Sudler & Hennessey acquires West Coast digital marketing firm

Viscira, a digital marketing agency, works with GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, and Genentech, among other life-sciences companies.

Jaimy Lee

March 25, 2016

7:05 pm

Sudler & Hennessey Group announced its acquisition of Viscira, a San Francisco-based digital marketing firm that exclusively works with life-sciences companies.

A spokeswoman for Sudler declined to provide financial terms of the deal.

Viscira, which employs about 100 people, said it had double-digit revenue growth in 2014 and 2015. The company in 2015 said it added several new clients, including GlaxoSmithKline, Clovis Oncology, and Merck. Other clients, according to Viscira’s web site, include Genentech, Alexion, AbbVie, and Eli Lilly.

Dave Gulezian, president and CEO of Viscira, will report to Rob Rogers (pictured left) and Louisa Holland (pictured right), co-CEOs of the Americas for Sudler & Hennessey.

This is the second acquisition that WPP’s Sudler & Hennessey Group has announced in the last six months. In December, the firm purchased a majority stake in System Analytic, a key-opinion-leader-engagement company that works with drugmakers.

The move comes on the heels of a S&H reorganization that changes how its businesses in the Americas report to the co-CEOs. As part of the reorganization, Rogers oversees promotional efforts and Holland is in charge of a new science and learning focus.