MANUFACTURERSRobert Sykora, has been named president of StoneBridge Pharma, a newly created position in which he will be responsible for all daily operations, strategy and business development activities for the Georgia-based specialty pharmaceutical company. Before assuming his new role, Sykora served as vice president of sales and marketing for Glades Pharmaceuticals, an affiliate of Stiefel Laboratories. He also has held other positions with Stiefel including executive director of national accounts and managed care, where he created the third-party reimbursement access strategies following the launch of Duac topical gel (clindamycin, 1% – benzoyl peroxide, 5%) and trained an internal team with minimal managed care experience to support the Stiefel sales force. AGENCIES InVentiv Health unit, GSW Worldwide has announced the following new hires. Reena Buddhdev was named senior account executive with responsibilities for day-to-day management for one of the agency’s pharmaceutical accounts. Prior to GSW Worldwide, Buddhdev worked as account executive at Barefoot Advertising, where she was responsible for marketing strategy, competitive analysis, creative direction and client relationship management. Amy Carr was named account coordinator with administrative responsibilities for the strategic planning team. Prior to GSW Worldwide, Carr served as administrative assistant at Nationwide Insurance. Brooke Sellars was named account director with responsibilities as an on-site client representative in Chicago. Prior to GSW Worldwide, Sellars served as group account director at Hamilton Communications Group, where she managed multiple customer groups and account projects. Angela Miller was named account director with responsibilities as an on-site client representative in Chicago. Prior to GSW Worldwide, Miller served as group account supervisor for Hamilton Communications Group, where she managed multiple customer groups and specialties, overseeing all aspects of brand marketing. AbelsonTaylor has hired Shana Liberman as account supervisor and promoted Jenny Sharp to senior account executive. Liberman will oversee the agency’s account for Actos (pioglitazone HCI), the diabetes drug from Takeda Pharmaceuticals. Before joining AbelsonTaylor, she was group account supervisor at Corbett in Chicago, where she led the US launch of a hepatitis B treatment and managed several eyecare brands. Prior to this, Liberman worked on a variety of Johnson & Johnson brands for a division of Nelson Communications, a Princeton, NJ healthcare agency. On the client side, Liberman worked in brand management for Johnson & Johnson/Merck and McNeil Consumer and Specialty Pharmaceuticals where her responsibilities included Pepcid, Mylanta and Mylicon. Sharp will continue to manage assignments for a supportive oncology biologic agent that she handled in her previous stint as account executive. During her two-year tenure in that position, she was instrumental in launching a new professional campaign for the brand and increasing AbelsonTaylor’s support in the hospital and interactive arenas. Her new responsibilities will include adding DTC responsibilities and managing the integration of the brand’s professional and DTC accounts. Sharp, who joined AbelsonTaylor after graduating college, began her career with the agency in 2001 as a traffic/account coordinator and rose through the ranks to her current title. Online healthcare communications company, Group DCA, has hired Jim McDonough as VP of client services and Suzanne Jenkins as account director, client services. McDonough was most recently senior marketing/product line director for Verispan. Jenkins from The Eden Communications Group, a healthcare advertising agency, where she was senior program manager responsible for planning and execution of consumer and professional education and communication programs. Digitas unit, Medical Broadcasting Company (MBC), has hired Stephen Chiles as senior vice president and account group director; Alex Gochtovtt as director, research and analysis; and Cara Levinson as director, business strategy. Relationship marketing agency MicroMass Communications has hired Mark Klapper, Kim Levy and Rick Mazzetti, all in the vice president, senior strategist role, to lead the strategic development relationship marketing campaigns for the agency’s pharmaceutical company clients.SUPPLIERSSherri Foster has been promoted to SVP and director of Scienta Healthcare Education. In her new position, she will have a broader role in determining new commercial support opportunities for Scienta and working toward achieving larger business goals. She has served as general manager and director of medical education at Scienta since January 2005. Dendrite International has named Carl Cohen president of its marketing solutions division. Cohen joins Dendrite from Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, where he most recently served as SVP. Cohen has also held several senior marketing and brand management leadership positions at companies including Philip Morris, Colgate Palmolive and Reckitt & Coleman.