GCI Health opens new London office

GCI Health has announced the opening of a new UK office in London, which represents the agency's first on-the-ground offering in Europe.

The WPP-affiliated company officially launches its London business with six clients at a global, European and UK level in the areas of oncology, virology, autoimmune disease, diabetes and respiratory health.

Rikki Jones will transfer from her role as director at fellow WPP agency Cohn and Wolfe to head up the new office, while her associate director will be Louise Veale, another WPP veteran.

GCI Health chief executive officer Wendy Lund said: "Our official entry into Europe puts us in the unique position of having truly global and local expertise on both sides of the Atlantic with a ready-made global network."

The agency was first formed five years ago in the US with the merger of GCI Group and Cohn and Wolfe under the WPP umbrella.

It was awarded the title of healthcare agency of the year in 2011 by The Holmes Report, one of many accolades it has earned over the years.