry association and education leader.  Between 2000 and 2007, he was elected 3 times as President of the "AACC Sante", the French Healthcare Communications Agencies Association. There, he spearheaded the establishment of industry rules regarding new business that was ratified by clients and agencies alike. The in 2008, he established the "EACA HCC" (European Association of Communication Agencies, Health Communication Council), achieving 100% membership participation by the largest agency networks, and was elected its first President.

A frequent guest speaker, Nakache also teaches at ESCP, ESC Rennes and ESSEC -- famous business schools in France where he instructs future managers.

About McCann Healthcare Worldwide

McCann Healthcare Worldwide is the most awarded worldwide professional and consumer healthcare advertising agency network with the largest international expertise spanning 23 countries.  McCann Healthcare's global network is comprised of five advertising and promotion brands -- Echo Torre Lazur, RCW Group, McCann Healthcare, McCann HumanCare and Torre Lazur McCann -- as well as the leading worldwide Medical Communications practice, consisting of Complete Medical Group and Caudex Medical. All six of these global McCann Healthcare's entities contain additional specialist divisions and digital marketing expertise. McCann Healthcare Worldwide is a part of McCann Worldgroup, the largest marketing communications agency network in the world, and is the largest healthcare agency network owned by Interpublic Group [NYSE: IPG].