FINN Partners, a global independent marketing and communications agency, has promoted Senior Partner Michael Heinley to the newly created position of Global Head of Client Engagement & Growth in the FINN Health Practice. In this expanded leadership position, Heinley will be responsible driving new and organic growth opportunities, providing senior counsel, and serving as a relationship leader for Health client engagements. He will also lead initiatives that focus on providing clients access to the full depth and breadth of FINN integrated services, global resources, and teams.
“During the pandemic, clients broadened the aperture to look beyond traditional or earned media,” Heinley told PM360 in an email. “Clients seek agency partners that bridge solutions and accelerate access to medical innovations throughout all stages of a brand’s lifecycle—from clinical development to commercialization through patent expiry. FINN integrated marketing communication solutions enable those possibilities.”
FINN’s Global Health Practice is ranked as one of the sector’s largest with more than $44 million in client fees. It has also been recognized as “Healthcare Agency of the Year” by PRovoke Media and HITMC. Heinley will report to Fern Lazar who serves as Managing Partner, Global Health Practice Lead.
“In an increasingly virtual world, the need for impactful and productive collaboration is even more imperative,” Lazar told PM360 in an email. “Michael is a master architect in building partnerships with clients that advance their business goals and advance the needs of the patients they serve.”
Heinley is an industry veteran with expertise across the health ecosystem, including previous roles leading corporate communications at WebMD, Johnson & Johnson, and Merck, where he oversaw multiple global pharmaceutical product launches, R&D communications, employee engagement, financial/IR communications, reputation and issues management, and CEO/C-suite counsel and thought leadership. He has also worked in the health and pharmaceutical practice at international public relations agency Hill+Knowlton. And he serves on the Board of Directors for Donate Life New York State, the statewide non-profit dedicated to increasing organ and tissue donation.
“Michael’s extensive experience as a corporate communications executive with leading health companies means that he is the ideal agency partner for clients seeking the full-service experience,” Gil Bashe, FINN Managing Partner, Chair Global Health and Purpose, said in a press release. “Spanning internal and external communications, reputation management, executive voice and marketing, his deep expertise gives him the critical knowledge to lead teams that cultivate long-term client relationships and provide unmatched service.”
At the core of Heinley’s mission in his new position is to ensure the voice of the client is reflected in all efforts.
“I have experienced clients’ business challenges firsthand,” Heinley said in a press release. “I understand the need to drive performance and deliver results that matter to stakeholders across an increasingly complex health ecosystem. I’m excited to work with our teams globally to help drive exceptional client service and access to FINN’s integrated services and expertise to improve the health and well-being of people globally.”
In an email, Bashe added that “collaboration as a concept is one thing—as a process, it’s another. This appointment acknowledges a commitment to invest in making sure our collective IQ is mobilized through EQ. Clients want action and outcomes and this new position is a concrete affirmation that FINN will deliver.”
