GCI Health has hired Ryan Kuresman as group SVP, leading the agency’s health policy and public affairs efforts.
Kuresman started in the newly created role on March 9. He is based in Washington, DC, and is reporting to the WPP agency’s North American president, Kristin Cahill.
“I’m working across all of GCI’s different work with clients,” Kuresman said. “The agency has already done a lot of work in public affairs and policy, and I am coming in and elevating that work agency-wide and continuing the growth that has been there.”
Kuresman is responsible for communications to policymakers, influencers and health advocacy stakeholders, the agency said in a statement.
Kuresman explained that the position was attractive because it gives him “the ability to continue to bring shape to how we’re providing counsel and building points of view in public affairs and policy for and with our clients.”
“I’m really excited to work for an agency like GCI where it’s health and health alone,” he added.
Kuresman noted that he will initially focus on healthcare access issues, something he would have done even had the coronavirus pandemic not occurred, given the U.S. presidential election and the session of the European Parliament. He will also educate clients on the value of “true partnerships and transparency with customers and the public to build trust between what they do and what’s expected of them,” Kuresman said.
Previously, Kuresman was SVP of health policy at Edelman and worked at Porter Novelli and APCO Worldwide. Edelman did not respond to inquiries about his departure or plans to replace him.
Holding company WPP’s PR firms saw a 0.1% revenue decrease in Q4 2019 and a dip of 1% for the full year to $1.2 billion on a like-for-like basis less pass-through costs.
This article first appeared on MM&M’s sister site prweek.com.
