MANUFACTURERSAvanir Pharmaceuticals has appointed Keith Katkin president and CEO. Katkin, who was also elected as a member of the board of directors, has replaced Eric Brandt, who resigned as president and CEO effective March 12. Katkin joined Avanir in July 2005 as SVP of sales and marketing and has served as a member of Avanir’s executive management team. Prior to joining Avanir, Katkin served as the VP, commercial development for Peninsula Pharmaceuticals. Additionally, Katkin’s employment experience includes leadership roles at InterMune, Amgen and Abbott Laboratories. AGENCIESAbelsonTaylor has hired Lynnette Hunter and Kate Worobey-Mulliez as senior account executives and Sheila Ambrose as an account executive in the agency’s expanding ethical pharmaceuticals unit. A six-year veteran of AbelsonTaylor, Hunter rejoins the agency as a senior account executive to work on Web site development projects for a major diabetes drug. She reports to Cindy Stone, vice president and account director. Worobey-Mulliez joins AbelsonTaylor as a senior account executive. She will work primarily on a product for paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinurea, a rare blood disorder. She reports to Nancy Drescher, vice president and account director. Worobey-Mulliez previously worked as an account manager at the pharmaceutical marketing company August Jackson and the experiential marketing firm Jack Morton Worldwide, both in Chicago. She began her advertising career in the Chicago office of Torre Lazur McCann Erickson. Ambrose joins AbelsonTaylor as an account executive. She will work primarily on campaigns supporting a drug indicated for the treatment of anemia. She reports to Ken Stevens, vice president and account director. Ambrose previously worked as an associate program manager for Publicis Medical Education Group in Chicago. She also worked as a marketing coordinator at Medicis Pharmaceutical Corporation in Scottsdale, AZ. Blue Diesel, an inVentiv Health company, named Matthew Soliday as interactive designer. Soliday will be responsible for the design and execution of various web portals and multimedia initiatives. Prior to joining Blue Diesel, Soliday served as lead designer at Made U Look where he worked on a variety of interactive and print projects. GSW Worldwide, an inVentiv Health company, named Kelly Arledge as VP, public relations in its Columbus office. Arledge will be responsible for developing, implementing and leading public relations strategies for assigned clients. Arledge comes to GSW Worldwide with more than 20 years of corporate and agency marketing and public relations experience. She has worked with both nonprofit and for-profit organizations across many industries including retail, healthcare, technology and government. Most recently, Arledge served as president of KWA Public Relations, a company she founded in 2001. In this role, she provided strategic communications planning and tactical execution to local, regional and national accounts including Columbus Children’s Hospital, Mount Carmel Health System, Ohio Hospital Association, Huntington Bancshares and the National Council on Aging (EMBARQ). Nicole Allen has been promoted to account supervisor at Williams-Labadie where she will continue lending her commitment to the Abraxis oncology and Smith & Nephew accounts. Allen joined Williams-Labadie over six years ago as an account service manager. Ryan Duffy has been promoted to account executive for the agency’s cardiovascular business. He will focus on the Astellas account. Duffy started with the agency two years ago as account assistant. Holly Hamsberger joins Williams-Labadie as an account service manager. She will focus on the Smith & Nephew, Thomson Healthcare, SciClone, and National Starch accounts. She comes aboard from CGI Communications.The Sudler network of companies has announced the promotion of Wayne Traub to the position of managing director of its New Jersey Sentrix office. Traub, who has worked at Sudler & Hennessey (S&H) since 1983, most recently served as EVP and client service director at S&H, New York City. Ogilvy PR has named healthcare head Kate Cronin to lead its New York office. Cronin will serve as managing director of the New York office, reporting to global CEO Marcia Silverman, but will continue to play a leadership role in the global healthcare practice.