# Stephen Farquhar

> Stephen Farquhar is a New York-based advertising and media executive whose career has moved from planning desks in London to agency leadership in China and the United States. After leading strategy, client assignments and multi-market teams across Publicis Groupe, he became CEO of Publicis Health in the U.S. in 2024 and, in August 2026, was reported as the new CEO of Publicis Health Media. His record is defined less by personal celebrity than by a consistent operating idea: combine creative judgment, data and technology without losing sight of the people a campaign must serve.

- **Role:** CEO, Publicis Health Media
- **Organizations:** Publicis Health Media, Publicis Health, Publicis Groupe, Publicis Media, Zenith, Mindshare, Leo Burnett
- **Education:** University of Strathclyde
- **Known for:** Built advertising, media and healthcare-marketing experience across 92 markets., Led Zenith China across offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou., Helped create Zenith's Open Planning approach to media planning.

## Career timeline

- **1996-2000** — Worked as a media planner-buyer at Leo Burnett.
- **2000-2004** — Served as a business director at ZenithOptimedia, including work on the Toyota account.
- **2004-2007** — Led strategy at Mindshare.
- **2007-2010** — Returned to Zenith as head of strategy and led planning on pitches including Warner Music, O2, comparethemarket.com, Oxfam and RBS-NatWest.
- **2010-2012** — Served as managing director of Zenith in London.
- **2012-2014** — Became managing director of Zenith China, overseeing its Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou offices.
- **2014-2016** — Led VM1, Zenith's dedicated agency for Verizon, as president.
- **2016-2018** — Served as president of strategic and global solutions at Zenith.
- **2019-2022** — Worked as Publicis Groupe client lead for GSK and Haleon.
- **2023-2024** — Served as chief marketing officer at Publicis Media, leading global assignments across telecommunications, pharmaceuticals and consumer packaged goods.
- **2024** — Became CEO of Publicis Health in the United States, with oversight of eight creative and specialist health agencies.
- **2025** — Continued as CEO of Publicis Health U.S. after Matt McNally was appointed global CEO of Publicis Health.
- **2026** — Took over as CEO of Publicis Health Media in August, succeeding Andrea Palmer.

## Achievements

- Built advertising, media and healthcare-marketing experience across 92 markets.
- Led Zenith China across offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.
- Helped create Zenith's Open Planning approach to media planning.
- Helped develop a brand-research method for Diageo that changed how its media was planned and bought.
- Developed award-winning work for American Express, Kellogg's and Jaguar, according to Zenith.
- Oversaw a U.S. Publicis Health portfolio that included Digitas Health, Heartbeat, Razorfish Health, Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness, BBK Worldwide, Insagic, Langland U.S. and Payer Sciences.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — Became CEO of Publicis Health Media, succeeding Andrea Palmer, in an appointment confirmed by a company spokesperson.
- **2025-05** — Spoke at PHM HealthFront on changes in direct-to-consumer health marketing and the importance of support, awareness, data and technology.
- **2025-01** — Continued as CEO of Publicis Health U.S. when Matt McNally joined as global CEO of Publicis Health.

## Links

- Website: https://publicishealth.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-farquhar-71a7504

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/stephen-farquhar
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-09-22