top
Jo Filshie
Director
Jo Filshie is a Director at Axon Communications and Heads up the International Public Relations team. She has more than twelve years experience in media and pharmaceutical communications spanning both consultancy and in-house pharmaceutical roles. At Axon she is responsible for the strategic direction and delivery of communications plans for a wide range of clients. She specialises in global campaigns, corporate social responsibility and issues and crisis management and has extensive experience in a wide range of therapy areas including oncology, gynaecology, cardiovascular, dermatology, respiratory and CNS.
Jo joined Axon Communications in November 2005 after returning from four years in Australia where she was Head of Healthcare for Burson-Marsteller Australia. She focused on major campaigns and announcements ranging from major pharmaceutical companies including Novartis, Glaxosmithkline, Sanofi-Aventis and Janssen-Cilag and also worked for a number of high profile NGO clients such as the Australian Red Cross Blood Service and SANE. She also worked on a number of significant issues management projects ranging from corporate governance issues, GM issues, restructuring and product recalls and withdrawals.
Before moving to Australia Jo was with GlaxoSmithKline and held a number of brand and corporate positions both in London and in Paris. As in house Product Communications Manager she was responsible for communications for the key therapeutic areas including CNS, HIV/AIDs, asthma/COPD, smoking cessation, oncology, migraine and epilepsy. She launched Zyban, Trizivir and Malarone into the UK market and introduced two wide-scale adherence initiatives to support growth of well established therapies. She also managed a number of high profile issues (Zyban adverse event profile, inquests and sensitive discontinuations) in the role of strategist and as UK company spokesperson.
Prior to joining GSK, Jo spent four years at Burson-Marsteller, London where she was responsible for the overall development and management of international strategic programs.
Jo commenced her career as a researcher and marketeer for UK TV company Insight News Television based in London. She has a Degree in English Literature and Language from Oxford University.
In 2001 her peers in the British Pharmaceutical Communications Industry voted her 'Young Achiever of the Year' in the Communique, Pharmaceutical Marketing Awards.
top
Ruth Slater
Director
Axon Communications , London
Ruth is Director of the Medical Communications and Clinical Research Stream at Axon Communications, London. Ruth joined Axon in June 2004.
With ten years experience in pharmaceutical communications, Ruth has extensive experience of providing strategic counsel and directing medical education and clinical development programmes for a range of major pharmaceutical companies. Previous assignments have spanned the activities of strategic positioning and message work, publications planning, communications activities, educational programmes, patient advocacy, advisory board facilitation, investigator meetings, clinical consultancy and opinion leader development. Previous and current clients include AstraZeneca, Sanofi-Aventis, BMS, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Novo Nordisk, Amgen and Novartis.
Prior to joining Axon, Ruth was Client Service Director at Medicus International, following several years as a Senior Medical Writer. At Medicus Ruth lead a client service team based across the London and New York offices. Prior to Medicus, Ruth worked in medical and regulatory affairs for the pharmaceutical company CellTech Medeva.
Ruth graduated from UMIST, Manchester with a first class BSc (Hons) in Biochemistry with German. She then undertook postgraduate studies at the Babraham Institute, Cambridge University, researching neuroendocrine control and development using a transgenic animal model. Ruth has co-authored a number of congress presentations and journal articles from this research.
top
Andrew Butcher
Director
Corporate, London
Andrew Butcher is the director for the corporate practice of Axon Communications, London. He has over 20 years experience as a corporate communications consultant working for a wide range of clients in both the private and public sectors, advising on and leading programmes in reputation building and protection, corporate communications and issue management. His work has earned him recognition by the Government Communications Agency, the COI, as an approved strategic communications consultant for public sector clients.
Prior to joining Axon, Andrew was managing director of the specialist corporate communications and reputation management consultancy, Christow, where he led client programmes with a focus on the National Health Service, public sector capital projects, engineering and professional services. In particular has advised organisations going through major change or facing serious reputation challenges including West Middlesex University Hospital, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, DeMontfort University Laing Homes, The Children's Trust, AEA technology plc, Hay Group, and World Event Management
Andrew began his career at construction company, Mowlem plc, from where he moved into public relations with the international consultancy Shandwick plc (now Weber Shandwick). He then set up Harrington Communications, a corporate, health and business to business communications consultancy, which he merged with Christow in 2000. He has a degree in engineering from Oxford University.
top
