Evoke has hired Karla Turner Anderson as SVP of diversity, equity and inclusion.

Anderson started in the role at the global health and wellness agency on August 16, reporting to COO Heather Torak with a dotted line to CEO Reid Connolly. She is leading Evoke’s DEI capability across the organization globally and is a member of the firm’s executive leadership team.  

Anderson is permanently working remotely from her home in Charlotte, North Carolina. She is planning to build out a team. 

The role reflects Evoke’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion within the company and the healthcare marketing and communications industry at large, Anderson said.

“I will be building a multi-year global strategy for DEI that helps us to unify the goals, initiatives and objectives of all of our different agencies under the Evoke umbrella,” said Anderson. “I will also be a strategic thinker in terms of how we can execute against our strategy in 2021 and beyond and how we can help our DEI show up in our internal workforce, communities and industry.”

Evoke has offices in New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Los Angeles, London, Dublin, Princeton, Chicago, Singapore and Dubai. The agency is part of Huntsworth, an international healthcare and communications group, which was acquired by Clayton, Dubilier & Rice in May 2020.

Evoke’s revenue was up 18% in 2020 to $168.2 million, according to MM+M’s Agency 100. 

Evoke includes specialty agency units including Evoke Kyne, Evoke Navience, Evoke Giant and Evoke Firsthand. Evoke Kyne posted 23% revenue growth last year to nearly $31 million, according to PRWeek’s Agency Business Report 2021.

Anderson also said she will look at how Evoke can leverage DEI to drive better client results and increase opportunities to serve clients.

“I am also excited about this nuanced conversation about healthcare equity and how we can leverage this role and our focus on healthcare and pharma to go to the heart of providing greater access and opportunities for equitable healthcare across the world,” she said.

Anderson has joined Evoke from Emergent Holdings, where she was MD of inclusion and diversity. She left that job in July.