Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG) agency Golin announced the appointment of Smitha Piedilato as executive creative director (ECD) at Golin Health—a leading healthcare communications agency. She will continue leading the agency’s transformation into a full-service, creative-forward healthcare agency in the U.S. Based in Golin’s New York office, Piedilato reports to Cori McKeever, global president of healthcare.
Piedilato brings nearly two decades of agency experience to this role, previously holding postions as creative director and vice president at Edelman and creative director at Grey. Throughout her career she has delivered best-in-class creative for bluechip healthcare and consumer health brands like Basaglar, Cialis, Restylane Kysse and Verzenio.
As Golin Health’s first-ever dedicated ECD, Piedilato will oversee visual design and copywriting and continue to build out a full-service creative offering for the agency specialty brand. She will lead data-backed campaigns with creative insights that inspire and educate target audiences such as healthcare professionals, corporate leadership and patients.
“Golin Health understands the value of putting high-impact strategy and creative into every assignment,” Piedilato said. “I’m thrilled to join a group of forward-thinking leaders at Golin who are reshaping the field of healthcare communications.”
On the heels of Golin’s strongest business performance in its 65-year history, the agency continues to double down on specialized talent to fuel its growth. Golin Health grew by 26% across the U.S. in 2021 and has strengthened its team to nearly 90 specialists, solidifying its leadership in advancing full-service healthcare communications offerings. Piedilato will further drive growth of the Golin Health client roster with her experience transforming high science as well as HCP and consumer insights into best-in-creative marketing and branding.
“Smitha has an incredible ability to craft compelling creative that earns attention in a crowded healthcare environment,” said McKeever. “Already in her brief time at Golin Health, she has begun building a powerhouse team, and her creative strategy, design prowess and fresh ideation have uncovered new ways of thinking and big ideas that clients love.”
In addition to bringing on Piedilato, Golin Health hired Keren Shashoua as senior vice president and head of design. Previously at Syneos, Shashoua will partner with Piedilato on conceptual, print, digital and social creative for Golin Health’s top U.S. client roster.
About Golin
Golin is a global public relations agency that helps companies create change that matters. Together, we discover powerful human truths that bind us, create with bravery and collaborate inclusively and obsessively. Golin’s 1700 global employees operate across 50+ offices worldwide, allowing us to provide our clients with comprehensive solutions for multi-market, regional and global communications programs. Golin was named PRovoke Media’s 2022 overall North America Agency of the Year, PRovoke Media’s 2022 and 2021 North America Large Agency of the Year, PRWeek’s 2021, 2020 and 2019 Global Agency of the Year, AMEC’s 2021, 2020 and 2019 Communications Research + Measurement Team of the Year, a 2021 Chicago Tribune Top Workplace and is the first-ever PR agency to be credited with “ideation,” when the firm took home Gold and Silver Lions at the 2019 Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity.
