Klick Health Strengthens Leadership
Klick Health Onboards 18 Senior Leaders, Boosting Life Sciences Brand Growth and Patient Impact
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Klick Health has added 18 senior leaders to its ranks in a single announcement, marking one of the largest talent expansions in the independent health agency's history. The move targets three high-stakes areas: Market Access, Medical Communications, and Oncology. Business Wire reported the news on June 18, 2026.
The agency, which holds the #2 spot in Medical Marketing + Media's Agency 100, has been growing at a double-digit rate. CEO Lori Grant said the agency has "built its reputation around constantly exploring and inventing new ways to make brands resonate." The new hires come largely from Petauri Advisors and other top-tier consultancies.
Petauri Advisors Loses Key Talent to Klick
The most prominent hire is Shana Gunderson Hua, PharmD, who joins as SVP of Content, Market Access. She previously served as VP of Value and Access at Petauri Advisors. Before that, she held senior roles at Genentech and Cigna/Express Scripts. She brings over 20 years of industry experience.
Gunderson Hua's focus is narrow but critical. She will help clients link benefit design, affordability, and patient support programs together. The goal is to turn demand for a new drug into actual patient access — a gap that frustrates many Life Sciences brands. She said Klick "sits at the intersection of strategy, creativity, and innovation, which is exactly where the next era of commercialization needs to be built," according to Pharmaceutical Executive.
Science Meets Storytelling in New Medical Comms Hires
Dr. Zareen Gauhar joins as VP of Scientific Strategy in Medical Communications. She comes from Area 23 on Hudson and holds a PhD from Yale and a postdoc from Harvard Medical School. She brings 18 years of drug commercialization experience. She said she was drawn to Klick's "authentic culture that pairs creativity with strategic purpose."
Dr. David Recinos joins as VP of Medical Strategy. He has 15-plus years of experience and has worked on more than 10 global product launches. His work spans medical education and advertising across oncology and rare diseases. Together, the two hires signal Klick's push to embed deep clinical thinking directly into its commercialization work.
Tight Pharma Margins Drive Demand for Access Experts
The timing is not random. Healthcare industry EBITDA — a measure of profitability — fell from 11.2% of national health spending in 2019 to 8.9% in 2024, according to McKinsey. Pharma brands need experts who can protect revenue by getting drugs onto payer formularies and into patients' hands faster.
Klick's strategy effectively brings high-level consultancy work in-house. Services once reserved for firms like McKinsey or BCG are now bundled into a single agency relationship. Some analysts warn this is a risk. KeyBank cautioned that depressed margins in Medicaid managed care and federal reimbursement shifts could lead pharma clients to cut commercialization spending.
48 Clio Awards and a Sixth Workplace Honor Fuel Recruiting
Just one week before this announcement, Klick won 48 Clio Health Awards, including "Indie Agency of the Year." That kind of creative recognition makes recruiting easier. The agency also earned its 6th workplace award of 2026, including a spot on Fortune's Best Workplaces in New York list, according to Business Wire.
Grant credits the agency's "people-first culture, hacker roots, and entrepreneurial spirit" for drawing senior talent away from larger competitors. For Petauri Advisors and Area 23, the departures represent a real loss of bench depth in Market Access strategy. If Klick continues this hiring-wave approach, competitors may face pressure to merge or rapidly counter-offer to hold their remaining talent.
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