Following the departure of its global managing director of health and life sciences for a new role at Takeda last fall, FleishmanHillard has now tapped Mary Kosinski to take the reins of its largest sector.
Kosinski’s appointment takes effect immediately, according to the agency’s Tuesday announcement. In her new role, she’ll be tasked with overseeing the growth and ongoing work of FleishmanHillard’s health and life sciences practice.
She arrives at the comms giant following three years spent heading up global corporate affairs at oncology CRO Pi Health. Before that, she served as senior director of applied innovation business operations at BeiGene and, for nearly four years, chief of staff and deputy vice president of science and regulatory advocacy for the trade group PhRMA.
The bulk of Kosinski’s career so far, however, was spent at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Her nearly 15 years there include stops at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the science and public health policy and preparedness and response teams, culminating in more than eight years at the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, where she served as chief of staff and senior adviser.
“Mary’s energy and deep regulatory and policy experience will bring tremendous insights to our clients and fresh perspectives to our team,” Mark Mortell, global head of practices and sectors for FleishmanHillard, said in the announcement. “Her background in government agencies complements FleishmanHillard’s strong healthcare credentials and expertise across the sector.”
In a statement of her own, Kosinski expressed her excitement at her new role, especially at “such a pivotal moment for the healthcare industry.”
“The pace of change is unlike any other in healthcare's history—digital transformation, Gen AI, patient-centered care and novel drugs and therapeutics are all contributing to a new era where communications is vital in helping clients meet patient and consumer expectations,” she said. “FleishmanHillard’s deep health and life sciences experience will ensure we’re ready to help clients achieve their goals and navigate the challenges they face with the agility, thought leadership and expert support they need.”
Kosinski is taking on a role vacated in September by Anne de Schweinitz, who’s now head of global corporate brand and content at Takeda and had spent more than a decade at FleishmanHillard.
Alongside Kosinski’s appointment, FleishmanHillard’s announcement this week included news of three more hires within the health and life sciences team: John Gisborne as global head of strategic client partnerships, Marc Longpre as global head of strategy and insights and Jenyne Engelhardt as global head of operations and integration.