San Francisco – MS&LGroup, one of the world’s leading communications firms, today announced it has expanded its Healthcare Practice in North America with the addition of biotech industry veteran Matt Gardner.  He joins as a Senior Vice President to lead the agency's Western U.S. region Healthcare team.  Based in San Francisco, Gardner will report to Jeanine O’Kane, North American Healthcare Practice Director, and Joe Carberry, President of the Western Region.

“Bringing Matt on board reflects our commitment to building the best team our industry has to offer,” said O’Kane. “Our clients demand excellence, and we aim to exceed their expectations in today’s dynamic environment. Matt has advised hundreds of biotech companies and we know he will be a vital asset to our Practice.”

Gardner will focus on building the agency’s life science offering, expanding on proven strengths in therapeutics, medical devices and industrial products. Previously, Gardner was president and CEO of BayBio, the trade association for the life science industry in northern California. While working with BayBio, the organization collaborated with MS&L for the BayBio IMPACT campaign, which won a Silver Anvil in 2007, presented by the Public Relations Society of America. This campaign has since been used in science communications curriculums at institutions including Purdue University and the University of Indiana.

Gardner is a champion and spokesperson for the life science industry. His breadth of experience includes award-winning outreach campaigns for industry leaders, as well as working on public policy initiatives. Gardner remains an active community leader, participating in a range of public and non-profit activities across the country, being active in the applied research and start-up community, as well as serving on advisory boards for the University of Maryland College Park and the University of California at Davis.

“Our world-class clients are industry innovators that continuously redefine the healthcare landscape,” said Carberry. “With his deep biotech background, Matt brings a fresh perspective to MS&L to help our clients win.”