SAN FRANCISCO—WCG has appointed Nancy Fitzsimmons as managing director, healthcare, working out of its New York office. Most recently, Fitzsimmons served as senior director, corporate initiatives at AstraZeneca, where she was responsible for US corporate reputation, corporate responsibility and the launch of its new global corporate brand in the United States.

With more than 25 years of experience in all aspects of healthcare communications, Fitzsimmons has worked for such industry leaders as AstraZeneca, Novartis, Quest Diagnostics and Warner-Lambert. Her corporate experience will help WCG teams understand the context and culture in which clients operate, delivering relevant and practical communication solutions.

With experience in branding, reputation, internal communications and issues and crisis management, Fitzsimmons has counseled C-suite executives through high-profile government investigations, product recalls, regulatory issues and corporate and legal challenges.

Fitzsimmons began her career at Burson-Marsteller where she helped to establish its nascent healthcare practice. She later joined Warner-Lambert to form the organization's first brand communications function, working on the global launch of Lipitor and the first campaign to educate the public on the warning signs of Alzheimer's disease. At Quest Diagnostics, where she led external communications, she drove reputational efforts.