Hanover bolsters Health leadership team

The agency has promoted Emma Gorton to MD of Hanover Health, as well as making five hires, as division founder Andrew Harrison exits.

Strategic communications and public affairs consultancy Hanover Communications has expanded its healthcare expertise with a leadership promotion and five senior hires.

Emma Gorton, previously deputy managing director of Hanover Health, has been promoted to managing director. Gorton has been with Hanover for seven years, advising global organisations in the healthcare sector on how to implement impactful external affairs campaigns. She will oversee the agency’s healthcare practice, reporting to Hanover president and MD Gavin Megaw.

Andrew Harrison, who founded Hanover Health 21 years ago, is leaving the business and will step down as group managing director of health in February.

Gorton (pictured, second right) said: “Andrew has established an incredible team at Hanover Health. There are many people throughout the healthcare industry today who are thankful to Andrew for his guidance, counsel, and advice, both as a consultant and as a mentor, as they have built their careers. We are excited to be expanding our healthcare expertise at a time when the sector is facing significant reputational, political and access challenges.”

Harrison said: “After over two decades, it feels like the right time for me to open a new chapter. I will take a break and then see what’s next, but I know nothing could top working with the fantastic team and clients we have here at Hanover. I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved at Hanover Health, and I feel confident and excited about the future of our health team under this leadership”.

The agency has also made five new appointments. Helen McKenna (pictured, left) joins as director of the policy, advocacy and public affairs team from the NHS, where she was chief of staff at an NHS Trust. Before this, McKenna was senior fellow at The King’s Fund. She began her career as a Fast Streamer at the Department of Health before moving into the Policy Unit where she worked on the Health and Social Care Act 2012 and led a review of the NHS Constitution.

Nathalie Gherardi (pictured, right) joins the Brussels team as head of healthcare EU. Gherardi has over 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and medtech industries, having previously worked for MSD and Takeda in regulatory, partnerships and European public affairs roles, as well as consulting in Brussels for clients including EFPIA.

In addition, Rosie Hill (pictured, second left) joins the policy, advocacy and public affairs team, having previously worked across consultancy, the civil service and NHS England, with a focus on specialised services, public health, and prevention, as well as NHS system architecture. Ann-Marie Stevens joins the healthcare communications team from the College of Optometrists, with experience at PR agencies Racepoint and FleishmanHillard, where she managed UK, European and global accounts across a range of disease areas including cardiology, neurology, and oncology.

Finally, Darren Murphy joins Hanover Health as a senior advisor, having held key positions in Tony Blair’s government, including as special adviser to the prime minister and to health secretary Alan Milburn.

Megaw – who stepped up into the agency leadership role in April – said: “We are delighted to announce this significant expansion of our healthcare expertise and a much-deserved recognition of Emma’s contribution to the business during her time at Hanover. I want to thank Andrew for transforming our healthcare offer over the past two decades. These new additions will mean that the practice will continue to have a sector-leading offer to design and deliver strategies that unlock insight, shape narratives, harness influencers, activate campaigns, navigate regulations, and access markets.”

About Hanover
Hanover is one of Europe’s leading strategic communications and public affairs consultancies, with offices in London, Brussels, Dublin, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.