Brady Named Chairman and CEO of CommonHealth's Thomas Ferguson Associates; Chapman Appointed TFA President.

Business Editors

PARSIPPANY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 25, 2001

CommonHealth today announced the appointment of Phil Brady to chairman and CEO of Thomas Ferguson Associates (TFA), CommonHealth's founding full-service professional advertising agency, a position he will hold in tandem with his broader title of CommonHealth cochairman. David Chapman was named president of TFA, the position previously held by Mr. Brady.

CommonHealth, the world's leading healthcare-communications network, is a WPP Group (LSE: WPPL.L; NASDAQ/ADR: WPPGY; www.wpp.com) company.

A nine-year veteran of the organization, Mr. Brady was named president of TFA in 1993 by Thomas G. Ferguson, the company's founder, now chairman emeritus of CommonHealth. Mr. Brady oversaw TFA during a period of rapid growth and a series of high-profile, highly successful spin-offs, including The Quantum Group, the direct-to-consumer agency; The Conectics Group, the media and marketing-research company; and, most recently, Noesis Healthcare Interactions, a full-service professional-advertising agency that opened its doors in August 2000 with 44 full-time professionals.

Adient, formerly Ferguson 2000, was spun off as a full-service professional-advertising firm in 1992.

"Phil's commitment to clients, colleagues, CommonHealth as a whole and TFA in particular is proverbial, and we're delighted he'll remain a vital and visible part of TFA's leadership even as he deepens his network responsibilities," said CommonHealth President and CEO Matt Giegerich, noting that The Conectics Group and Noesis Healthcare Interactions will continue to report directly to Mr. Brady, as will Mr. Chapman.

Prior to joining TFA in 1992 as senior vice president/management supervisor, Mr. Brady spent 12 years with Rolf Werner Rosenthal (now Nelson Communications) where he rose to president/COO of the agency. He began his career as a sales representative for Burroughs Wellcome Inc.

"It's one of the hallmarks of people who've reached the top of their profession that they make it all look easy, and that's certainly true of Phil," said WPP's John Zweig. "Then one day you realize - that easy rapport with clients, that instinct for precisely the right solution - it's the product of an almost uncommon understanding of this business and its drivers."

Also nine years with CommonHealth, David Chapman held the title of executive vice president, group managing director at TFA before his appointment to president. He previously served as president of CommonHealth's ProCom unit and president of CommonHealth Partners, where he was charged with developing the integrated programs that led to the creation of CommonHealth. All of TFA's account and creative services, as well as TFA operations, will report to him in his new position.

Mr. Chapman began his career as a copywriter, first at Ruvane Leverte in New York, and later at Kallir, Philips, Ross, where he worked across a wide variety of healthcare categories in increasingly senior positions before joining Nelson Communications as executive vice president and creative director of its Medisphere Productions unit. He joined CommonHealth in 1992.

"Dave understands what clients need - not just what they want - and is committed to making sure they get it 300 percent," said TFA Chairman and CEO Phil Brady. "His remarkable business-building talents, coupled with his experience across virtually all healthcare categories, clients and marketing disciplines will help ensure that TFA remains best in class," he said, in closing.

CommonHealth comprises Thomas Ferguson Associates, Adient, The Quantum Group, Noesis Healthcare Interactions, The Xchange Group, Health Learning Systems, ProCom International, The Conectics Group, Enterprise IG Health, EinsonHealth, MD&A/Salud, MBS/Vox, Shire Hall, CommonHealth Europe, CommonHealth Australia and CommonHealth Kyowa.

CommonHealth also has partnerships with the following companies: Ogilvy Healthcare Network, CIA Medianetwork, Medical Broadcasting Company (MBC), Pedagogue Solutions and SoftWatch.