In order to broaden my international experience, I relocated to the UK. I accepted a permanent position in London and was responsible for the day-to-day and long-term management, profitability and growth of the International Client Account Group and Network portfolios which included Pfizer, GE Medical, Nycomed/Altana and Merck/Serono accounts, in addition to being charged with new business development and pitches.

My responsibilities included:
• Financial responsibility for accounts (several in excess of £1m fee) within the Client Service Unit ensuring profitable budgeting, forecasting and billing
• Providing strategic direction through a thorough knowledge of medical/market issues, thus ensuring the company’s, clients’ and accounts’ overall strategic objectives were met
• Identifying and developing new business opportunities and growing existing client business
• Developing and maintaining strong relationships with key clients, ensuring maximum client satisfaction
• Giving regular feedback to the Managing Director and European Network Director and working closely on special initiatives, as required
• Putting together and leading pitch teams
• Performing presentations internally and externally
• Regularly reviewing key materials / projects to ensure they were on-target, on-strategy, on-time and budget and of highest quality, accuracy and creativity
• Carrying out effective resourcing of accounts/account teams
• Recruiting new account team personnel and liaising with HR
• Providing leadership and guidance to account teams engendering a team spirit at all times through regular updates and feedback
• Conducting regular account team meetings in order to maintain enthusiasm, motivation, achievement and recognition of account teams personnel
• Encouraging all account team personnel to proactively strive for improved implementation of processes and procedures, so as to better harness current skills and improve efficiency and profitability
• Responsibility for people management, including coaching, mentoring, performance and probation reviews, setting objectives and identifying training needs
• Regularly liaising and sharing best practices with other Leadership Team members

I established a very successful strategic partnership in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa with The Media Shop (The largest media independent agency in the country), in order to facilitate the growing demand for media, strategy and communication requirements for the Government, Quasi Government, Educational Institutions and Leisure & Tourism sectors in the region. These clients included the Eastern Cape Provincial Government, the Eastern Cape Department of Health, the Eastern Cape Department of Education, University of Fort Hare, University of the Transkei, Walter Sisulu University, the Eastern Cape Tourism Board, the Eastern Cape Parks Board, the Nelson Mandela Metropole and the Nelson Mandela Museum.

Due to personal reasons I decided to come out of retirement and re-establish myself in the advertising business. I was approached to oversee a recently acquired failing healthcare agency that had been incorporated and re-launched. I accepted a short-term contract as Chief Operating Officer; however I made the decision to terminate my contract to pursue a previous offer to start up a strategic alliance partnership. Clients during the term of my contract included Pfizer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Lederle Laboratories, Reckitt Benckieser, Rhone Poulenc Rorer, Roche, Tyco Healthcare, Stortz Opthalmics and Schering Plough.

The combined threat of global healthcare advertising account alignment, generic substitution and parallel imports of medicines ultimately persuaded me to sell the healthcare segment of the agency to the Bates Group, who wanted to acquire the business as the basis of establishing Bates Healthworld (the then largest healthcare advertising and marketing agency network globally) in South Africa. After heading up and running Bates Healthworld on a 2 year management contract, I made the decision to retire and indulge my long-term dream of combining my passion for fly fishing with a viable business venture by establishing a trout lodge. During the 2 years at Bates Healthworld, I successfully managed to retain and service 90% of the original healthcare client base incorporated from the purchase of Young, Edwards and an Agency which consisted of Pfizer, 3M Healthcare, Bausch & Lomb, Bayer Pharmaceutical, GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Abbott and Pharmacia.

Independent Integrated and Healthcare Advertising Agency

With the imminent closure of BBDO International due to political and business pressures, I successfully established my own marketing and advertising agency, through various acquisitions, mergers, partnerships and subsequent name changes. From an original staff of 3 and billings of R150, 000 (£11,000), the business expanded to a staff of 24 and income in excess of R40, 000,000
(£2,850,000). Although the start up agency focused on the Healthcare sector only, I gradually diversified and expanded the client list as follows:
Healthcare clients: Pfizer, 3M Healthcare, Bausch & Lomb, Bayer Pharmaceutical, GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Pharmacia, Abbott, Boots, Boehringer Mannheim and Lilly
Information Technology clients: Hewlett Packard and IBM
Telecommunication clients: Nokia, Siemens and Vodacom
FMCG clients: 3M Consumer Products, Colgate Palmolive, Kimberly-Clark, Marlboro and Miele
Finance & Industry clients: First National Bank, Standard Bank, Guardian National Insurance, Johannesburg Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Murray & Roberts Construction and Sanlam Properties
Automotive clients: Toyota, Ssang Yong Motor Corporation, Castrol Oil and Matrix Vehicle Security
Leisure & Tourism clients: Harvey World Travel, Southern Sun Hotels & Resorts, Sun International Casinos & Resorts, Swiss Air.

Multi-national and Multi-faceted Integrated Advertising Agency

I was approached and offered a position as Account Director with the largest Advertising Agency in South Africa at the time – BBDO International. Within 18 months I was promoted to joint MD of the Health and Medical Business Unit. Clients included Merck, Ciba-Geigy, Fisons, GD Searle, Hoechst, Merck Sharpe & Dohme and Sandoz

Multi-National Pharmaceutical/Healthcare/Cosmetic Company

I started my career in the Healthcare industry as a medical representative; I was promoted respectively to Regional Sales Manager, Marketing Services Manager, Product Manager, Group Product Manager and Sales & Marketing Manager. I successfully handled, launched, established and ultimately assumed total responsibility for a large number of Healthcare and Consumer brands as well as managing a marketing team and field sales force of 30 people. As I was not a qualified pharmacist, my future career prospects within the pharmaceutical arena were limited and I chose to further my ambitions within the Advertising & Communications industry.