A self-proclaimed FCB Health “lifer,” Mike Guarino began his career at FCB Health over 25 years ago. Over that time, he served in pivotal leadership roles, helping to shape the network’s meteoric trajectory. Mike’s insatiable quest for “what’s next,” coupled with the network’s philosophy of proactive career management, positioned him in the driving seat of many game-changing FCB Health firsts.
In 1998, after leading numerous successful launches for the agency’s most important, foundational clients like Merck, Mike became the first FCB Health NY transplant to lead the agency’s West Coast office in San Francisco, at the forefront of the biotech revolution. Mike brought that experience back East where he continued his launch stewardship, leading some of the first pharma blockbuster brands from Eli Lilly, Roche/Genentech and GSK.
Mike’s next big launch was beyond just pharma. In 2007, he launched FCB Health’s first sister agency, AREA 23, setting the stage for network’s now 20+ agency portfolio. Mike was central in establishing the driving values and principles that guide Area 23’s and all of FCB Health’s sister agencies today. After attracting the agency’s first clients, many of which are still on Area 23’s roster today, Mike’s next chapter was yet another first – the network’s first Chief Strategic Officer.
As Chief Strategic Officer, Mike grew and integrated the network’s strategy offering to include more than 150 talented strategists and medical professionals across the network. Balancing creativity with innate strategic prowess, he embedded strategic planning, medical strategy, engagement planning and social media strategy into the fabric of all FCB Health agencies.
In 2015 he was appointed as the Network’s first Chief Commercial Officer, guiding the introduction of numerous products and services. Notably, Mike spearheaded the creation of new agencies such as SOLVED, the Network’s 100-person data and media company and a fundamental component of the FCB Health Network Omnichannel center of excellence.
Mike is a graduate of Villanova University having studied the Sciences, Chemical Engineering and Business Management.