Envision Pharma Group appoints Richard Gorman as President, Strategic Consulting

Envision Pharma Group (Envision) has appointed Richard “Rich” Gorman to the role of President, Strategic Consulting and member of the Executive Leadership Team.

Rich is a 30-year veteran of the life sciences industry and a respected leader with a track record of success in pharmaceutical commercialization. He is an experienced head of high-performing teams that build go-to-market strategies to deliver on business development and revenue generation goals.

Rich will be responsible for leading the Strategic Consulting business across Envision’s commercial, medical, and technology sectors. He will lead a team of scientific, medical, and commercial strategists with deep expertise in the life sciences industry while combining its technology and AI platforms to accelerate the business and scientific momentum of clients’ strategies.

Prior to joining Envision, Rich served as Chief Commercial Officer and Global Head of Strategy for Amplity Health. Before that, he held various leadership positions and senior business development roles at Syneos Health. His background includes serving as a CEO for a specialty pharmaceutical company, as well as several positions within the field of contract pharmaceutical development and manufacturing.

Rich shares, “I am delighted to be joining Envision Pharma Group at this pivotal and exciting time. I am honored to have the opportunity to lead this talented team of strategy consultants. Combining their proven capabilities with the Envision technology platform will create a powerful option for manufacturers looking to efficiently bring new science and products to patients.”  

Meg Heim, Chief Executive Officer of Envision Pharma Group states, “We are so excited to have Rich join our team as we continue to accelerate Envision’s business expansion, mission, and commitment to our clients’ needs. Rich’s proven expertise will be critical in partnering with our clients to execute upon their goals, improve performance, and meet their unique business needs with the support of our technology platforms and strategic advisory expertise.”

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Global Healthcare Opportunities, or GHO Capital Partners LLP, the European specialist investor in healthcare, together with the existing Envision management team and employees, have increased their investment in Envision Pharma Group (“Envision” or the “Company”), a leading technology-enabled scientific communications company.

The transaction sees GHO lead a consortium of its investors headed by Mubadala Investment Company, and including HarbourVest Partners and Northwestern Mutual to drive a new phase of growth, while Ardian exits its investment following a successful 4-year partnership with Envision and GHO.

Founded in 2001, Envision helps biopharmaceutical and medical device companies commercialize new compounds through medical strategy, strategic publications planning, and medical communications delivery. Its flagship technology iEnvision^® – a global medical affairs platform, supports medical strategy, scientific communications internal/external research, and grant/request management activities to help pharmaceutical companies operate their businesses compliantly.

Over the last 19 years Envision has enjoyed outstanding year-on-year organic growth, with expansion supplemented via a number of key strategic acquisitions in medical strategy, Health Economics and Market Access (HEMA), and behavioral science-led communications. Consequently, Envision’s global reach now extends to Australia, Japan, Serbia, and Hungary, with the company employing over 800 people across 14 offices.

Having partnered with Envision for 4 years, GHO has a unique view of the business and its growth trajectory and is backing the management for continued expansion. Envision will pursue significant rollout of its iEnvision technology to widen its suite of platform solutions and strategic communications capabilities, and expects to see increased synergy between these two elements.

With acquisitions likely to play an important role toward facilitating the delivery of a deeper, more diversified service offering to global clients, Envision is set to enhance its position as the leading strategic medical affairs partner to the pharmaceutical industry.

David Thompson, CEO, Envision, said, “Having worked alongside GHO for 4 years, we are delighted they have chosen to extend and deepen the partnership in a new investment cycle. We see a clear commitment to expanding our reach across the healthcare services spectrum, most notably in medical affairs, with the ultimate goal of enhancing physicians’ abilities to improve patient outcomes.”

The Partners at GHO Capital commented, “We are delighted to continue our successful partnership with David and his management team. Envision is a company we know well and continue to believe in owing to its unique services and technology proposition. We look forward to supporting this ambitious team on their next phase of growth and in delivering Envision’s full potential as the go-to strategic partner in outsourced medical affairs, communications, and consulting services.”

Brian Hepburn, Co-Chairman and Founder, Envision, added, “For GHO Capital to take the majority shareholding in Envision speaks volumes in terms of its belief in our business and vision. We will be partnering with a team who already has a deep understanding of both the healthcare sector and our business, who know and respect the leadership team, and can positively contribute to our new 5-year business plan.”

Bruno Ladriere, Managing Director of Ardian Buyout in the UK, said, “Over the last 4 years, we have worked successfully with the Envision management and GHO to support the company’s growth, adding new service lines via acquisitions to increase the value brought to its clients. This first investment of our Buyout team in the UK has been a great success. We are confident the next phase of the Envision story will continue to demonstrate the company’s standing as the trusted partner of choice for medical affairs to the pharmaceutical industry.”

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The PM Society Digital Awards 2020 saw Envision pick up two Silver awards for Congress, Meetings & Events and for Innovation – Creativity as a result of its “See through diabetes” work in collaboration with Mundipharma.

Multichannel Director at Envision, Alex Watson, said, “These two Silver awards are another fantastic accolade for Envision. Following our success at the PM Society Awards in 2019, this really is testament to the excellence and consistency that our creative/digital team achieve. Congratulations to our exceptionally talented team that, in close partnership with Mundipharma and supported by Woolley Pau, conceptualized this novel and impactful way to engage a larger audience with this important and valuable message.”

Nick Morgan, Head of Specialist Driven Primary Care, Europe, Mundipharma, added, “We are thrilled that Mundipharma has been recognized for digital excellence in communicating this important message that will help to positively impact the lives of Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) patients everywhere. We put healthcare professionals and the patients they serve at the heart of everything we do, and to be recognized at the PM Society Digital Awards for this project is testament to this. Working with the Envision team to achieve these goals is a true partnership, where our objectives and vision meet the creativity and know-how to produce these exceptional results.”

2020 marks the eleventh year of the PM Society Digital Awards, where the best in digital creativity, innovation, and effectiveness are recognized from across the healthcare industry. The event prides itself on highlighting the best programs, tools, and campaigns across a broad range of digital activities.

Watson also noted, “Digital excellence is not just about employing the latest technology, but ensuring technological solutions support the creative proposition and aid in achieving the core communication objectives.”

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Global healthcare communications consultancy 90TEN, part of the Envision Pharma Group, was last night named Healthcare PR Consultancy of the Year at the SABRE Awards EMEA 2020.

Commenting on the award win, Paul Tanner, Global Head, 90TEN said, “2019 was 90TEN’s most successful year to date, driven by further investment in our team and the continued adoption of the company’s behavioral science-led communications services by clients. It’s terrific to see our ongoing expansion and to receive recognition for this across the EMEA region. This award is a reflection of the dedication of our incredible team and clients, who are passionate about making a difference through life-changing work.”

The consultancy was also a finalist for the Best Digital Campaign category for its “HIV Garage” program for Gilead Sciences.

The SABRE Awards are the world’s largest PR awards program, recognizing superior achievement in branding and reputation in North America, EMEA, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, South Asia, and Africa. The awards are delivered by PRovoke Media, the authoritative voice of the global public relations industry.

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90TEN, part of Envision Pharma Group, was honored to be named Communications Consultancy of the Year at the 2020 Communiqué virtual awards ceremony last night. The consultancy also received a high commendation in the Young Achiever in Healthcare Communications category for 90TEN’s Rebecca Tait.

“We are extremely proud to celebrate this award win. To be recognized as Communications Consultancy of the Year for the second year in a row is an incredible achievement. This award is testament to the life-changing work of our passionate and talented team,” said Paul Tanner, 90TEN’s Global Head. “Looking ahead, we are bolstering our global footprint and service offering through our partnership with the Envision Pharma Group so that we can bring our life-changing work to more people around the world.”

Communiqué judges said that, “90TEN came out on top after a stellar year, staying true to itself as a business whilst diversifying, with some superb results to show for it. The judges were particularly impressed by 90TEN’s strong internal culture that drives its success, how business development is broadened through working closely with clients, and use of employee sickness as a powerful measure of a healthy working environment.”

The Communiqué Awards recognize and reward outstanding work in healthcare communications both in the UK and internationally, and are judged by a panel of industry experts and leaders. This year, 90TEN was shortlisted for six awards including Medical Affairs Agency and Communications Consultancy of the Year, Excellence in Healthcare Partnerships and Multichannel Communications, as well as individual awards for Healthcare Communications Leader, and Young Achiever in Healthcare Communications.

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Global healthcare communications consultancy 90TEN has been acquired by Envision Pharma Group – a global provider of evidence-based communication services and industry-leading technology solutions.

90TEN will retain its brand and service offering, bringing its insight-led behavioral science model Feel-Think-Do™ to a broad spectrum of Envision Pharma Group’s communications solutions. This partnership will enrich Envision Pharma Group’s global reach in medical affairs, which include its flagship technology, iEnvision^®, together with strategic publications planning and delivery, medical strategy and communications, market access, and creative and digital solutions. In adding 90TEN’s strengths in behavioral science, creativity, and insight-driven communications, this acquisition will deliver an enhanced service offering to the Group’s global client base.

“We’re delighted to welcome an award-winning healthcare communications consultancy into the Envision Pharma Group family,” said David Thompson, CEO, Envision Pharma Group. “90TEN will add its expertise across new verticals for the group – in corporate communications and public relations, while extending Envision’s current footprint in patient engagement and medical communications with its behavioral science methodology. This move bolsters our industry-leading scientific communications capabilities, and enables us to strengthen our offering to clients across the product life cycle.”

“Today marks an exciting milestone in the evolution of 90TEN,” said Paul Tanner, Chairman, 90TEN. “Envision Pharma Group will provide global support to accelerate our plans to extend into more markets and reach more audiences. Both companies share the same values, which is reflected in the similarities between our passionate, ambitious, and collaborative teams who are dedicated to improving patient outcomes.”

Carole North, CEO, 90TEN added, “We’ve always said, if we partnered with another company it would have to be one that was the right strategic and cultural fit for 90TEN, celebrating everything that is 90TEN and the people who make it so successful. Envision Pharma Group embodies all of this and will allow us to retain our individuality, culture, and entrepreneurial spirit as we continue to deliver life-changing communications.”

90TEN will be managed from its London headquarters by the existing management team, including co-founders Paul Tanner and Carole North, and Managing Directors Peter Impey and Alison Doughty.

Based in London, 90TEN employs around 70 members of staff, and works with over half of the top 20 pharma companies in the world serving clients across Europe and North America. The acquisition of 90TEN will bring the total number of Envision Pharma Group employees to around 800 across 14 offices and four continents.

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Envision has achieved sixth position in the annual ranking of the UK’s Top 50 fastest-growing privately owned pharma businesses.

This marks the second successive year Envision has reached financial services firm Alantra’s Pharma Fast 50 list. Based on revenue growth, it recognizes the key British companies that are driving the healthcare sector forward.

Envision CEO David Thompson said, “We are very proud to be named once again in the Pharma Fast 50 list. To move from 19th place in 2019 to sixth in the rankings this year, speaks to all the hard work and dedication our superb team has put in as we continue to expand our technology-enabled scientific services for clients.”

Alantra Director and report author Tom Cowap comments in the publication, “These are dynamic and innovative businesses that continue to deliver remarkable growth and we are proud to highlight their success.”

Aside from additional recent industry awards that have been based on client campaigns and innovation within the sector, Envision as a business has previously enjoyed year-on-year accolades:

2019 – Positioned 19th in Alantra Pharma Fast 50, fastest-growing privately owned pharma business

2018 – Awarded at Super Sussex Growth event that highlighted top-performing, job-generating businesses

2017 – Named Best in Business for sustained sales growth as a mid-market company among the Top 20 fastest-growing businesses

To view the 2020 Pharma Fast 50 report, click here.

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With an eye toward everyone’s health and well-being, all Envision staff will work remotely from March 23 and until further notice.

The health of everyone, from our employees and clients to our collective families and communities, remains of paramount importance to all of us at Envision Pharma Group. As such, we have implemented a phased closure of our offices globally. From Monday, March 23, the whole of Envision Pharma Group will be decentralized and working remotely until further notice.

Please rest assured:

• We will remain very much open and operational to support your ongoing and future needs
• Members of your support team already successfully operate remotely through our flexible working framework, which we are now extending across our entire organization
• You’ll continue to benefit from our experience in working with multidisciplinary teams, across multiple geographies and time zones, through video conferences and phone calls
• You can expect minimal disruption to “business as usual” with our business continuity plan. Click here to learn more

I know you will join me in thanking and appreciating the tremendous efforts of our employees, healthcare workers, communities, and governments as we work in partnership to navigate this unfolding situation.

With an eye toward your own contingency planning, please remember your Envision team is here to support you, and we are ready to answer any questions you may have. Let us know how we can help by reaching out to your EPG team contact directly, or through our contact page.

Sincerely yours,

David

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With an eye toward everyone’s health and well-being, all Envision staff will work remotely from March 23 and until further notice.

Envision is prepared to deliver seamlessly on our service commitments – in any situation that threatens to impact “business as usual” – including Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Our clients choose us as a business partner, in part, because they believe in our business continuity plan. It has been in place since 2016 and we invest in it, test it, and update it regularly. It is compliant with ISO 27001:2013, and so are all of our key supply partners.

Our plan ensures:
• Maximum possible service levels are maintained
• We recover from interruptions as quickly as possible
• The likelihood and impact of interruptions are minimal

So, while – like many businesses – we are suspending non-essential travel, you can rest assured that our employees have access to the right tools and service providers to effectively work with your teams virtually, through video conferences and phone calls.

The health of our mutual employees and your business are of paramount importance to us. Thank you for your valued partnership as we work together to navigate through this unfolding situation.

Questions? Please reach out directly to your EPG team, or via our contact page.

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The PM Society Awards 2020 saw Envision pick up a gold award for Events and Exhibitions, along with two silver accolades for Interactive Communications and Innovations relating to its work in collaboration with Mundipharma.

Envision’s Mundipharma account team were joined by members of the pharma company on January 24 at The Grosvenor House in London to accept the outcome from the event judges, which even included a new category win for interactive communications.

Comments from the judges relating to the gold award noted, “It was a brave client who agreed not to show their data until delegates interacted with it, but it paid off.”

Multichannel Director at Envision Alex Watson added, “What a fantastic way for us to start the year with a triple win at the 2020 PM Society Awards. To make a real difference we believe you sometimes have to look at things from a different perspective.

“Congratulations to our exceptionally talented creative team who, in close partnership with Mundipharma and supported by woolley pau gyro, conceptualized and created this exemplar of MedComms lateral thinking that had a very real impact in getting this important message across.”

The PM Society Awards recognize creativity, impact, and innovation within communications activities in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and healthcare industries. The awards are unique among creative healthcare awards, in that they include categories judged by healthcare professionals – the targets of the work – as well as those judged by agency creatives and marketers.

Watson noted, “This is the second successive year that Envision has entered and won at the PM Society Awards. To have achieved this here two years in a row is testament to the talents and capabilities of our in-house team.”

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The Envision Pharma Group, a global technology-enabled scientific communications organization, announced today that David Thompson (right) who is currently its Chief Commercial Officer is to become the new Chief Executive Officer to coincide with the appointment of its current CEO, Brian Hepburn (left) – to the position of Executive Co-Chair for the Group. Both David and Brian will assume their new roles from January 1, 2020.

David said, “I am honored and truly excited to be taking on the role of CEO for the Envision Pharma Group. The Group has been immensely successful through its unique business model of combining strategic data-centric scientific services with best-in-class technology solutions, such as the gold standard publication planning tool, Datavision. I look forward to continuing that journey through organic growth with a focus on expanding our medical affairs value proposition via the iEnvision platform. We also plan to grow our footprint through strategic acquisitions for key adjacent services. Undoubtedly we have a unique opportunity to provide market-leading solutions (through a combination of world class services and technology enablement) to our client base – which will positively impact the effective and efficient dissemination of NCE data to HCPs, payors, and patients alike.”

David joined the organization as part of Envision’s acquisition of Alligent Biopharm Consulting LLC, in September of 2015. Since then David has been instrumental in expanding the Group’s multichannel medical communication capabilities, fully aligning with the medical strategy and data dissemination core competences of Envision. He will continue to drive Envision’s goal of being seen as a strategic partner of choice for the medical affairs function within our biopharmaceutical and medical device client base. David is a 24-year veteran of the pharma services industry, having spent 15 of those years in the United States. In this role he will be based out of our UK, Horsham offices.

Brian, founder CEO from 2001, will continue to provide strategic direction and management support for the Group. He will maintain an active role driving the culture and company ethos for the ever-expanding team – which to date has been instrumental in creating one of the world’s preeminent medical affairs-focused outsourced pharma technology and services organizations.

“I can think of no one better to take over the mantle of the CEO for the Group,” added Brian. “David has been with the organization for 4 years now and truly understands its DNA, which is often the biggest challenge for any incoming CEO. In addition, he brings an energy and ‘can-do’ attitude to the table which will ensure we continue to innovate and challenge the norm. This planned transition has been in the making for some time now and I look forward to working with him closely on this new phase of the journey for Envision.”

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Starting at the beginning, being able to spot the key warning signs of diabetes can be paramount for early diagnosis and treatment. However, half the people living with diabetes are doing so unknowingly. For this reason, the International Diabetes Federation wants to escalate the awareness of diabetes by educating the public. The hope is that this will increase recognition of warning signs and early treatment, and reduce the risks of long-term health complications. Diabetes requires constant management, ranging from daily medication and monitoring, to application of a healthy lifestyle – so having the support of family and friends is key.

This year the main theme for World Diabetes Day is family and diabetes, raising the awareness of the impact it can have on those around you.

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