McCann Healthcare China hires Jonathan Roberts for new business development

Roberts (pitcured) reports to the agency’s MD David Shen and will be responsible for enhancing business development for pharmaceutical and healthcare clients.

Roberts brings with him 15 years of solid client and agency experience in the healthcare industry. He was most recently director of research at Synovate Healthcare China for two years.

"The healthcare market in China is not very mature, and marketing in the pharmaceutical industry tends to be conventional," Shen said. "The transformation and development of marketing is not as sophistcated as any FMCG. We need to educate to create opportunities and demand for agencies."
 
He added that Robert's experience at Synovate healthcare in China has helped him understand the trend of the overall pharmateuctical industry development and which areas to focus on. "His view on that will help sharpen our offering from a more business orientated perspective."

Prior to arriving in China, Roberts set up and ran Strata Healthcare Market Research, an award-winning boutique market research agency, and part of a leading London Healthcare advertising agency.

Before Strata, he was the head of business research and consulting for another start-up healthcare contract sales company, In2Focus SDS Ltd, that was acquired by United Drug PLC.

He also held a number of marketing and market research roles within GlaxoSmithKline and SmithKline Beecham in the UK. He started his career with Insight Medical Research in London.

McCann Healthcare China has been helping clients in healthcare communications for 15 years. Its current key clients include Pfizer, MSD, Novartis, GSK and Omron.