GSK’s senior vice president of global communications Philip Thomson won the prestigious Communiquétor of the Year Award at last night’s Communiqué Awards.
The award celebrates an individual in healthcare communications who has gone over and above their day job and demonstrated ‘outstanding personal achievement’.
Thomson, who has worked in media relations at GSK for nearly a decade, was singled out for the accolade for his services to the industry, particularly through his effort to improve its reputation.
With the industry facing mounting criticism and scrutiny in the past 12 months over the issue of clinical trial data transparency, Thomson helped steer GSK into a position of leadership when it became the first company to sign up to the AllTrials clinical trial transparency campaign.
Also during 2012, he oversaw GSK’s wide-acclaimed campaign to highlight its roles as the Official Laboratory Services Provider for the London Olympics.
“Whilst Sir Andrew Witty, as CEO, gets many of the headlines,” commented the judges, “it is his wing-man Philip who makes things happen, at the same time as driving the media agenda.”
By receiving this award, only given individuals who have achieved something truly remarkable, Thomson follows last year’s winner ABPI head Stephen Whitehead.
The Communiqué programme, which took place at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, is run by PMLiVE publishers PMGroup and is specifically designed to recognise and commend excellence and best practice in local, European and international healthcare communications.
• See the full results of the Communiqué Awards 2013
• See all the photos from the Communiqué Awards 2013