Donna L. LaVoie
President and Chief Executive Officer
Donna has over 15 years in business strategy, corporate
communications, public and investor relations. Since starting the
agency in 2001, Donna’s efforts combine building the agency’s
pharmaceutical and life science practices, strategic direction and core
competencies. Under Donna’s leadership, LaVoie Group has become the
acknowledged leader in life science and pharmaceutical communications.
For the past three years, LaVoie Group was named “Best Industry
Exclusive Agency” by the LACP. Additionally, the firm has received
several prestigious awards for their efforts on behalf of their
clients.
Her focus is in helping clients build their companies
and brands during transformational times. Her approach centers on
bringing a credible voice with key audiences while providing strategic
counsel that builds value. She brings knowledge of all aspects of the
corporate marketing effort and the integration of strategic options to
the overall mix. One of her core strengths is the development of strong
relationships among industry, venture, and investor communities and
media.
Prior to leading LaVoie Group as President and CEO,
Donna was a communications and investor relations practitioner, having
spent her career in senior communications and investor relations roles
at leading biopharmaceutical and technology firms.
Donna held the position of Vice President, Corporate and
Strategic Marketing at Stream International (now Solectron), Vice
President of Investor Relations at Cambridge Technology Partners (now
Novell, Inc.), and senior communications and investor relations roles
at several life sciences companies including Ergo Science Corporation,
Alkermes, Inc., and Genzyme Corporation, where she led the company’s
corporate communications and public relations efforts.
She is a frequent speaker and has been published on a
variety of subjects including integrated and crisis communications,
investor and public relations best practices. She holds a Bachelor of
Science in Management from Lesley College and has completed a strategic
marketing program at The Wharton School. Donna is also a member of the
National Investor Relations Institute and is Co-Chair of the Marketing
and Communications Committee for the Mass Biotech Council (MBC).
Cindy
Miller
Vice
President, Product and Marketing Communications
Cindy has over 13 years of experience and extensive
background in pharmaceutical marketing and communications, strategic
marketing analysis and planning, and thought leader advocacy relations.
During the course of her career, Cindy has specialized in working
across a broad spectrum in multiple therapeutic areas that include
integrated program development and management, promotional advertising,
medical education, public relations and direct-to-consumer
communications for a number of pharmaceutical and life science clients.
Prior to joining the LaVoie Group, Cindy worked with
multiple advertising and medical education companies, where she was
responsible for strategic advice and planning. Her role included
leading multiple teams and supporting client’s brands for some of the
largest pharmaceutical and specialty pharmaceuticals. Over the course
of her career, she has played a fundamental role in the planning and
execution of pre and post product launches in multiple therapeutic
areas that include: infectious disease, allergy/respiratory, women’s
and men’s health, cardiovascular, diabetes and gastroenterology.
Cindy's background includes expertise in integrated communication
strategies; thought leader and advocacy relations; branding and
positioning; scientific communications; digital and multimedia, and
brand collateral development.
Cindy has experience developing key relationships with
patient advocacy groups, including managing large-scale collaborative
disease awareness educational campaigns that include- “Get Hip to Hep”
and “Her Heart Community”, advisory meeting, national and local
programs, and key stakeholder meetings. she holds an MBA degree in
Marketing from Long Island University and BA in Biology from Boston
University.
Carey
Pilato
Vice President, Public Relations
Carey Pilato brings almost 20 years of experience
working with multiple public relations, advertising and medical
education companies to LaVoie Group. His extensive background includes
work in public affairs, global communications, branding strategy,
marketing, and planning for leading healthcare, pharmaceuticals, life
sciences, and medical device clients.
Carey specializes in developing key relationships with government,
not-for-profits, patients and advocacy groups. He has worked with
companies such as AstraZeneca, sanofi-aventis, ConvaTec, Amhersham
Health, Sanofi-Pasteur, BD, Bristol Myers Squibb, Novartis, and
healthcare nonprofits such as the American Academy of Family Physicians
and the American Lung Association. Carey also has significant
experience directing communications initiatives and public affairs in
government, having worked under three different Members of Congress.
He has played a primary role in planning and execution of pre and post
product launches in multiple therapeutic areas including oncology,
hematology, gastroenterology, dermatology, infectious disease,
diagnostic imaging, vaccines, wound and ostomy care, medical devices,
asthma, and respiratory diseases. Recently, Carey was
instrumental in re-launching The Faces of Influenza campaign,
a grass roots regional and local effort to increase annual influenza
vaccinations supported by industry, government, medical societies, and
multiple national non-profit organizations.
Previously, Carey has worked for the Cooney Waters Group, the Zeno
Group in New York City, Ribotsky Worldwide (now Core Create, Inc. of
Somerset, New Jersey), Fleishman Hillard in NYC, and McKinsey &
Company in New Jersey. Mr. Pilato holds a B.A. in Political Science
from York College of Pennsylvania.
Lindsay Treadway
Senior Account Leader, Pharmaceutical Accounts
As a Senior Account Leader at LaVoie Group, Lindsay
works on integrated program development and management, public
relations, corporate and product communications, for a number of
pharmaceutical and life sciences clients. In addition, she works on
developing traditional and social media strategies, advocacy relations,
consumer and physician education campaigns, and issues management
support for LaVoie Group’s growing array of life science and
pharmaceutical clients.
Prior to joining the LaVoie Group, Lindsay worked in
Cambridge, MA at Feinstein Kean Healthcare (FKH) where she supported a
number of specialty pharmaceutical clients. During her time at FKH,
Lindsay played a fundamental role in the planning and execution of
product launches, national and local media outreach, KOL relationship
management, the development of brochure and print materials, press
documents and corporate presentations. Lindsay has experience
developing key relationships with patient advocacy groups, including
managing large-scale collaborative disease awareness educational
campaigns, national public service announcements, and key stakeholder
meetings. She has worked with a number of clients in the pharmaceutical
industry, including Pfizer to support pre commercialization/launch for
an orphan drug and the growing rare disease portfolio, Reckitt
Benckiser on a medication for opioid dependence, Novartis’s ADHD
franchise, Dey Pharmaceuticals for a COPD medication and Labopharm’s
chronic pain medication in Canada.
Lindsay also served in the serology department at
Acambis, Inc. where she specialized in vaccination research, focusing
primarily on novel vaccines for infectious diseases. Prior to working
in the biotechnology industry, she interned at Harvard Health
Publications in Boston, MA and was responsible for media relations and
corporate communications. Lindsay holds a Bachelor of Science in
Communications and a Liberal Arts Minor in Biology from Boston
University.
Liz Pingpank
Account Executive
Liz joins LaVoie Group with a background in life
sciences/healthcare, public relations, event planning, and corporate
finance. As an Account Executive, Liz's client-related activities
include public relations, corporate communications, investor relations
and branding programs for various life sciences accounts. In addition,
she provides media relations, project management, competitive tracking
and information gathering services for LaVoie Group clients and manages
the Life Sciences Events Planning Calendar featuring investor, medical
and industry events.
Prior to joining LaVoie, she was an Account
Representative at Lois Paul & Partners, a PR agency in Woburn,
MA. At LP&P, her duties included media pitching, analyst
relations, identifying and pitching speaking opportunities,drafting
press releases and bylines, and conducting social media efforts for
life sciences and hi-tech clients. Liz also worked in UBS’s Healthcare
Investment Banking Group as a Market Data Analyst, responsible for
executing the group’s Life Sciences, Healthcare Services, and Specialty
Pharmaceuticals conferences. In addition, she provided competitive
intelligence on companies, trends, and products, tracked competitor and
industry conferences, and provided news briefs for senior management.
Liz holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English from Georgetown
University.
Nicole Franklin
Strategic Media and Public Relations Consultant
Nicole Franklin has 14 years of experience developing
and implementing public relations programs for healthcare
and consumer products. In her role, Nicole is
responsible for developing integrated media relations programs that
utilize traditional media outreach, as well as social media and SEO.
Nicole will provide expert guidance on strategic and tactical facets of
public relations, new product launches, corporate communications,
thought leadership initiatives, patient/provider education, clinical
data announcements and crisis/issues management.
Prior to joining the LaVoie Group, Nicole was a senior
account manager in the life sciences division at Lois
Paul & Partners, where she utilized both traditional
and social media strategies to build awareness for
new companies in the pharmaceutical and healthcare technology
space.
Previously, Nicole spent over five years working in
Porter Novelli’s New York healthcare division, exclusively in the
pharmaceutical and healthcare space. Previous clients include
Merck/Schering-Plough, GSK, Xanodyne, Merck, Amgen, Shire, and
Berlex. She has also worked at Stanton
Crenshaw and Ruder Finn, where she was involved with each companies
launch and re-positioning; led them through financial situations such
as IPOs; and implemented ongoing communications programs for
various companies.
Nicole started her career at GCI Group, where she
participated in programs to support a number of consumer brands
including American Express, Italian Trade Commission, Hebrew National
and P&G. Nicole holds a bachelor’s degree in English
from Hofstra University.
Jamie Scranton
Business/Office Manager
As Office Manager, Jamie leads the agency’s best
practices in administrative functions including assisting in client and
agency communications, the setting of office protocols, coordinating
and maintaining office support services, as well as human resources.
Prior to joining LaVoie, Jamie has held numerous
professional management positions and her experience spans HR,
management and healthcare resource liaison.
Jamie holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Suffolk University
and a Juris Doctorate from New England School of Law.
Sharon Correia
Senior Consultant
Sharon has been actively involved for more than 20 years
in life science marketing and corporate communications management at
both public and private companies. Her background includes
expertise in integrated corporate marketing & communications
strategies; investor, public and professional advocacy relations;
corporate naming and positioning; branding; government affairs;
technical & scientific communications; tradeshow, conference
& event planning; website and corporate collateral development.
Most recently, Sharon was the Director of Marketing and
Corporate Communications at Alseres Pharmaceuticals, a microcap biotech
firm focused on diagnostics and therapeutics for CNS indications such
as Parkinson’s disease and spinal cord injury. Prior to
Alseres, she performed similar roles building innovative corporate,
marketing, product and/or investor programs at Aderis Pharmaceuticals,
Oscient, Caliper Life Sciences and Millipore. Sharon also
directed a research laboratory and provided expert HPLC customer
support services for Waters/Millipore while living in Europe.
She is a member of NIRI, PRSA, MBC and the Neurotech Industry
Organization and serves as a member of the National Spinal Cord
Outcomes Partnership Endeavor.
Sharon completed her degree in Biochemistry from Penn
State University and graduate courses in finance and management from
American University. In 2004 she received the Outstanding
Advocacy Award from the Parkinson’s Action Network in Washington, DC
and continues to serve on the board and planning committee for the
Morris K Udall Achievement Award. For the past 15 years, she
has served as the Chairman of the PR and Marketing committee and member
of the executive board of the Metrowest YMCA and holds board seats for
various other charitable organizations.
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